Why Meghan Markle Will Likely Attend This Major Event Without Harry Amid Her Hollywood Return

Meghan Markle will be making some major appearances without Prince Harry soon.

One event the Duchess of Sussex will reportedly attend without her husband is the 2020 Met Gala. As The Sun reports, Vogue invited the former actress to walk the fashion event’s red carpet alongside British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful.

“The Met Gala is for the who’s who of show business,” an unnamed source said. “Naturally, Meghan was one of the first names on the guest list, and Edward’s team are excited that the two will go together.”

The New York event will take place on May 4 and is usually studded with celebrities like Rihanna, Blake Lively, the Kardashians and more. This year’s theme will be based on “Orlando: A Biography” by Virginia Woolf. The fiction novel follows a man’s transition to womanhood. As The Guardian reports, at one point in the book, the protagonist notably states: “Different sex. Same person.”

In light of the event’s theme, Markle will reportedly appear in a “glamorous androgynous” look. The news follows the 38-year-old and Harry’s announcement that they would step back from royal duties in January.

In an Instagram announcement, the Duke and Duchess wrote:

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honor our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.”

The Met 150th Anniversary Gala is a celebration and fundraising event for The Metropolitan Museum of Art. According to the museum's website, it was founded on April 13, 1870, in New York City "for the purpose of establishing and maintaining in said city a Museum and library of art, of encouraging and developing the study of the fine arts, and the application of arts to manufacture and practical life, of advancing the general knowledge of kindred subjects, and, to that end, of furnishing popular instruction."

Both Meghan and Harry are known to have a love for the arts. As Vanity Fair reports, the Duke spent thousands of dollars on a project by Van Donna called "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" for Markle in 2016. The Duchess' interest in art has also helped her build a relationship with Prince Charles, her father-in-law.

Aside from her love for the arts, the Duchess' planned attendance is also a step toward individually branding herself by leaving her husband’s side every now and then.

“Meghan is keen to step out occasionally without Harry so that she can establish herself once more in Hollywood," a source told The Sun.

Other royals who have attended the Met Gala include Princess Diana, who wore a navy blue Versace gown in 1995 and Princess Marie-Chantal Of Greecewor, who wore a teal Valentino gown to the ball in 2001. More recently, Princess Beatrice wore a purple Alberta Ferretti dress to the 2018 Met Gala.