If you were hoping for a royally exciting debut at tonight’s Met Gala, you’ll unfortunately have to move your bets to next year. Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry did not, sadly, make it over to New York City for the 2026 edition of fashion’s biggest night.
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The couple, who tied the knot in May 2018, a little under two years after their first date, has yet to attend the fundraiser at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Even still, given that the royals have been notably friendly with two of the night’s co-chairs, Beyoncé and Venus Williams (whose sister Serena is close with Meghan), fans were hopeful that 2026 might be the year.
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Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan with Beyoncé and Jay-Z at the European premiere of The Lion King, 2019
Tonight’s Met Gala raised money ahead of the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibit, “Costume Art”—an exploration of the dressed body in its many forms, with subcategories including “Naked Body,” “Classical Body,” “Pregnant Body,” “Aging Body,” and “Mortal Body.” The event welcomed guests with a dress code titled “Fashion Is Art,” encouraging designers to consider the many ways that a body can be fashioned.
While it has not been confirmed why Harry and Meghan didn’t attend, the two were just on a trip to Australia. Plus, only two members of the British royal family have previously graced the Met steps on the first Monday of May.
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Princess Beatrice, the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, attended the event in 2018 in purple chiffon gown by Alberta Ferretti. The theme of the night was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” and she evoked the Tudor fashions of Anne Boelyn, drawing inspiration from a royal who came before her.
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Most notably, however, was Princess Diana’s 1996 appearance at the museum. She wore a Dior slip dress by John Galliano, trimmed in lace, and paired it with a sapphire-and-pearl choker and an extra-special Lady Dior bag (only the best for the style’s muse).