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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can call plenty of Hollywood A-listers friends. But they’ve left a royal expert “underwhelmed” by not being seen with many big names often. The reason, they suggested, could be because of the type of life the Duke and Duchess of Sussex want to lead in California. 

Harry and Meghan aren’t often seen ‘mingling’ with Hollywood’s ‘A-list’ 

Royal expert and author Katie Nicholl discussed Harry and Meghan’s circle of friends on Vanity Fair’s “Dynasty” podcast in an episode titled “The Royal Family’s Most Challenging Year.” 

“Personally, I have to say I’ve been a little underwhelmed with the celebrities they’ve been hanging out with,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong—I love Kevin Costner—he’s fabulous.” (Harry and Meghan went to a 2023 fundraiser Costner hosted.) 

“But I thought they’d be mingling far more with the A-List. I thought we’d see them out far more with Oprah [Winfrey], and Gwyneth [Paltrow], and that sort of crowd. And they haven’t been,” she explained. 

In recent months, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been spotted with longtime friends. Meghan attended an event in the Hamptons with fashion designer Misha Nonoo. Meanwhile, she and Harry have gone to polo events with Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras. The two also went to the 2024 ESPYs, which Meghan’s close friend, Serena Williams, hosted. 

Meghan also had lunch with Kimberly Williams-Paisley in photos obtained by Daily Mail. However, the nature of the meeting, whether friendly or business-related, is unclear. 

Harry and Meghan may want to stay ‘below the radar’ by not being seen with A-list celebrities

The expert continued, saying the reason Harry and Meghan aren’t spotted out and about with the ‘A-list’ celebrities much is because of a desire for a quieter life. 

“Perhaps that is all part of them wanting to live a life that is a bit more below the radar,” she said. One “that doesn’t end up getting them papped. That doesn’t end up getting them in all the celebrity magazines.” 

“And actually, in Montecito, they’re able to do that,” she added. “I’m sure there’s a whole plethora of VIP dinner parties that are taking place at theirs that we have no idea about.” 

In Harry and Meghan’s neighborhood alone, there are multiple big-name celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres, Katy Perry, and Orlando Bloom. 

Friends have been forced to choose: royal family or Harry and Meghan

The feud has, according to Nicholl, majorly impacted his and Meghan’s circle of friends, with many likely feeling forced to pick sides. 

“I think the ties have been severed. I think there is a sense that, possibly, friends, close friends, society friends, [and] celebrity friends have sort of had to make a little bit of a choice.”

The author continued: “I remember being told by someone at the palace there was this sense that you had to put your stake in one camp or the other.” 

Nicholl went on to reference the wedding of Harry and Prince William’s longtime friend, Hugh Grosvenor. The brothers were both invited to the June 2024 ceremony in England, but only the Prince of Wales attended. (He served as an usher, escorting guests to their seats.) 

“I think if you look back to that recent society wedding of the Duke of Westminster, it was William who got the invite to that. And Harry was invited because they’ve been friends forever and a day.” 

“But he was basically asked to stand down from that wedding.” Why? “Because it would have been very awkward to have had the two brothers at a society wedding like that, together. So I think they probably have lost some friends in all of this.” 

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