Met Gala: Anna Wintour once revealed that Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton are her 'dream' guests

The Met Gala has been serving looks since 1948 when it first happened in New York. Back then the event used to be a local occasion, primarily a showcase for the society ladies of the Upper East Side, reports Vox. The gala had always been glamorous and ever since Anna Wintour - Vogue's formidable editor-in-chief - took over the guest list in 1995, it has become the much-awaited Hollywood event of the year.

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Even celebs like Kim Kardashian had famously struggled for years to clinch an invite until 2013. Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth are all celebrity co-chairs of the party. Amidst this, there have been rumours that Meghan Markle would also attend the gala at some point. Surprisingly, this hasn't been the case...

Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton make Anna Wintour’s dream couple for Met Gala guest list

Despite speculation the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could be in attendance, the royal couple didn't make an appearance at the 2024 Met Gala (yet again!). One of the biggest reasons Meghan’s name pops up for every Met Gala is because of a Anna Wintour confession. According to The Mirror, Vogue’s editor-in-chief has famously labelled Meghan Markle - who is not returning to the Suits spin-off - as her dream guest to the glittering pinnacle of Hollywood's social calendar.

However, she wants the Duchess to attend the event with a plus one that couldn’t happen in a million years.

Back in 2019, Anna told Today in an interview that she wanted Meghan to attend the Met Gala with none other than Kate Middleton. She said:

I would love to have the Duchess of Sussex and the Duchess of Cambridge [Kate’s then-title before becoming the Princess of Wales] together. That would be my dream couple.

Expressing her keen desire to just have the two Royal ladies in attendance, Anna clearly asked them to leave their husbands at home. Meaning, Prince Harry and Prince William - the feuding brothers - are uninvited to the event. Anna added:

They could leave their husbands at home. It’s the two of them I want.

However, Anna’s views may have changed since then thanks to the Royal Family’s public turmoil. A year after she gave the interview the Sussexes stepped down as working members of the Royal Family. Additionally, Meghan and Kate have never enjoyed a close relationship, reports The Express. And there’s always the infamous argument over the flower girls' dresses.

Anna Wintour adores Meghan Markle

Despite the rift between Anna’s dream couple, Vogue’s editor-in-chief appears to think highly of the former Suits actress. Before she stepped down as a senior Royal, Anna lavishly praise on Meghan and labelled her amazing, confirms The Express. In Vogue’s web series Go Ask Anna, she said:

I read somewhere that there were members of the royal household that were confused and upset that she woke up so early, at 5am.

She's a typical California girl who rises early for yoga and meditation. She also sent a lot of text messages. I mean, what did they expect? That she was going to send messages via pigeon? I think she's amazing.

The fashion extravaganza’s guest list organiser also gave her opinion on Meghan Markle’s wedding dress. She shared:

The royal wedding had the whole world watching, and I think that her choice was brilliant. It was sophisticated, it was chic, it was grown up.

Designed by English designer Clare Waight Keller who worked for a French house, Anna emphasised on the message it conveyed to the world - ‘Yes, I'm from somewhere else, but I belong.’ Despite such fond admiration and rumours about the Sussex couple attending Hollywood’s prestigious event, Meghan has failed to appear on the red carpet.

The Duchess was a no-show at the 2023 gala either — that year it celebrated the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Mirror reported at that time that Megan wanted to go to the event but had to skip it due to the amount of security she would need. A Royal insider also claimed that having Meghan and Prince Harry at the event would have stolen the limelight from all the other celebs.

All the Royals who have attended the event before

Even though it seems like Anna Wintour would lile Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton to be present at the event, the two wouldn't be the first royals to grace the red carpet. Previously, Princess Diana and Princess Beatrice climbed to stairs of the Met Gala in 1996 and 2018, respectively.

In 1996, Princess Diana - whose fashion style now shines through Princess Charlotte - took to the red carpet for her first and only Met Gala. Honouring Christian Dior, the Princess of Wales wore a blue slip dress with black lace. She accessorised it with a pearl and sapphire necklace, sapphire and diamond cluster drop earrings, and her sapphire engagement ring.

In 2018, Princess Beatrice graced the Met Gala with her presence and fit the theme of Catholic Imagination perfectly! She wore a vibrant purple gown with sheer sleeves and added her roped gold tiara headdress with it.

Why is the Met Gala one of the most popular Hollywood events?

When it was first founded it was planned by publicist Eleanor Lambert, and it didn’t even take place at the Met. The event that takes place on the first Monday of every May was a midnight breakfast hosted at Manhattan institutions like the Waldorf Astoria, Central Park, and the Rainbow Room.

The Met Gala shines now as it is an unparalleled occasion for celebrity image-building. The slow evolution of the Met Gala under Anna’s watch started in 1995. Since then, she's been at the helm of curating the guest list that matches the status of the event. Reports suggest that it isn’t Anna’s personal choice that decides the guest list but the fashion prowess of the celebs that determines their invitation. A source previously claimed: