The dress code said James Bond, but Prince Harry added something unmistakably British and royal.
At Kris Jenner’s star-studded 70th birthday on Saturday — hosted at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s Beverly Hills estate — the Duke of Sussex arrived in a classic black tuxedo and bow tie with a Remembrance poppy pinned to his lapel. The small red flower, worn ahead of Remembrance Sunday, is a U.K. tradition that honors military service — and it instantly shifted the photos from glossy party shots to something more layered.
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It also arrives amid fresh chatter about how Harry feels about Meghan Markle’s Hollywood return and their shifting public profile, following reports he “doesn’t love” certain social media displays tied to her brand work.
The couple held hands as they entered the “007”-themed bash — a nod to “70” — joining Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, and more, according to Page Six. Meghan wore a long black skirt with a matching top, peep-toe heels, and a black velvet purse. Harry kept the look minimal, giving James Bond but with a royal twist, thanks to the poppy pin. The party went hard, as neighbors placed multiple calls to the police due to the excessive noise late courtesy of a Bruno Mars performance late in the night, per TMZ — a similar uproar with neighbors over loud music and a fly-over aircraft at Poppy Middleton’s billionaire birthday bash for her husband back in September.
Royal-watcher debate kicked up quickly. The Daily Mail noted Harry’s serious expression “with a poppy pinned to his black tuxedo” and quoted royal author Tom Bower’s view that Meghan’s invite-only celebrity circuit is a “big plus” for her, while Harry looked “fed up being paraded.” That framing mirrors recent reporting about the couple’s diverging comfort levels with public-facing content: previous sources claimed Harry isn’t thrilled about Instagram-style moments featuring their kids, even from behind, and worries about optics.
But there’s another thread running alongside the critique. As Meghan steps back onto set — she’s slated for a cameo in Close Personal Friends with Lily Collins, Brie Larson, and Jack Quaid — The Sun reported Harry is “really supportive” and wants her to do whatever brings her joy. That stance aligns with how the pair typically present their decisions: unified, even when the headlines aren’t.
So what does the poppy signal here? Remembrance Sunday was the next day, and Harry — a veteran who has worn the symbol in every setting from royal tours to California events — kept the tradition going. It may not have been a calculated statement so much as muscle memory, but in a room full of A-listers and studio power players, it stood out. Meghan may be easing back into her Hollywood rhythm, but Harry’s lapel suggested he hasn’t shed the old one — even when the guest list is closer to Calabasas than Kensington Palace.
Click here to see Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s complete relationship timeline.
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry
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