While Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are counting down the days until they are no longer senior U.K. royals, they are already double dating with Hollywood royalty.
It was reported last week that the two attended a private Florida investment summit sponsored by JPMorgan at 1 Hotel in Miami on Thursday. It marked their first joint appearance since they announced in January that they were stepping "back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family." E! News has confirmed that also on Thursday, Meghan and Harry had dinner with Jennifer Lopez and fiancé Alex Rodriguez at the hotel's restaurant Habitat.
The latter couple has homes in the area and J.Lo had days earlier co-headlined the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show with Shakira.
Page Six, which first carried the report of the dinner, quoted a witness as saying, "Harry and Meghan got on really well with Jennifer and Alex, and spent some time chatting with them over dinner. J.Lo was overheard inviting the couple and their baby Archie to her and Alex's house in Miami to spend time with them and their kids." Meanwhile, another source said the foursome did not dine together.
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Since the holidays, Harry and Meghan have been living with their 9-month-old son Archie Harrison in Canada, where the Duchess of Sussex and former actress used to film Suits. In their royal exit announcement, they said they planning on maintaining a second home in North America. Last month, a source told E! News that Meghan and Harry are in the early stages of planning a possible relocation to her hometown of Los Angeles for the summer.
Also in their royal exit announcement, Harry and Meghan said they would "work to become financially independent." Following talks with the duke and other family members in the U.K., Queen Elizabeth II and Buckingham Palace announced a deal regarding the couple's future, saying they can no longer use their HRH titles, would no longer receive public funds—but could get an allowance from Harry's dad, Prince Charles, and would have to return the money spent on renovating their U.K. home.
It is speculated that Harry and Meghan will be able to make tens of thousands if not millions of dollars off of public speaking engagements once their status as non-senior royals takes effect this spring. It has not been confirmed if and how much they were paid for their participation in the JPMorgan event, where Harry made a speech. The Sunday Times reported that they reportedly earned $1 million for their joint appearance.
It has also been speculated that the duchess could revive her entertainment career, while her husband can further kickstart one of his own; Harry and Oprah Winfrey are producing a new mental health series for Apple TV+, and last summer, the Duke of Sussex was caught on camera pitching potential voiceover work to Disney CEO Bob Iger and The Lion King director Jon Favreau at the reboot's London premiere. At the event, Meghan and Harry also met another Hollywood "royal" couple: Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
And speaking of Hollywood, Meghan and Harry reportedly turned down an invite to present the Best Picture award at the 2020 Oscars, which airs live on Sunday from Hollywood, according to HELLO! magazine.
"They were honored by the request, but declined the invitation," a source told the outlet.
Neither Meghan nor Harry has ever attended an Oscars ceremony. His brother Prince William and wife Kate Middleton have made official royal appearances at the annual EE British Academy Film Awards, or BAFTAs, the U.K.'s equivalent to the Oscars.
Meanwhile, the Queen has asked Harry and Meghan to join the rest of the royal family for the Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, theSunday Times reported, adding that the couple is expected to arrive in the U.K. with Archie for a final round of official engagements before returning to Canada.