Why Prince Harry Skipped the Paley Honors Gala Amid Meghan Markle Divorce Rumors

appearance at the Paley Honors gala? Other than the fact that she looked seriously s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g (um, did you see her $33k tennis necklace??), fans couldn’t help but notice that Prince Harry was notably absent when she walked the red carpet…even though the event was honoring Meghan and Harry’s good friend (and godfather to their daughter), Tyler Perry. And even though both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were listed as tribute chairs for the big night.
Well, while Meghan was hanging with A-listers at The Paley Center in Beverly Hills, Harry was actually across the country in NYC, attending the New York Times’ 2024 DealBook Summit. Makes sense!

Due to schedule demands, the two have actually attended several recent engagements separately, and while some think this is a sign the couple is headed for divorce, Harry wants to set the record straight.

While in conversation with Andrew Ross Sorkin during the DealBook Summit, Harry addressed divorce rumors head-on by joking, “Apparently, we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it’s just like, what?”

It was first announced back in July that Meghan and Harry would be part of the crew leading the celebrations at the Paley Honors gala (along with Tyler Perry’s other famous pals Whoopi Goldberg, Gayle King, Taraji P. Henson, George Lucas, and Kerry Washington, among others).

However, a spokesperson for the couple later announced Harry would attend the DealBook Conference while Meghan represented the Sussexes at the gala solo.

According to a source for People, Harry and Meghan’s separate, bicoastal appearances are all part of their new “twin-track approach.” As the insider noted, “The Duke and Duchess have now hit their stride as individuals–not just as a couple. The Duke appears focused on his patronage work, and the Duchess focused on her entrepreneurial track.”

Case closed!

So what gives?