[imagesource: WireImage]

While the Duchess of Sussex celebrated her 40th birthday on August 4, Barack Obama was celebrating his 60th.

Meghan seems to have kept it casual, but the former US president went all out with his party over the weekend.

Although, he did end up downsizing the celebration after growing concern over the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

By now we know that “an intimate, outdoor gathering of family members and close friends”, per PEOPLE, has another meaning for the world’s elites, so you can bet that Obama’s shindig was grand in nature.

Under a giant tent on the grounds of his $12 million, 29-acre Martha’s Vineyard estate, Obama invited around 200 guests to join in on the fun, downsized from a 475-person guest list.

The exclusive bash featured specially branded napkins and face masks, tongue-in-cheek backstage passes for the assembled VIPs, and an incredible platter of veggie-friendly options from Impossible Foods.

Two performers at the party managed to take stealthy pictures of the event and even though they were later deleted under the event’s photography ban, the New York Post has them all.

Those who made the cut were Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z, Chrissy Teigen and husband John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Gayle King, Tom Hanks, Bradley Cooper, Don Cheadle, Spike Lee, Rita Wilson, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, Alicia Keys, and Steven Spielberg.

There were also performances from John Legend, H.E.R., and Erykah Badu.

 

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Those uninvited were Curb Your Enthusiasm actor Larry David, and talk show hosts David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, while Oprah Winfrey pulled out of the party earlier because of COVID-19 concerns.

But The Telegraph pointed out that  “as hundreds of America’s most high-profile Democrat supporting stars gathered to see Obama and his wife Michelle, 57, hit the dancefloor, one celebrity couple was conspicuous by their absence.”

You’d think that Meghan and Harry would have been at the top of the guest list, but for some reason, neither were in attendance.

With a long-standing relationship being well-documented between the two couples over the years, some are wondering if Harry and Meghan’s absence at the party is a “sign that their love affair with the Obamas has gone cold”.

The reason might have something to do with the Obamas being worried that an association with the Royal couple could attract negative publicity, especially after Meghan’s 40×40 birthday charity drive received some criticism.

Or perhaps, because family is of utmost importance for the Obamas, they’re peeved off with Meghan and Harry for leaving the Royal Family behind and moving to the US.

Michelle Obama and the Queen have bonded in the past:

Image: PA

Either way, Obama was said to have had “a great time” and “never stopped smiling” according to an insider at the party.

[sources:thenationalnews&people&thetelegraph]