Though they have often been portrayed as the very embodiment of a long and enduring marital partnership, rumors have continued to swirl about difficulties plaguing the marriage of former President Barack Obama and his wife, former first lady, Michelle Obama.

Now, amid building scrutiny, the former first couple appears to be making at least some effort to quell the speculation that has rocked the Obama family and sent shockwaves through the political world, as Marca reports.

High-profile absences spur rumors

Chatter about the state of the Obama union began to ramp up in earnest when the former first lady failed to turn up at a solemn event attended by all other living former presidents and their wives.

The Jan. 9 funeral for former President Jimmy Carter was marked by Mrs. Obama's conspicuous absence, particularly given the late commander in chief's commitment to the sort of liberal causes and politics also championed by her husband.

Mrs. Obama's staffers indicated that a scheduling conflict related to her presence in Hawaii over the holiday period precluded her attendance, though that explanation did little to quell speculation about her marriage.

Reports further suggested that her husband's viral moments of friendly interaction with President-elect Donald Trump angered Michelle Obama, due to her longstanding animosity toward the former – and future – occupant of the White House, whose inauguration on Monday she is also planning to miss.

According to Page Six, the combination of events “is getting a lot of D.C. peeps talking. The noise is getting louder. I'm told she was furious at seeing her husband yukking it up with Trump at the Carter funeral,” one insider noted.

Birthday wishes scrutinized

With discussion continuing to swirl about the possibility of an impending divorce, Barack Obama on Friday took to Instagram and posted a loving tribute to his wife on her 61^st birthday, a move seen by some as an attempt to silence the rumor mill.

Accompanied by a photo of the couple apparently poised to enjoy an intimate, celebratory dinner, the former president declared, “You fill every room with warmth, wisdom, humor and grace – and you look good doing it. I'm so lucky to be able to take on life's adventures with you. Love you!”

Mrs. Obama did not take long to post a comment on the glowing words, writing, “Love you, honey!”

Even so, social media users and insiders alike seemed to remain skeptical about the health of the Obama's marriage, with one noting, “They don't pretend that they have this Camelot relationship. They're not trying to present that they're this magical couple,” a fact underscored by Mrs. Obama's past revelation that she “couldn't stand” her husband for a significant portion of their time together.

Another insider offered insight as to why the pair could be going their separate ways, adding that Mrs. Obama has been “checked out” of DC life for quite some time and may be “fed up with the political circus and pretending everything is OK with Barack all the time.”

World is watching

With Barack Obama slated to attend Monday's inauguration solo, all eyes will certainly remain on the former first couple, with any sign of distance certain to start tongues wagging.

After suggesting that things are not necessarily what people think when it comes to the Obamas' relationship, the insider who spoke to Page Six added somewhat ominously, “What this will all lead to is to be revealed in time,” with analysis and post-mortems on what may have led a potential split certain to follow.