Copyright The Mercury News
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle received a new round of glowing coverage for their latest public outing: being the headline guests at Kris Jenner’s star-studded 70th birthday party. But as much as Jenner’s birthday bash Saturday was billed as one of the A-list social events of the year, attended by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Tyler Perry and Adele, outlets such as People and even the Daily Mail, which tends to be hyper-critical of the self-exiled royal couple, glossed over the fact that the party’s hosts were Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, or that the avowedly high-minded Harry and Meghan could have even set themselves up to appear on a future episode of “The Kardashians.” These outlets also seemed to have forgotten that the Amazon founder and his attention-seeking wife, who hosted the James Bond-themed bash at their their $165 million Beverly Hills mansion, have become polarizing figures in America, especially with Donald Trump’s return to power. Of course, there was their widely ridiculed Blue Origin PR stunt in April and their wedding extravaganza in Venice in June, attended by “the worst people on the planet,” as some online said. But Bezos and Sanchez have become the poster couple for America’s “oligarchy,” amid vast wealth inequality, as Sen. Bernie Sanders and other progressives have repeatedly said. Bezos and Sanchez and other tech billionaires, notably Mark Zuckerberg, were criticized for being front and center at Trump’s inauguration. Bezos and Zuckerberg also have been called out for instituting content policy changes as the Washington Post and Facebook, respectively, that are seen as capitulating to Trump. As it happens, Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, also attended Saturday night’s glitzy celebration for the “momager,” who orchestrated her five daughters’ rise to reality TV stardom, as People reported. According to TMZ, the party got “so loud” that neighbors called police . It wasn’t lost to some on social media that the party took place as millions of low-income families in America were facing hunger and financial hardship amid delays to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments. As one person said on the People report about the party: “The world is falling apart and this shows you how the stars care. (Jenner) could have celebrated by giving the money this cost to a good cause. It’s all good to celebrate one’s birthday with friends and family but this as usual is so Kardashian ridiculous. Harry talks out both sides of his mouth about helping the poor and sick as he steps out to something like this.” This is the social and political backdrop for Jenner’s party, which the Daily Mail’s Spotlight newsletter said marked Harry and Meghan’s rare appearance at an A-list soiree. The Spotlight said that the Montecito-based Duke and Duchess of Sussex have long kept a “strict no-go” policy about parties and skipped Bezos’s and Sanchez’s wedding, whose guest list also included Kris Jenner, Kardashian family members, as well as Winfrey and King. The Spotlight didn’t say why Harry and Meghan don’t go out as much they could, but it’s possible that they want to be careful about who they are seen with. When they left British royal life in 2020 to seek their “freedom” in the United States, they tried to build a brand based on their aspirations to be global philanthropists and thought leaders who care about the less fortunate in the world. When they signed their reported five-year $100 million deal with Netflix, they spoke about wanting to create programming that shines “a light on people and causes around the world” and which “informs but also gives hope.” With such goals, the couple might have been concerned about being publicly associated with Bezos, Sanchez or the Kardashians — all of whom may be fabulously rich and famous but who also are considered to be showy and vulgar. That said, Meghan clearly has become friends with Jenner, who boasted about receiving one of the duchess’s jars of jam during an initial marketing push for her lifestyle brand. With the Netflix deal effectively done, Harry has been been trying to recast himself in the mold of a working royal, who shows up at charity events to make speeches. Meghan, meanwhile, wants to be seen as the “female founder” of her As Ever lifestyle brand, which puts her in the influencer camp. This is a career path that has long been dominated by Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and their sisters, under the guidance of their mother, so it makes sense that Meghan might seek advice and support from this family. The Spotlight reported that Winfrey and Perry urged Harry and Meghan to attend Jenner’s party — and “who could say no to that?” The newsletter also said that Winfrey and Jenner have “developed a low-key power alliance,” while Sanchez idolizes Meghan and was “beaming” at the prospect of getting to host her. For Meghan and Harry, “being in the room” with all these powerful people is part of a strategy. “This is about building their American foundation. The relationships are the currency,” The Spotlight said. Harry and Meghan also may have been excited to be back “in the room” with Beyonce and Jay-Z, who “snuck” into the Bezos-Sanchez mansion and were not photographed arriving at the party, Page Six reported. Harry and Meghan were famously photographed with Beyonce and Jay-Z at the July 2019 premiere for “The Lion King,” where Harry was overheard pitching his wife’s voice-over skills to Disney CEO Bob Iger. But when it comes to problematic socializing in today’s “political climate,” Beyonce found herself at the center of social media backlash in September when she and Jay-Z were photographed seated next to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner at a charity gala in Atlantic City, The Root reported. “Sitting at the same table with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner during this political climate is actually disgusting,” were among the comments directed at Beyonce, who supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, The Root reported. Actually, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner had also snuck into Jenner’s party. Trump’s daughter and son-in-law are part of a high-profile friend circle that incudes Bezos, Sanchez and the Kardashians. Ivanka and Jared were notable guests at Bezos and Sanchez’s Venice wedding, along with Winfrey, King and the Kardashians, while Kim Kardashian hasn’t been shy about boasting about her friendship with the president’s adored oldest daughter.
