Prince Harry's upcoming visit to New York for the UN General Assembly High-Level Week and Climate Week has sparked a buzz, but not for the reasons one might anticipate. This time, it’s Meghan Markle who’s stirring up trouble over being left out of the 25th Diana Awards ceremony, an event designed to honor the legacy of Princess Diana.
While Harry will be mingling with organizations like African Parks, the Halo Trust, the Diana Award, and Travelyst, Meghan will be conspicuously absent—along with their two invisible kids. Sources reveal that Meghan, who was notably excluded from this prestigious event despite her husband's involvement, is not taking the snub lightly. Meghan's reaction? She’s reportedly fuming and pointing the blame squarely at Prince Harry. Meghan is said to believe that Harry’s role in the event should have secured her an invitation because, in her view, any event tied to Princess Diana is incomplete without Meghan Markle in attendance.
The Diana Awards, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, joyfully announced Harry’s involvement on their official Instagram account. Dr. Tessy Ojo, CBE, CEO of the Diana Award, touted the event as a platform driven by young people addressing the pressing issues of their generation. Meanwhile, Meghan’s exclusion has turned this well-meaning celebration into a royal melodrama, sparking waves of speculation and controversy. One can only marvel at the absurdity of the situation. Why New York? Why September? And why is Harry, who seems more interested in rehashing his mother’s legacy than engaging in meaningful philanthropy, at the center of this fiasco?
Meghan’s exclusion raises the question: Is Harry’s involvement in the Diana Awards an elaborate ploy to shame or force a meeting with Prince William? The media circus that would ensue from a "will they or won’t they" scenario between the two brothers would surely be a sight to behold.
Some suggest that Harry’s continued obsession with Diana is doing more harm than good. Every time Harry drags his late mother’s name into the spotlight, it seems to tarnish her legacy a little more. The more he tries to capitalize on Diana’s memory, the more it appears that he’s merely using her to gain attention. His antics are starting to resemble a bad sitcom plot, where he’s the tragicomic lead, endlessly shadowboxing while the real adults wait for the farce to end.
And let’s not overlook the potential for Harry and Meghan to try to outshine William’s Earthshot Summit, which is also set to take place in New York. How convenient that both Harry and the Diana Awards have scheduled their big events to coincide with Earthshot. It’s almost as if they’re trying to set up a grand spectacle to distract from William’s achievements. Expect plenty of photo ops with smiling young people as Harry tries to position himself as the true heir to Diana’s legacy.
Because, of course, the only way to honor her memory is by turning it into a PR stunt. One can only speculate how the Diana Award organizers managed to indulge Harry’s antics, especially given that Prince William might have some say in the matter. The whole spectacle feels like a desperate attempt to make Harry look relevant while simultaneously overshadowing his brother’s important work. The entire affair could be seen as an elaborate effort to co-opt Diana’s memory for personal gain.
In the grand scheme of things, Meghan’s outrage over not being invited is almost poetic. As Harry and Meghan continue their quest to maintain relevance and repair their fractured public image, it seems that their efforts are more about creating drama than achieving genuine impact.
