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Meghan Markle narrowly missed a chance to speak at a black-tie event in Los Angeles, as the LA riots erupt. Ahead of the 2025 Trooping the Colour event, royal fans began speculating on whether or not the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would grace the ceremonial event, which marks the monarch’s official birthday annually, customarily held on the second Saturday in June. While Harry’s whereabouts on the upcoming date remain highly debated, Meghan made it clear she would not attend by accepting the honorary mandate to give a speech at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County on Saturday, June 14th.
The woke gala, dubbed the Night of Wonder ball, attracted celebrities and guests willing to pay up to $1500 to see Meghan speak as a “champion of undeserved communities.” However, just two days before the star-studded gala, the organizers suddenly pulled the plug, attributing the last-minute decision to the ongoing ICE riots erupting throughout LA.
Meghan Markle’s Honorary Event Canceled Last Minute Amid LA Riots
In an email to attendees, the Chief Advancement Officer, Paul Bessire, confirmed the postponement of the event from the initial June 14, calling it a difficult decision, per the Daily Mail. He wrote,
“Los Angeles is experiencing a challenging moment, and our responsibility is clear: to serve as a community resource focused on healing and unity, not celebration. During challenging times, our role is to support our neighbors and demonstrate the values that make our city and County strong.”
Bassire further noted that the Board of Trustees and event partners unanimously supported the decision, deeming it the right choice for the county. He reassured attendees that the organizers would find another suitable moment in the future “to celebrate our work,” and would continue channeling their energy towards the organization’s vision.
Meghan Keeps Up Royal Competition Years After Megxit
Meghan Markle was slated to receive recognition at the event this Saturday for her work to “advance community wellbeing and expand opportunity, especially for underserved communities.” The event would have coincided with this year’s Trooping the Colour, ultimately dividing media attention. Kinsey Schofield, author of the To Di For Daily podcast, believes this attention-stealing potential to be a major driving force behind Meghan Markle’s decision to grace the LA gala in the first place. She told Fox News Digital,
“Every time there is a royal milestone, like Trooping the Colour on Saturday, the Sussexes have to try to do something to outshine them, for example, Meghan’s upcoming appearance at an L.A. gala is on the same day as Trooping the Colour, the king’s birthday parade. Meghan might compete with the royals, but she is certainly not on their radar.”
Earlier this month, the list of royals set to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony to wave to the crowds at the Trooping the Colour was released. While Harry and Meghan’s names were expectedly absent on that list, royal fans have remained hopeful that Harry, at the very last, would make a surprise appearance at this year’s event after a three-year hiatus.
Given his worsening relationship with the British royal family, the chances of that happening are unlikely, especially after further irking the Royals with his comments about King Charles’ health and the state of the royal family feud in his BBC interview. Yet all eyes remain on the Prince, in case he makes a surprising move. Somehow, even from miles away, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still manage to compete with the monarchy, becoming the center of the show on one of the most important days of the year in the royal calendar.
