It’s amusing that the usual suspects are still upset that the Duchess of Sussex went to the Balenciaga show in Paris this fall, and that she and Prince Harry also went to Kris Jenner’s birthday party, which was held at Jeff Bezos’ LA estate. Those two appearances showed that Meghan in particular is welcomed in those elite spaces. Not only welcomed, but that she belongs there. In Paris, fashion industry people gasped when she walked into the show. Anna Wintour was in attendance, and she greeted Meghan enthusiastically, as did everyone in Wintour’s group. Weeks later, Meghan had lunch with Vogue’s new editor Chloe Malle in New York. My point? Meghan is already rolling in these elite circles. But according to NewsNation, there’s only a slim chance that Meghan will be invited to next year’s Met Gala, and only if the gala co-chairs vouch for her.
Meghan Markle’s fashion dream may be about to come true. When Venus Williams, Nicole Kidman and Beyoncé were announced as the hosts of next year’s Met Gala, whispers in Montecito started that maybe this would be the year that Meghan and Prince Harry get invited to mingle among the fashion world’s crème de la creme.
Meghan is, after all, good friends with Venus’ sister, Serena, and has made inroads with Beyoncé over the years as well. Meghan met Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z at “The Lion King” premiere in London in 2019, and Beyoncé later texted Markle after the couple gave their infamous interview to Oprah Winfrey, saying how “brave” the Duchess was. Meghan returned the favor by showing up to Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour in 2023 and her Cowboy Carter Tour in 2025.
However, there are no paparazzi photos, vacations or repeated private sightings of Beyoncé and Meghan, suggesting the two do not have a deep off-camera friendship. But at least Markle, who has been trying to crack the fashion world since showing up at the Balenciaga show in Paris this fall, has a shot.
”Two tangential friends are hosting, she could go,” a fashion source said. However, the gala is also being funded by Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos, who held Kris Kardashian’s 70th birthday party at their home last month, which turned into a Meghan/Harry debacle.
The erstwhile royals had the Kardashians take down all Instagram photos of them at the party. The pics had caused a massive brouhaha in the U.K. as the party was held the night before Remembrance Day — a solemn occasion in the country.
The issue for the Bezos and Kardashian clan was that the Sussex clan first told the media the pics had to be taken down as the couple didn’t sign a release (The Kardashians said there was no release) … and the ensuing kerfuffle made Kris’ big day all about Harry and Meghan, not the Kardashian matriarch.
“Everything they do seems to become a PR disaster — and even at someone else’s event, it always becomes about them,” one Hollywood denizen said.
Not to mention, Vogue ice queen Anna Wintour is said not to be a fan. Wintour never gave Meghan an American Vogue cover — or previously invited her to the Gala. Wintour is said to be closer to Harry’s family, the (actual) British royal family. Wintour was also said to be irked after a disagreement about a potential 2022 British Vogue cover for the Duchess went awry.
It remains to be seen if Beyoncé or Venus will stick their neck out for the Duchess in May. But, according to Vogue, the Costume Art themed gala will still be chock full.
Contrary to basically everything in this column, Wintour has already said on the record and on camera that she’s a fan of Meghan. Beyonce is also a fan, and Meghan is already welcomed in Bey’s inner circle (Tina Knowles even appeared on Meghan’s podcast). My guess is that the Sussexes were always going to be welcomed at the Met Gala, and they’ve likely already turned down invitations from both Wintour and various designers to go to the gala. Now, will they show up next May? Maybe. I doubt it’s Harry’s scene, which is probably why they’ve never gone before. But sure, it’s a possibility. These people are just constantly trying to position the Sussexes as outsiders, but everything we’ve seen about their post-Sussexit lives is that they’re well-connected, popular and welcome in many elite American circles.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
