Meghan Markle Jokes About Trading Up to Elon Musk Amid Rumors of Marriage Troubles

Reports of tension between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been circulating for some time, and now, royal biographers are adding fuel to the fire.

During a recent appearance at the Henley Literary Festival, Palace Papers author Tina Brown joked that if Markle ever grew tired of Harry, she could always upgrade to billionaire Elon Musk.

Brown's quip was in response to reports that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were house hunting in the affluent neighborhood of Hope Ranch, California.

While their current Montecito mansion is impressive, boasting nine bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, rose gardens, century-old olive trees, a children's cottage, a tennis court and a swimming pool, it pales in comparison to some of the other homes in the area.

“There are many now in London who say that Markle is tiring of Harry,” said Tom Bower, author of Revenge.

“They speculate that in two years she will say, ‘this is enough' and should negotiate some sort of deal with King Charles to break the marriage.”

Bower went on to suggest that the couple's current business plan was to “wreck the royals as much as they can, promoting brand Sussex,” but that this was a “dying cause” and that Markle would soon need a new career.

Adding to the rumors, reports have surfaced that the couple is searching for a new home as their current mansion no longer suits their needs.

Hope Ranch, where they are reportedly looking, is a private community about 10 miles from their current location.

In other news, a new book claims that Markle once flirted so hard with champion golfer Rory McIlroy that her then-boyfriend, chef Corey Vitiello, demanded to know whether she had cheated on him.

The encounter took place in August 2014, just weeks after McIlroy won the Open Championship in Britain.

According to author Tom Bauer, Markle and McIlroy first met after he nominated her for the ice bucket challenge.

After filming the challenge video together, they enjoyed a drink at the Fitzpatrick Hotel in New York City before being invited to dinner with 20 friends at Cipriani.

Despite being worse for wear the following morning, McIlroy drove back to New York to see Markle, causing his performance at the Ridgewood Country Club to suffer.

Markle later gushed about the golfer on her now-defunct blog, The Tig.

While it remains to be seen whether there is any truth to the rumors of trouble in paradise for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, their every move continues to be scrutinized by the media and royal watchers alike.

As for the possibility of Markle upgrading to Elon Musk, only time will tell.