It was the social event of the season, gathering A-listers in their droves for a very important cause. And, by all accounts, George and Amal Clooney’s second annual Albie Awards – which they launched last year to honour “courageous defenders of justice who are at great risk for what they do” – was an unmitigated success, with more stars turning up for the glitzy event, held last week at the New York Public Library, than a night at the Met Gala. Indeed, everyone was at the event – including Rachel Weisz and husband Daniel Craig, Kate Moss, John Krasinski and wife Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Sofia Vergara and Cindy Crawford. In other words, everyone, that is, except for two glaringly obvious absentees: the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

According to insiders, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were left devastated when they received word of the invite snub, which seemed to confirm all their concerns about the state of their friendship with the Clooneys. Having worked hard in the past to foster relations with the pair, they’ve received subtle hints over the past few months that, as far as George and Amal are concerned, the friendship is over. But this, we’re told, was the starkest sign yet.

“Meghan and Harry were extremely hurt that they weren’t invited to the Albie Awards,” says an insider close to the couple, who have been on something of a campaign in recent months to increase their social standing. “This is exactly the kind of event they would have loved to attend. It’s pretty humiliating to be snubbed like this, and it really proves once and for all that George and Amal have some sort of issue with them. It’s just so baffling because they’ve never done anything to warrant this sort of treatment. As far as they can see, it’s come totally out of left field.”

It’s no secret that Harry and Meghan have always aspired to be close friends with the power couple, who famously attended their star-studded wedding in 2018, despite reports that they barely knew each other at the time – and, for a while, their efforts were rewarded. George and Amal reportedly hosted the Sussexes at their UK home in Oxfordshire on at least two occasions, and also had them to stay at their Lake Como villa in Italy. Amal was even in attendance at Meghan’s baby shower in New York in 2019.

But over the past year, whispers have spread that the Clooneys aren’t so comfortable with Harry and Meghan’s repeated outbursts against the royal family, especially as they call the UK their home and have always voiced their support for the monarchy. In May, they attended a Prince’s Trust event in London, making it clear that they’re still keen to maintain close connections with the Palace. With Meghan and Harry making their complaints against Harry’s estranged family louder than ever, sources say that George and Amal no longer feel their values align. Rather than orchestrating a mighty fall-out, they’re simply letting their silence do the talking.

“This is a huge kick in the teeth and a massive embarrassment for Meghan and Harry – they can’t really get their heads around it,” says our source. “But the truth is, George and Amal don’t have time for their drama. Although they knew that Harry and Meghan would have been there in a heartbeat, they also knew that the circus that follows them would have ruined it for others.”

George and Amal’s orchestrated distance comes, unfortunately, at a time when Harry and Meghan need their well-placed friends more than ever. As Closer has previously told you, the formerly royal couple have been on a turbocharged mission to win friends and influence people as part of a new PR strategy. Having suffered some backlash following their attacks against the royals – most recently in Harry’s memoir Spare, and their Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan – they’ve reportedly been advised to change tack and focus on their A-list friendships. And so, they’ve done just that. Last month, they attended actor Kevin Costner’s LA fundraiser, where they posed for pictures alongside Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Degeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi. This followed previous high-profile outings to two of Beyonce’s concerts – where Meghan was spotted in the VIP area rubbing shoulders with Adele, Katy Perry and the Kardashians. Meanwhile, earlier this year, they were seen having lunch with Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz, and their respective husbands, Brad Falchuk and Benji Madden.

According to insiders, Meghan is demonstrably leading their new PR strategy. Last year, she teased, “Do you want to know a secret? I’m getting back on Instagram” – with reports soon emerging that she had secured the handle “@meghan”. She’s also reportedly working hard behind the scenes to relaunch her defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig. Getting back on social media requires a lot of A-list endorsement and, while they’re making headway in LA, they can’t help but feel slighted by the Clooneys.

“Not only is it embarrassing to be shunned like this, but the awful part is they have no idea why they’re being treated this way,” we’re told. “They’ve called and sent messages, but they’ve just been ghosted. At this point, they’ve given up trying, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. Harry is taking it the hardest because he’s convinced that George has taken Prince William’s side. It’s hard to see what other reason there could be.”

The loss of a friendship with the Clooneys is, assumedly, even harder to take considering their social capital and influence. After all, George and Amal might just be the classiest, and loftiest, showbiz couple out there – far more likely to mix and mingle with dignitaries and world leaders than with reality stars and influencers. Their continued friendship would have opened doors to Harry and Meghan on a global scale. But, sadly for them, the doors now seem permanently closed.