‘This is the year!’: Harry and Meghan might attend the Oscars and the rumor mill has gone into overdrive

If you want to cement your celebrity status there’s no better stage than the Oscars red carpet. Each year, the world’s gaze turns to Los Angeles as the cream of the crop dons their finest attire and poses for the cameras. So, at least theoretically, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should be eager to join them.

Since they departed the United Kingdom and royal life, they’ve been carving out a space for themselves as celebrities: Releasing podcasts, books, making public appearances, and putting out boring Netflix shows. But perhaps things are looking up, as the much-hyped cooking/lifestyle show With Love, Meghan is now less than a week away, and the pair need good press.

Love is in the details. ✨ With Love, Meghan, a new series, premieres January 15. pic.twitter.com/xVEqflFHED

— Netflix (@netflix) January 2, 2025

All of which means royal watchers are convinced this is the year the pair will attend the Academy Awards. Harry and Meghan at the Oscars tends to pop up as a rumor each year at this time, especially as last year saw the couple’s close friend Misan Harriman nominated for his short film The After. But that ceremony came and went without a peep from Montecito, though this year might be different.

Speaking to The Daily Mail, PR expert Rebecca May thinks they’d be making a big mistake staying home: “If they were planning on attending any year, this is the year!” She underlined that Netflix will be desperate to publicize their show: “Naturally, speculation is swirling again this time round, given the timing of Meghan’s Netflix show and a perfect opportunity to put her back in the spotlight to promote the new show, With Love, Meghan in a global way.”

Harry and Meghan have also begun attending events solo (leading to much divorce theorizing) and May believes it’d send a strong message if she did, describing it as a “‘career power move,”‘ according to May, as it ” that would “signal her individual and independent desire to establish a career path in Hollywood.”

But it’s also win/win if they go as a pair too: “Attending together could indicate their unity and collaboration in both personal and potentially future professional partnerships. Prince Harry may wish to attend to support his wife.”

We probably should underline that there’s no indication the Sussexes even have an invitation to attend the Academy Awards on Sunday, as they don’t have any connection to any nominated movie or performer. That said, we suspect they wouldn’t have to pull too many strings to get on the guest list if they did want to attend, as if nothing else, they have friends in high places.

And hey, we know Netflix has a lot riding on With Love, Meghan and wants to recoup some of their staggering $100 million deal with the couple. Is it really out of the question for Netflix CEO Reed Hastings to put in a quiet call to Meghan, telling her to get that expensive dress on and do some work promoting their show? The Academy Awards will air live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT but the red carpet begins hours earlier. Watch this space.