Prince Harry and Meghan Markle turned down an invitation to 92nd Academy Awards on Sunday (February 9). The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were reportedly invited to present the Oscar for Best Picture at the prestigious awards show, which is the most anticipated and coveted award of the whole affair. According to Hello's royal correspondent Emily Nash, a source close to Harry and Meghan revealed they "were honored by the request, but declined the invitation."
Harry and Meghan have been trying to keep a relatively low profile since they announced they'd be stepping down as full time working members of the Royal Family. Though they made their first public appearance as key note speakers at an exclusive event for JP Morgan in Miami this week, the Sussexes were able to avoid being photographed and didn't make an official announcement about their first post-royal commercial gig. According to Hello's report, the Oscars would be too high profile for Harry and Meghan right now.
Even though Harry and Meghan turned down the invitation to present at the Academy Awards this year, it wouldn't be too surprising to see them attend in the future. Prince William and Kate Middleton attend the BAFTAs every year as William is the president, so, Harry and Meghan could inhabit a similar role for the Oscars one day.
It's also possible Harry and Meghan could attend as nominees themselves some day. Many people expect the Sussexes to follow a similar path as former president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, who struck a deal with Netflix after leaving the White House to produce a number of projects for the streaming platform. President Obama is a nominee at the 2020 Oscars for the documentary American Factory. If he wins, he'll be the first former president to be an Oscar winner. Maybe Harry and Meghan will become the first royals to receive an Oscar some day, too.
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