Twitter Reacts To Rumor Meghan, Harry Could Present Top Award At 2022 Oscars

A rumor that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are being lined up to present the top award at the 2022 Oscars was met with pushback on social media.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have been living in California since quitting royal duties in early 2020, were said to have been approached by Academy Award organizers at the end of last year and offered the opportunity to present the best picture award at this year's ceremony, The Sun reported. International Business Times could not independently verify this claim.

Organizers had originally considered asking Prince Harry and Markle to present the award for best actress, but their plans changed after Kristen Stewart was nominated for her portrayal of Princess Diana in the biopic "Spencer," the report claimed.

The report also indicated that it is not yet known whether or not the couple agreed to attend the awards ceremony, which takes place Sunday – just two days before a memorial service for Prince Harry's late grandfather Prince Philip will be held in London. A rep for the Sussexes confirmed earlier this month that Prince Harry will not attend the service.

Though neither the couple nor the organizers have confirmed the rumors, some Twitter users were quick to express their disapproval.

"If Harry attends this ceremony but can't be bothered to pay his respects to the grandfather that protected him, then he deserves all the criticism coming his way!" one person tweeted.

"Why? Harry is a 'has-been' royal. She’s a 'has-been' B actress with one cable series and a few minor parts in other movies, shows and commercials with her name so far done on the credits no one even looked. I am done with the Oscars if this is how low they’ve gotten for ratings," another claimed.

Other Twitter users came to the couple's defense, with one person pointing out: "David Letterman presented the 67th Academy awards. He's never been in an Oscar-nominated film. Never starred in a movie. By all accounts, it was a dud, but I assure you, Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex are far more famous around the world than Letterman ever was."

Others suggested that there is likely no truth to the rumors that Prince Harry and Markle were invited to present an award.

"The British press is so obsessed they claim that Harry and Meghan are attending the Oscars. Anybody with a brain knows that’s not true. Pretty sure that as part of the 50th anniversary of 'The Godfather,' the cast of the movie will present the best picture award. RRs know nothing!" one Twitter user wrote, referring to the 1972 Francis Ford Coppola film.

Fans of Prince Harry and Markle, meanwhile, are looking forward to seeing them, if the rumor turns out to be true.

"That's it. I guess we are all watching the Oscars," one user tweeted.

"I can’t wait to see Harry and Kristen Stewart at the Oscars backstage together," another wrote.

Some of the most recent presenters of the best picture award at the Academy Awards include Julia Roberts, Jane Fonda and Rita Moreno, all of whom have won Oscar trophies.

Prince Harry and Markle's rep confirmed last week that the couple will not attend the service of thanksgiving honoring Prince Philip that will be held at Westminster Abbey in London on March 29.

"The Duke will not be returning to the U.K. in late March but hopes to visit his grandmother as soon as possible," the spokesperson told Page Six.

Prince Harry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II is expected to be joined by other senior royals, including Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Andrew, at the service.

While it has not been confirmed if the Sussexes will attend the upcoming Oscars ceremony, the couple had already made their first joint Hollywood appearance earlier this year.

In February, Markle and Prince Harry took the stage at the NAACP Image Awards to accept the President's Award in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service.

Pauline Maclaran, a professor of marketing and consumer research at Royal Holloway, University of London, recently claimed that Prince Harry's alleged "unease" during the Image Awards reflected his and his wife's different brands and proved that he was not yet comfortable with the Hollywood celebrity culture.

The Oscars will be held Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony is set to begin at 8 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live on ABC.