Kris Jenner‘s decision to omit Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from her birthday Instagram post ‘speaks volumes’ and could ‘feel like a social snub’ to the ‘brand conscious’ Sussexes, a PR expert has claimed.
The Kardashian matriarch celebrated her 70th birthday on Saturday night with a star-studded James Bond-themed bash, as Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, led the celebrity arrivals in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.
She later thanked her ‘beautiful family and friends’ for a ‘magical night’ in an Instagram post – but chose not to include the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
‘In the world of celebrity PR, silence and omission can be just as calculated as a post, and the silence from Kris Jenner speaks volumes here,’ branding and publicity expert Chad Teixeira told the Daily Mail.
For someone as media-savvy as Kris, who has turned her family into a reality TV empire, the omission is ‘unlikely to be accidental’.
While this doesn’t necessarily imply any bad blood between the Kardashians and the Sussexes, it seems to suggest Kris could be ‘subtly maintaining neutrality’ by choosing not to post the Sussexes on her social media feed.
‘For Meghan and Harry, who are equally brand-conscious and acutely aware of how they’re perceived, this could feel like a social snub – especially in an industry where visibility equals relevance,’ Mr Teixeira continued.
‘In Hollywood, being seen with someone is often as important as being seen at all, and it could feel like a sign of how Kris feels towards them,’ he added.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle led the celebrity arrivals for Kris Jenner’s (not pictured) lavish James Bond-themed birthday bash in Los Angeles this weekend and, while they may have made the guest list, the Sussexes did not make the cut for Instagram
Kris later thanked her ‘beautiful family and friends’ for a ‘magical night’ in an Instagram post – but chose not to include either Prince Harry or Meghan in it. She is seen here with Mariah Carey in one of the photos Kris posted online
Ultimately, Kris’s post is less likely to be about personal relationships and ‘more about optics’ since both parties are ‘brands in their own right’.
‘Kris Jenner’s decision not to post them could simply be that they didn’t share many moments together, but it’s more likely a considered decision and not posting speaks louder than any caption ever could.’
Kris, whose party drew some of the world’s richest and most famous, documented the evening with 20 photographs on her Instagram page.
Neither Harry nor Meghan made the cut, as Kris included pictures with Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and Chris Rock.
Other photos showed her posing with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, singer Ciara, Paris Hilton, and Meghan Trainor.
She captioned the post: ‘Magical night celebrating my 70th birthday with beautiful family and friends.’
This is not the first time a member of the Kardashian clan has seemingly ‘snubbed’ Meghan.
In August, Khloe Kardashian shared snaps from her sister Kylie’s 28th birthday party, including a picture of a hamper from the Duchess’ lifestyle brand As Ever.
Kris picked a showstopping red Givenchy dress for her birthday celebrations
She transformed into the ultimate Bond girl as she brandished a pistol at her 007-themed birthday party. Kris is seen here with her boyfriend Corey Gamble, 45
Famous faces at the party included Stevie Wonder (centre)
However, Khloe failed to tag the Duchess in the photo – even as Meghan delightedly reposted the snap, writing ‘Hey hey, all my girls with a K’.
Fans commented on the alleged faux pas in posts on X/Twitter at the time, with one person quipping: ‘When you send something over cuz you have to miss the party, except Meghan was never invited to the party.
Another speculated: ‘The PR team did everything on both sides. These ladies don’t do s**t.’
A third person noted that Khloe doesn’t follow Meghan on Instagram, writing: ‘But Khloe does follow Martha Stewart.’
Days later, Kris seemingly took it upon herself to smooth things over as she thanked Meghan for a case of As Ever’s 2024 Napa Valley Rosé wine on her Instagram Stories.
Kris celebrated her milestone birthday on Saturday night with a ‘0070’ party that was attended by everyone from Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King to Vin Diesel, Adele, and Naomi Watts.
While she organised a Great Gatsby theme party for her 60th birthday, she opted for 007 this year as a play on the number 70.
Stars flocked to the exclusive event that was reportedly held at Amazon founder Jeff’s uber-luxurious $165 million mansion in Beverly Hills, as photos showed Prince Harry protectively leading Meghan into the venue.
Kris also posted a photo of herself standing beside Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan
According to media reports, the event was attended by 300 people
While Harry appeared serious, Meghan was smiling ear-to-ear as she clutched on to her husband’s hand.
Body language expert Judi James told the Daily Mail that Harry appeared to be ‘back in “Spare” mode’ as he allowed Meghan – who has signed her first acting project after an eight-year hiatus – to claim the spotlight.
The expert said that Harry and Meghan’s ritual here is ‘more old-school A-list’, with a rather serious and focused-looking Harry towing Meghan along like her personal bodyguard.
‘In star terms, this reflects her return to the big screen as an actress, while he seems to be back in “Spare” mode here,’ Ms James added.
She was referring to the announcement made earlier this week that Meghan will make a cameo as herself in a new film, Close Personal Friends, alongside Lily Collins, Brie Larson and Jack Quaid.
The former Suits actress kept her eyes lowered while walking into Kris’s birthday, Ms James noted, in a ‘cut-off ritual’ that seems to imply a ‘coy lack of need to perform for the cameras’.
Breaking down her paparazzi shot, Ms James said: ‘A cut-off ritual like the lowered and hidden eyes suggests a coy lack of need to perform for the cameras, and it implies an assumption of rabid press interest rather than a courting of it.
‘But Meghan also performs a smile of utter delight here. Her cheeks are rounded, and her lips are hiked up high at the corners to create a symmetric shape.
In one snap Kris shared an air smooch with longtime pal Kathy Hilton
The party was held at Amazon founder Bezos’s $165 mansion in Beverly Hills
‘A smile like this will be an acknowledgement to the fans and the cameras but without any posing effort or showboating.’
Though she may have tried to appear casual and nonchalant, Meghan certainly dressed to impress for Kris’s birthday.
It is estimated the Duchess wore jewellery and accessories worth $10,500, including a series of statement pieces from Aquazzura – the luxury Italian brand Meghan has been a fan of for many years.
Meghan paired the brand’s chunky $625 love link earrings with their velvet bow tie clutch ($2,360) in the colour espresso, and matching heels ($1,105), also embellished with a bow.
The Duchess also wore a couple of her beloved staple pieces, including her $6,446 Cartier Love Bracelet, and what appeared to be her $160,000 engagement ring.
Inspired by the James Bond theme, Meghan – who also attended a charity gala with Serena Williams before Kris’s party – opted to wear a chic high-neck black top and a maxi skirt with a thigh slit.
Harry, meanwhile, stuck to the classic look of a black tuxedo and bow tie. He wore a poppy in honour of Remembrance Day, which senior members of the Royal Family commemorated at the Cenotaph in London on Sunday.
Royal author Tom Bower told the Daily Mail that securing an invite to Kris’s bash would have been a ‘big plus’ for Meghan amid rumours the Duchess of Sussex is gearing up to launch a Kardashian-style ‘mega brand’.
Meghan Markle dressed to impress as she attended Kris Jenner’s birthday party on Saturday night (pictured) – donning more than £170,000 worth of clothing and jewellery
Her appearance at the party comes just days after the mother-of-two was spotted cosying up to the British Dragon’s Den star who masterminded Kim’s hugely popular Skims range.
Multi-millionaire Emma Grede shared a flurry of posts featuring Meghan as the ‘star guest’ at her Los Angeles dinner on Instagram earlier this month.
The event celebrated women ‘owning their power’ and helping ‘each other get s*** done’.
PR experts speculated the posts were an indication that Prince Harry’s wife is leaning on the businesswoman’s years of expertise ahead of launching a new venture.
Rumours of a potential new venture for the Duchess spread last month after she posted two clips on Instagram showing her applying lipstick – with the brand names obscured.
It’s a ‘tell-tale sign’ she may be gearing up to promote her own range, industry sources said at the time.
One told The Mail on Sunday: ‘On her Instagram reel, the make-up lined up on her dressing table was unbranded or had the brand labels obscured, which felt deliberate.
‘That’s a tell-tale sign Meghan has something in the pipeline. The fact she didn’t want to promote or reveal any other brand is a big clue that she’s gearing up to promote her own range eventually – it is a sign for industry insiders.’
