They’ve moved in plenty of circles during their time together: the acting world, royal cliques, the philanthropy circuit.
But there's one group that still eludes Meghan Markle and Prince Harry: the A-list inner circle.
After failing to get an invite to the Oscars or the Beckham wedding, insiders say the couple are feeling snubbed by the local celebrities in California – and are setting their sights instead on being king and queen of New York.
“The Sussexes have been house hunting in NYC for a while now – they think they could make an impact there,” says an insider close to Meghan and Harry, who moved into their £11.2million mansion in California back in July 2020, after dramatically quitting the UK.
“To be honest, they’ve failed to break in to any Hollywood circles. They had hoped to become part of the elite, with friends such as Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson [his wife], the Spielbergs, the Obamas and the Clooneys, but they can’t seem to get a foot in the door.
There’s a reason you’re not seeing them front and centre at Hollywood dinners and events – and it’s not by choice. They thought the invites would come thick and fast when they moved to California, but the truth is, they’ve ended up being quite isolated. But there’s no better place on the planet to bounce back than Manhattan. Meghan’s very excited and is making a ton of ambitious plans, both professionally and socially.”
Meghan, 40, and Harry, 37 –who married in 2018, and are parents to Archie and Lilibet– last visited New York in September to attend Global Citizen Live, a charity concert at Central Park. They also spent time at the UN Headquarters in their first public appearance together since the birth of their daughter, where they met with Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.
And it’s this area of Midtown Manhattan where they’re said to be looking at properties – for good reason.“Living close to the UN will give them so many opportunities to spread their wings further into philanthropy and politics,” says our source.
“They’re both keen to get more involved, as well as attending all the big conferences and doing a ton of power-schmoozing on the east coast. Meghan sees herself as the next Angelina Jolie or Amal Clooney. Amal started
her legal career in New York, while Angelina was a fixture in the city as she established herself as a Goodwill Ambassador. So, this – on top of the obvious social benefits and tax breaks in New York – makes moving there a no-brainer.
Plus, it’s a short hop to Washington DC, which is great for Meghan as she broadens her interest in politics.”
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We’re told the couple will still keep a base in California, as it’s Meghan’s home state and her mum Doria Ragland still lives there, but New York will give them (yet another ) fresh start. Our source says, “This is their chance to start again socially. Meghan and Harry love the cut and thrust of Manhattan. They always come back from there buzzing off the energy and raving about how great the vibe is – especially Harry, who finds it a lot like London. He’s excited to be closer to Europe and hoping more of his old rugby and army friends can visit.”
The insider adds, “They’re looking at this summer as a target to start the process of moving. They’re excited.”