Prince Harry and Meghan Markles and the Obama’s, former first family of the United States of America
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘conspicuous’ absence from Barack Obama‘s 60th birthday party could be a sign their ‘special relationship’ is over, a royal expert has claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not attend the lavish do thrown by the former US president at Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday, however it wasn’t clear whether they couldn’t make it or were snubbed.
Despite Obama insisting the event had been scaled back from a guest list of 500 because of the spread of the Indian Delta variant of Covid, a staff member told DailyMail.com that 300 to 400 people were in attendance. It included John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, Meghan’s friend CBS This Morning host Gayle King, George Clooney and Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
Royal expert Camilla Tominey suggested that ordinarily, you would have expected Harry, 36, and Meghan to be ‘front and centre’ of the Obamas’ guest list, however some people within Democrat circles have suggested the Sussexes’ attempts to ‘ape everything the Obamas have done’ since they quit the Royal Family may have ‘jeopardised their once special relationship’.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, she said: ‘Despite the Obamas not attending the Sussexes’ wedding that year, it was thought that the newly California-based couple would be shoo-ins at Obama’s 60th, as prominent “progressives” and new-found members of the US metropolitan liberal elite.’
She claimed a source revealed the Obamas ‘didn’t like Harry attacking his family’ during his and Meghan’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in March.
‘They value family and certainly aren’t the type of people who would want their children talking to the press,’ the insider added.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama, 57, also shed light on her and her husband’s feelings on the public outpouring – during which they accused the monarchy of not supporting them and suggested Prince Charles and Prince William are ‘trapped’ in the system – in an interview with Access Hollywood
‘My hope is that, when I think about what they’re going through, I think about the importance of family and I just pray that there is forgiveness and there is clarity and love and resolve at some point in time. Because there’s nothing more important than family,’ she said.
The Obamas have a long-standing relationship with Harry, having bonded with him over his Invictus Games – for which they starred in a video with the prince and the Queen to help promote it in 2016.
The following year Harry interviewed Barack in Toronto for his guest edit of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, during which they discussed the risks of social media and the corrosion of civil discourse.
Meghan also made a point of attending Michelle’s talk at the London Southbank Centre in December 2018, with the two women reportedly getting together backstage afterwards for a ‘power meeting’ to discuss their shared passion for girls’ education.
The Sussexes have followed a similar trajectory to the Obamas since quitting royal life, having signed a multi-million dollar deal with Netflix to produce their own documentary series.
