Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's failure to publicly celebrate Oprah Winfrey 's recent birthday shows "the tide is turning" with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a royal expert claims.
As Oprah turned 69 over the weekend, the broadcaster partied with the likes of Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Sharon Stone as they celebrated Anastasia Beverly Hills' 25th anniversary.
While not an official birthday party, the makeup brand's bash doubled up as a celebration for Oprah, with Kim just one of the many guests to post a birthday tribute to her pal online as they partied together.
But Harry and Meghan were nowhere to be seen at the star-studded party - something that has surprised many people due to the fact Oprah was the journalist they chose to sit down with for their explosive TV interview in 2021.
It's not known if the couple had prior engagements and were simply unable to make Anastasia Beverly Hills' party, or if they are purposely shunning the showbiz scene ahead of King Charles' coronation.
While no-one knows for certain why the Duke and Duchess didn't party with their pal over the weekend, one expert has suggested their conspicuous absence could signify something bigger.
Kara Kennedy claims Harry and Meghan's "loud mouths" are being used against them following the couple's decision to tell their story via Netflix documentaries and tell-all memoirs.
"On a more serious note, snubs like this show that the tide is turning with the Sussexes — and that the gamble that saw them trade in the lifelong duty of being working royalty for the money and fame of being celebrities hasn’t paid off," Kennedy writes in The Spectator.
"It’s easy to see why Oprah wouldn’t want the pair at her birthday shindig after Harry’s latest revelations," she went on to claim.
During their televised interview with Oprah in March 2021, Harry and Meghan claimed a member of Harry’s family had expressed "concerns" over what colour their son Archie’s skin would be while the former Suits actress was pregnant.
The revelation caused many to speculate if the Royal Family is a racist institution, but Harry slammed those claims earlier this year.
Speaking with Tom Bradby ahead of the release of his bombshell memoir, the dad-of-two was told: "In the Oprah interview you accused members of your family of racism," before Harry cut in to insist: "No I didn’t. The British press said that."
Tom looked briefly nonplussed before Harry added: "Did Meghan ever mention that they’re racist?"
The ITV journalist replied: "She said there were troubling comments about Archie’s skin colour."
Harry then said there was 'concern' about his skin colour, to which Tom asked if that would not be described as 'essentially racist'.
The former working royal replied: "I wouldn’t, not having lived within that family."
Kennedy continued to reference the contrasting interviews in her Spector column, claiming: "The interview [with Oprah] was not an attempt to speak truth, nor was it an attempt at reconciliation.
"This was Harry and Meghan’s campaign to finish off the British monarchy — and they used Oprah as a pawn."
But author Christopher Anderson has a very different opinion to Kennedy.
Speaking on TV about the couple's relationship with Oprah, the author mused: "If there is one thing Oprah is, it's loyal. I think people are reading a lot more into this supposed snub than they should. "
"My reading of the situation is that both Oprah and the Sussexes realize this is a very delicate moment for Harry and Meghan as we approach the coronation of King Charles.
"Appearing at such a glitzy, high-profile event with Hollywood A-listers to honour Oprah is not what the Sussexes need right now."
The Mirror has approached representatives for Meghan and Harry for comment on this story.
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