EXCLUSIVE: HARRY & MEGHAN PASS ON MET GALA AFTER VANITY FAIR HIT PIECE

“You Don’t Trash Them Then Hand Over a Gown,” Says Insider

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were invited to light up the Met Gala red carpet in what would have been their most glamorous stateside appearance yet — but sources say the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have quietly backed out after a scathing exposé in Vanity Fair, the same Condé Nast brand behind the star-studded event.

“They were invited, and the plans were in motion,” a friend of the couple confirms to #ShuterScoop. “But after Vanity Fair ran that piece questioning Meghan’s motives and their marriage, they felt blindsided. It was deeply personal.”

The article touched a nerve with Meghan and Harry, especially as it revived tired narratives about her ambition and his vulnerability — themes the couple has worked hard to move past.

“This came from a publication that’s part of the same company inviting them to the biggest fashion event in the world. That stings.”

The couple had hoped to honor Princess Diana’s legacy — she was famously invited to the Gala in the '90s — but felt the timing and tone of the recent press made their appearance untenable.

“Harry and Meghan don’t play when it comes to respect,” adds a well-placed palace source. “They’ve chosen dignity over headlines.”

As for Anna Wintour’s reaction? “She’s disappointed,” one fashion insider admits. “But not shocked. Meghan was never going to smile through a slight. Especially not in couture.”