The Meta Gala’s most coveted invitation is a night where fashion icons and industry elites grace the red carpet, while the rest of us admire from a distance.
However, for Meghan Markle, it appears she’ll be sitting this one out once again, which comes as no surprise. The theme for next year’s event—sleek, modern tailoring in black—is right up Meghan’s alley, especially given her well-known history of bold personal style and her outspokenness on racial issues. Yet, despite what seems like an ideal match for her, she remains absent from the prestigious red carpet.
One constant about Anna Wintour, Vogue’s powerhouse and the gatekeeper of the Met Gala, is her ability to keep a very exclusive list of attendees. Meghan Markle, unfortunately, finds herself firmly in the "out" category. It’s not that she hasn’t made attempts to secure a place among the fashion elite—after all, she’s a biracial American who married into British royalty, bringing attention to the racial dynamics within the monarchy. You’d think this background would make her a prime candidate for an honorary spot at the gala, yet Wintour seems unimpressed. The idea of Meghan wondering aloud, “Why am I not invited? I’m practically royalty,” is almost palpable, though it would likely be met with an unbothered eye roll from Wintour. Anna Wintour has seen it all in her career and isn’t easily swayed, especially by those she views as pretenders to the throne of high fashion.
Meghan’s fashion sense hasn’t exactly solidified her as an iconic figure in the style world. This has likely contributed to the major designers distancing themselves from her, quicker than one could utter "Windsor exit." Despite her royal connections, Meghan has struggled to break into the inner circle of high fashion. It’s not just a lack of fashion credentials keeping her out—Wintour, a Brit herself, likely has a degree of loyalty to the British royal family, particularly given Meghan’s public criticism of the monarchy. Meghan may have Oprah, Gayle King, and Tyler Perry in her corner, but in the world of high fashion, they don’t hold much sway, especially with someone like Wintour, who admires tradition and loyalty to the crown.
The Met Gala, after all, is a fundraising event, and with reports of Meghan and Prince Harry’s recent financial struggles, it’s questionable whether she could afford the staggering $75,000 ticket price. Rumors have circulated that she couldn’t even secure a $2,000 charity event ticket recently, further casting doubt on her ability to make an appearance at the gala. Without the means to attend or the connections to secure an invitation, it seems unlikely Meghan will crash this fashion parade anytime soon.
Wintour has reportedly made it crystal clear that anyone daring to bring Meghan as a plus-one would face swift consequences, likely finding themselves exiled from the elite fashion circles forever. Wintour was a known admirer of the late Queen Elizabeth, and it’s safe to assume that the Sussexes' estrangement from the royal family doesn’t align with her vision for the event. If anything, Wintour would consider it a triumph to have Prince William and Princess Catherine grace the gala, not Meghan and her rumored list of demands.
The thought of Meghan securing a last-minute invitation only to barrage Wintour with requests—perhaps for a private VIP section, a speech, or even her own red carpet—is almost comical. One can imagine Anna’s security team at the ready, prepared to whisk Meghan away faster than the latest celebrity divorce hits TMZ. The logistics of such a situation would undoubtedly be a nightmare, which is why it’s safe to say Meghan won’t be attending this year’s gala, or the next, or perhaps ever.
In the end, it seems that Meghan has burned too many bridges—especially her royal one—to waltz into Wintour’s world. The Met Gala remains a fantasy for now, a dream of what could have been if only she hadn’t alienated herself from both the monarchy and the fashion world. For now, Meghan is left on the sidelines, dreaming of a different reality, one where her royal connections and style choices might have earned her a spot among the fashion elite.
