The British media constantly underestimates the Duchess of Sussex’s networking ability. Granted, Prince Harry is also a great networker, but I feel like there’s more acknowledgement of Harry’s ability to make friends and partnerships. But Meghan really has some powerful people in her corner, including Nicole Avant and Mellody Hobson. Avant is a diplomat, executive and producer married to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos. Hobson is president and CEO of Ariel Investments, she’s the former chair of Starbucks and her CV reads like she was the first Black woman to do pretty much everything in the business world. Hobson is also married to billionaire George Lucas. So… pretty great friends, mentors and advisors for Meghan. Well, did you know that Prince Harry is also close to Meghan’s mentors? So much so that he’s welcome at George Lucas and Mellody’s Italian estate. From the NYDN’s Richard Johnson:
A visitor to the Italian estate of “Star Wars” creator George Lucas was surprised to see Robert De Niro there.
The two have been fast friends since De Niro launched the Tribeca Film Festival in May 2002, and Lucas provided “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” despite it barely finishing post-production in time.
But there was a bigger surprise at Il Convento Viandante del Cielo, the 60-acre estate and winery in Umbria that used to be a 16th-century Capuchin monastery.
Prince Harry, on a European trip from his home in California, was also a guest of Lucas.
They don’t say when this happened but we can surmise that it was probably in the past few years. Harry has been in the UK and Europe multiple times in recent years, and honestly, the British press has gotten extremely sloppy about tracking his actual movements. There’s a reason for that sloppiness – the same media is too busy pushing narratives about Harry being broke, isolated and friendless. If they tracked him to George Lucas’ Il Convento Viandante del Cielo, they would have to admit that Harry and Meghan have forged A-list connections and they’re welcome in some of the most elite circles in the world.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Prince Harry taking part in Goat Yoga Prince Harry taking part in Scotty’s Summer Festival at Maxstoke Castle, Birmingham . Scotty’s is a military bereavement charity that provides relief from the effects of grief for bereaved military children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Forces. 11 July 2026,Image: 1115961868, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no , Credit line: Heathcliff O’Malley for the Telegraph/Avalon
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- HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – APRIL 26: George Lucas and wife Mellody Hobson Lucas arrive at the 50th Annual AFI (American Film Institute) Life Achievement Award 2025 Honoring Francis Ford Coppola held at the Dolby Theatre on April 26, 2025 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 992736054, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Pictured: George Lucas, Mellody Hobson Lucas , Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- Mellody Hobson, George Lucas attends the Wicked For Good New York Premiere, held at Lincoln Center in New York City, Monday, November 17, 2025.,Image: 1053059320, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Credit line: Jennifer Graylock-Graylock.comJennifer Graylock-Graylock.com/Avalon
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- Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and founder of the Invictus Games Foundation, delivers a speech at the 18th Kyiv Security Forum in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 23, 2026. Themed “Darkness or Dawn: Is Light Ahead?”, the event brought together international leaders, senior security and defence officials, NATO representatives, diplomats, innovators, and public figures to discuss contemporary security challenges. Key topics included nuclear security, international solidarity with Ukraine, transatlantic unity, global defence and modern warfare technologies, anti-corruption efforts, countering disinformation, and the resilience of cities and energy infrastructure.,Image: 1093839563, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: This photo cannot be distributed in the Russian Federation., Model Release: no, Credit line: TARASOV/UkrInform/Avalon
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- Former President of Poland Andrzej Duda, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and founder of the Invictus Games Foundation, and former Ukrainian Prime Minister and chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum Arseniy Yatsenyu (L to R) attend the 18th Kyiv Security Forum in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 23, 2026. Themed “Darkness or Dawn: Is Light Ahead?”, the event brought together international leaders, senior security and defence officials, NATO representatives, diplomats, innovators, and public figures to discuss contemporary security challenges. Key topics included nuclear security, international solidarity with Ukraine, transatlantic unity, global defence and modern warfare technologies, anti-corruption efforts, countering disinformation, and the resilience of cities and energy infrastructure.,Image: 1093839570, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: This photo cannot be distributed in the Russian Federation., Model Release: no, Credit line: TARASOV/UkrInform/Avalon
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- Prince Harry departs after attending an Invictus Games event at Chatham House in London, England, UK on Tuesday 7 July, 2026,Image: 1115054870, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no , Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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- Prince Harry departs after attending an Invictus Games event at Chatham House in London, England, UK on Tuesday 7 July, 2026,Image: 1115054898, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no , Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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- Prince Harry taking part in Goat Yoga Prince Harry taking part in Scotty’s Summer Festival at Maxstoke Castle, Birmingham . Scotty’s is a military bereavement charity that provides relief from the effects of grief for bereaved military children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Forces. 11 July 2026,Image: 1115961879, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no , Credit line: Heathcliff O’Malley for the Telegraph/Avalon
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- Prince Harry taking part in Goat Yoga Prince Harry taking part in Scotty’s Summer Festival at Maxstoke Castle, Birmingham . Scotty’s is a military bereavement charity that provides relief from the effects of grief for bereaved military children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Forces. 11 July 2026,Image: 1115961906, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no , Credit line: Heathcliff O’Malley for the Telegraph/Avalon
Harry and Meghan do get around more than people realized.
He turned up at a Texas Rodeo in a cowboy hat, they really think he want to return to England, for the firm to control his life.
I can hear the shrieks now ‘Star Wars in mine Harold, cause I was a stormtropper!!’. Even thou Harry was one as well.
Scooter should have been the stand in for the Emperor!!
Those gutter rats are clocking this Prince, they just refuse to acknowledge his contacts and visits in the states because it is more profitable for them to push the broke and return narrative. This Prince is not returning to that desolate place nor is he anywhere near broke. He is happy loved and living a purpose driven life.
Prince Harry is also a businessman, even though he doesn’t refer to himself like that.
Those people tend to travel a lot for their businesses/and to make deals, you know.
I think the reason for that is that he considers himself too much as a royal. And also because he has the envy of members of his family constantly at the back of his head. And possibly to avoid more harassment from the British press who would accuse him of misusing his royal titles or something, once again.
I think that Harry’s royal status often is a burden as it is an asset. Nonetheless, he should refer to himself as a businessman too. I think that that would give him a more serious profile amongst many people, who only see him as a royal prince doing charity/philanthropic work. More people would see him as a man, a millionaire earning his own money.
I think the BM don’t report on Harry and Meghan’s connections, because they don’t actually have any connections themselves so they wouldn’t know.
If you think about it, news of their friendships always seems to come out of left field for them, unless they are connected to the British aristocracy somehow. They didn’t know about Tyler Perry, they didn’t know about Victoria Jackson and Jennifer Rudolph until they used her private jet and used her NY home as a base. I don’t think they actually knew how independently connected Nicole Avant herself was, they just thought of her as Ted Sarandos’ wife.
The media is obsessed with flash and celebrity, so they spend their time talking about how they’re being snubbed by Victoria Beckham or how Taylor Swift isn’t hanging out with them, meanwhile they’re hanging out with nothing but literal billionaires.
Which is always why I also roll my eyes at the “going broke” stories. Not that they would need to borrow money from their friends, but I find it hard to believe that if you have 10 friends and eight of them are billionaires they’re not giving you financial advice.
What is the deal with the Beckhams? What use are they to the Sussexes?
You’ve got David groveling before the royals, and his “empty vessel” of a wife—who’s always got that lopsided look—copying Meghan and paying the *Daily Mail* in hopes of getting just as many headlines. Instead of focusing on the kids they’ve brought into the world—and using their financial means to give them a solid education and a foundation for personal growth—they’ve stopped at basic literacy. Meanwhile, Victoria proudly talks about pulling her 13-year-old out of school to turn her into a famous influencer who just paints her lips on camera and tries to convince you to buy the lipstick.
Do you really think these are the kinds of connections the Sussexes are angling for? Give me a break. The Beckhams are in a completely different league
She doesnt think the Sussexes are angling for connections with the Beckhams. That’ s kind of her point.
Yeah, that’s why I think the BM was momentarily stunned by the Sussexes trip to the UK – first the Portuguese villa, then Althorp and tea with the king and billionaire’s private island.
This piece is interestingly short and without tabloid embellishment – just…Harry was there.
Industry giants welcome H&M into their homes, while poor Scooter has to chase after Biden—just to get a two-minute meeting in a parking lot—and pay Heidi Klum to deign to show up at a party.
Willi he’s going to fly off the handle again :))
I think something that throws off the BM as well is that these friendships don’t seem to be transactional or PR. Okay maybe Harry was meeting Lucas for something business related, but do we think George would have invited him to his private Italian estate just for that? Do we think George Lucas would invite anyone there that he didn’t like on a personal level?
the Sussexes have actual relationships with these people (some more personal, some more business) – but its not about the PR and its not about their titles. People meet with William because he is the Prince of Wales. People meet with Harry because he’s Harry, and that’s a huge difference.
Exactly. I’d just make a slight adjustment: some people meet Will because he’s the Prince of Wales, while others couldn’t care less—meaning he either has to beg for a meeting (like the two minutes with Biden in a parking lot) or pay for one (like with Heidi Klum).
Only official engagements are guaranteed, but those happen regardless of who the representative is. But who actually meets with William *for William’s sake*? Aside from a few schoolmates clinging to the gravy train—and Craig—who actually invites him over?
This is not surprising when you consider that Meghan and Melody are friends. It’s further proof that the British press don’t know anything about Harry and Meghan’s lives and just resort to making up stories.
Melody Hobson is a great interviewee! I highly recommend listening to just about any interview with her.
Yeah, she interviewed Prince Harry years ago for an Obama Foundation event. Check it on YT, it’s very good.
So, the basis for this friendship with Melody’s husband has been laid years ago, not just through Meghan. Harry even might have known Melody before Meghan knew her.
Isn’t it possible that H introduced M to MH?
Melody interviewed Harry at the Obama Foundation when it was first established, so Harry has his own connection to Melody. Not sure of the timeline, but I think it was shortly before he met Meghan.
I can remember a salty comment from TMZ a few years ago, stating that the rich Sussexes have loads of super rich friends with private jets, but they are too greedy to buy/hire their own private jet, and just hop/travel around the world on the PJ’s of their billionaire friends (the words are my interpretation).
Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.
Firstly: Harry is not gonna give you that stick to beat hem with.
Secondly: Harry (and Meghan) is too much of an environmentalist, who offsets his traveling’s carbon footprint all the time (not like the hypocrite that his brother and father are). He is the founder of Travalyst, for goodness sake. He’s not gonna burden himself/his image with such a purchase.
So yeah, thank you H&M friends for taking the Sussex along on you PJ’s, wherever that may take them, if traveling in that way is safer and more convention to them and their kids.
Not just that, it’s harder to track the Sussexes’ movements if they don’t have their own private jet, but could be travelling on ANY number of private jets which are in regular use by their billionaire friends to any number of destinations at any possible time. 🙂
Time ran out before I could add this: I echo your last paragraph – Thank you to the friends of H+M who generously lend them their private jets to ensure their safety when travelling.