Oprah Winfrey’s lovey-dovey with Kamala Harris earlier this week featured appearances by Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Bryan Cranston, but one notable duo was absent.
Broadcast live to millions of Americans on Thursday night, the armchair debate was a prime opportunity for celebrities to throw their support behind their US presidential choice.
Hollywood royalty Streep appeared on a screen as she called in during the livestreamed rally in Farmington Hills.
However, both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have close ties to Winfrey, did not appear.
And after the Duchess of Sussex soft-launched her jam brand American Riviera Orchard this summer, perhaps that explains her absence from the spotlight.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris joins American television producer Oprah Winfrey
Harris attended the campaign event in Detroit, Michigan, on September 19.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to be “deliberately” staying out of the US election. Telegraph report.
And now that the duchess is exploring her own business interests to fund the couple’s lifestyle, this could explain her hesitation to speak out and appear on presidential candidates’ campaigns.
There is also the possibility that the Democratic Party does not want to risk losing votes due to the Sussexes’ unpopularity in certain parts of the United States.
Earlier this week, Harry and Meghan stressed that voting is a “fundamental way to impact communities” and make a “more equal world” as they issued a new statement ahead of the US election.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who live in Montecito, California, celebrated National Voter Registration Day yesterday by inviting the Archewell team to participate in a letter-writing activity.
Archewell’s website described how the couple’s staff used the impactful “Vote Forward” letter-writing tool to encourage unregistered voters to cast ballots in November’s presidential election.
The statement said: ‘Voting is not just a right; it is a fundamental way to influence the destiny of our communities.
Despite their close ties to Winfrey, both Harry and Meghan did not appear in Harris’ campaign.
Harris and Winfrey wave to the crowd during a live-streamed Unite for America rally in Farmington Hills, Michigan
Oprah Winfrey greets Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris
Harry and Meghan attend the cycling medal ceremony on the cycling track during day six of the Invictus Games last year.
‘At the Archewell Foundation, we recognize that civic engagement, regardless of one’s political party, is at the heart of a more just and equitable world.
“By participating in initiatives like this, we aim to spread the message that every voice matters.”
The couple then invited readers to “join us in this important effort” and volunteer their time to write letters to unregistered voters.
The statement concluded: “Together, let’s ensure that every eligible voter is informed and empowered to participate in shaping America’s future.”
But their message lacked any real indication that they were backing Kamala Harris ahead of the election.
Before the last presidential election, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex filmed a video statement from the garden of their Montecito mansion, which they had just moved into at the time.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are seen at the Delia Zapata National Arts Centre during their visit to Colombia on August 15
It is understood that both Meghan and Harry
Meghan’s recent launch of her American Riviera Orchard jam brand may explain the couple’s reluctance to get involved in the US presidential election.
In the video address, Prince Harry told American voters to “reject hate speech,” while Meghan called the 2020 presidential race “the most important election of our lifetime.”
Although Harry and Meghan did not name their preferred candidate, many viewers thought it was “obvious” that they were supporting Joe Biden rather than Donald Trump. As a result, the Sussexes were accused of “violating” the terms of their “Megxit” deal.
Following the events, republicans and other critics called on the Royal Family to strip the couple of their titles, branding the duke and duchess’s interference “inappropriate”.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said at the time: “We will not be commenting. The Duke is not a working member of the Royal Family and any comments he makes are made in his personal capacity.”