Yesterday, the New York Times announced the speakers for their annual DealBook Summit, which will happen at the Lincoln Center next Wednesday (December 4). Prince Harry was listed among other world leaders, cultural leaders and business leaders. We still don’t know what Harry will discuss – perhaps BetterUp, or his memoir, or Invictus – but it’s amazing that he was asked and that he accepted. Unfortunately, December 4th is also the date for Tyler Perry’s Paley Center Honor ceremony. Meghan and Harry signed on to honor their friend Tyler Perry months ago. So how will they coordinate this?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle both have planned appearances next week — albeit on separate coasts.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, will join Andrew Ross Sorkin for a conversation at The New York Times DealBook Conference on Wednesday, Dec. 4 in New York City, according to a spokesperson. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, is expected to attend the 2024 Paley Honors Fall Gala the same day, where she’ll help honor Tyler Perry with The Paley Honors Award, which is The Paley Center for Media’s highest honor. While both Harry and Meghan were on the hosting committee for their friend Perry, only Meghan will attend the event.
In his appearance alongside Sorkin, Harry is actually following in Meghan’s footsteps. In November 2021, Meghan was interviewed by Sorkin as part of The New York Times DealBook Online Summit, where she joined a conversation called “Minding the Gap” about how women can reach economic and professional parity.
It makes sense that two busy people would occasionally have events on the same day on separate coasts. The Tyler Perry-Paley Center honor has been on the books for months, as I said, and I feel like the DealBook invitation probably came after it was already penciled in. But clearly, Harry wanted the platform and boost of the NY Times, and I can’t find fault with that. It is important for him to be in those circles and in that world. Meghan can represent Team Sussex at the Paley Center. The only reason that this makes me mad is that the British papers won’t go with the angle of “Harry and Meghan are super-busy and Harry is a mover-and-shaker.” They’ll go with the angle of “Harry and Meghan’s [professional] SEPARATION continues!”
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.