Barack, Michelle Obama shun Prince Harry, Meghan Markle over Oprah interview

Royal expert Camilla Tominey claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's absence at Barack Obaman's star-studded birthday party over the weekend could be telling of the state of their relationship with the couple.

The former U.S. president shares the same birthday with the Duchess of Sussex on Aug. 4. But while details about the royal's celebrations remain private, the Obamas reportedly held a star-studded bash on Saturday. Those in attendance were Jay-Z, Beyonce, George Clooney, Tom Hanks, and Stephen Spielberg.

It was said to be a low-key affair held at the Obamas' £12 million Massachusetts mansion. But Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were not among the guests and their absence could have been perceived as an A-list snub.

It is unclear whether they were not invited or simply chose not to go, but Tominey suggested that the Obamas may not be interested in their relentless attacks on the British Royal Family.

"Ordinarily, you might have expected the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to be front and centre of any guest list drawn up by the Obamas," the royal commentator wrote for The Telegraph as she cited the reasons why this would be so.

She said Prince Harry shares a "longstanding relationship" with the Obamas after they bonded over his Invictus Games initiative. They even appeared in a video together with Queen Elizabeth II to promote the 2016 competition. As for Meghan Markle, she and the former First Lady reportedly had a "long powerful meeting" about their shared passion for girls' education backstage at London's Southbank Centre in December 2018.

"And, despite the Obamas having not attended the Sussexes' wedding that year, it was thought that the newly California-based couple would be shoo-ins at Obama's 60th, as prominent 'progressives' and new-found members of the influential US metropolitan liberal elite," Tominey continued, as she revealed that even Oprah Winfrey was asked to save the date for the party. Her best friend, CBS news anchor Gayle King, was there too.

"Could this be a sign that the Sussexes' love affair with the Obamas has gone cold?" Tominey asked as she pointed out that the Obamas were also not invited to participate in Meghan Markle's 40x40 initiative.

"So it arguably will not have gone down particularly well with a couple that have always put 'family first' to see Harry and Meghan being so openly critical of their Royal relatives during their Oprah interview in March," she added.

Tominey then alluded to an insider who claimed the "Obamas didn't like Harry attacking his family" since they "value family and certainly aren't the type of people who would want their children talking to the press." Even Michelle talked about the importance of family when asked to share her views on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Oprah interview. The commentator claimed that when it comes to the couple, the Obamas "remain firmly of the view that blood is thicker water."