Meghan Markle is said to be plotting how to get an invite to the funeral of Valentino, a legendary designer.

The Duchess of Sussex, 44, who last time garnered the spotlight by requesting her own invitation to Paris Fashion Week, is said to be "very deliberate about making sure she's included" at the star-studded memorial in Rome.

Valentino, who died January 19 at age 93, is expected to be mourned by top figures from fashion and Hollywood. Markle has apparently reached out to the designer's inner circle in an effort to be part of the ceremony.

"She wants to pay her respects and be seen honoring a designer she's admired for years," a source told Substack columnist Rob Shuter.

She has never gone to Valentino runway shows but Markle has always been a public supporter of his work.

The funeral of Valentino will take place on Friday, January 23, at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome.

Sources suggest Markle sees the event as more than a tribute. "It's not just paying respects — it's about being part of the inner circle of the fashion world. She knows this is one of those moments where image and timing matter," the insider added.

They further indicate that it would be in line with the Duchess's pattern to be methodically securing her place at a Valentino funeral.

"She's quietly reaching out to Valentino's inner circle, hoping to secure a seat among the fashion elite," the insider said.

This wasn't the first time Markle had her way in the fashion circle.

In October 2025, she attended Balenciaga's Paris Fashion Week show without being formally invited.

"She reached out and said she'd love to come to the show. There was no strategy or big orchestration. I didn't tell anyone she was coming because I wanted it to stay a surprise," Balenciaga creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli told the press after the event, per Page Six.

Controversial Public Moments

The Duchess has a history of drawing criticism for her public gestures. During a 2022 Instagram Story drive along the Seine, she filmed herself near the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, where her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, died in 1997. An insider said Prince William found the stunt personally offensive.

"To him, it wasn't just bad taste — it was personal desecration. That tunnel is sacred ground. For Meghan to treat it like a selfie moment was the ultimate insult," another source told Shuter.

Netflix Series Underperforms

Meanwhile, Markle's Netflix ventures have struggled. Her second season of "With Love, Meghan" drew only about two million views globally between July and December 2025, more than 60% below its first-season total and ranking 1,016th worldwide, according to Netflix data seen by The Daily Beast.

Critics compared the viewership to reruns of "Downton Abbey," which is way less than the engagement her earlier documentary "Harry & Meghan" garnered.

Episodes of "With Love, Meghan" included cooking, gardening, and craft segments that were filmed in an $8 million rented Montecito farmhouse. The celebrity guests were Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, while Prince Harry made a few appearances.

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Meghan Markle, Prince Harry