Insiders close to one of Prince Harry’s ‘father figures’ have rubbished claims he intentionally snubbed the Duchess of Sussex.
A clip from David Foster’s charity event in Canada last Friday appeared to capture an awkward moment between the 76-year-old musician and Meghan Markle on the red carpet.
In the footage, the Duchess of Sussex, 45, reached out her arm towards Foster as he approached, only for the composer to walk straight past her and position himself beside his wife Katharine McPhee, 42, for a group photograph.
Meghan handled the apparent slight with composure, swiftly tucking her outstretched arm behind her back and leaning into Prince Harry, 41, who was dressed in a tuxedo, as the four posed together.
Insiders close to one of Prince Harry’s ‘father figures’ have rubbished claims he intentionally snubbed the Duchess of Sussex.
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Yet the moment was not as it appeared, according to insiders close to Foster who told the Mail the composer “genuinely just didn’t see” the As Ever founder and that he “wanted Harry and Meghan” at the event.
The source stressed that Foster has long admired Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, and would never deliberately slight either member of the couple.
“He’s always been a big fan of Diana and he’d never snub either of them,” the insider said.
The perceived slight was dismissed as entirely insignificant. “It was a genuine moment where he didn’t see them and nobody really thought much of it. It’s nothing,” the source added.
The perceived slight was dismissed as entirely insignificant.
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GETTY
A second source said that Foster was “so excited to see Harry and Meghan,” describing the 76-year-old as a longtime friend of the couple, who are fellow residents of the affluent Montecito community in Southern California.
The insider attributed the red carpet mix-up to the demands of Foster’s role as the evening’s host. “David had a lot going on at the moment. David was doing interviews in that moment too,” the source explained.
“They had already said hi before that photo moment. There were lots of hugs and David introduced Harry & Meghan to his other family there,” the insider added.
Foster has long been described as one of Harry’s “father figures”. McPhee herself has spoken openly about the bond between her husband and the royal.
In May 2020, she told Access Hollywood: “My husband has a really, really beautiful relationship with Harry. They’re so cute. They’re like father and son.”
The comparison carries particular weight given Foster’s age; born just twelve months before the monarch, he belongs squarely to the same generation as Harry’s own father.
The couple’s friendship with the Sussexes stretches back years, with Harry and Meghan having been spotted on double dates with Foster and McPhee.
The relationship between Foster and the Sussexes deepened when the couple stepped back from senior royal duties in January 2020.
Foster arranged for Harry and Meghan to stay at a sprawling $14.1 million waterfront property in North Saanich, near Vancouver, after McPhee learned they needed a discreet location for their first Christmas with a then-seven-month-old Archie and Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland.
Foster told the Mail: “I felt honoured that I was able to help Meghan there because I’m a Canadian and we’re a Commonwealth country. It’s important to us, so I grew up with that kind of sentiment.”
He added: “I was really happy to be able to help them to find a respite just to take a little time off.”