Meghan Markle's Absence From Gayle King's 70th Birthday Bash Ignites Royal Rift Rumors

Meghan Markle is no stranger to being the center of drama. From inescapable rumors to frequent attention from tabloids and the media, it's clear that drama simply follows the Duchess of Sussex wherever she goes, and her absence from a December 2024 function has even more people speculating about her life.

On December 14, 2024, Oprah Winfrey posted an Instagram video of her friend Gayle King, co-host of "CBS Mornings," reacting to a surprise party on her 70th birthday. "My bestie of 50 years is turning 70 so we gathered everyone that loved her to celebrate," Winfrey wrote. "Hard thing to surprise her, O the stories we have made up, the lies we have told to keep this a secret. Happy birthday @gayleking, sorry we almost gave you a heart attack." Although plenty of people were present to wish King a happy birthday, some keen observers were quick to notice Markle, who also is friends with King, was not among those present. "Meghan Markle WAS NOT Invited," one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Though Markle, being royalty, is imaginably busy and may not have been able to attend, some believe there may be more to why she wasn't there.

Along with being a decades-long friend of Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King is also reportedly close with Meghan Markle. As her friend, King played a crucial role in hyping up Markle and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah in March 2021 and also attended Markle's baby shower in 2019. However, Markle has also lost a sizable amount of friends since she became a royal, and if her absence from King's surprise party says anything about where she stands with the CBS personality and Winfrey, it appears that bridge could very well have been burned, as well.

Some X users hypothesized Markle's absence from King's birthday celebration was purposeful on the party planners' part, perhaps so she wouldn't usurp all the attention at the event. "MM doesn't need no stinking invite, she just shows up at these," one user wrote. "LoL, I have a feeling there was stealth planning involved." Other people believe her possible lack of an invite might be a clear sign Winfrey and King are trying to show Markle the door. "She's really being cut out and cold-shouldered by Oprah and Gayle," one commenter posted. "They don't want her in their circle." Though some gave Markle the benefit of the doubt and argued she might have been too busy to come, others theorized she would have clamored to be there if she knew it was taking place. "Just wait for the inevitable article with MM being 'in the vicinity,'" another person said. "If she knows Oprah's throwing Gayle a surprise birthday bash, she'll magically appear."