The party season is undeniably in full swing when even the world’s most recognizable royals take a night off from their official duties to enjoy some leisure time with friends.

If you’ve somehow missed the buzz, this week has been abuzz with talk about unexpected royal attendees at a party hosted by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in honor of reality star Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday.

Yes, it was none other than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who made a surprise appearance.

Hollywood’s A-listers turned out in style for the James Bond-themed soirée, eager to capture moments with the birthday celebrant—though not everyone was keen on being photographed.

According to reports from the Daily Mail, the evening took an awkward turn for Harry and Meghan.

The couple had apparently been under the impression that a no-photo agreement was in place, ensuring that no images of them from the event would be released.

But no one seemed to tell the social media–savvy Kardashian-Jenner clan.

After the party, Kim and Kris shared snaps with their royal guests to a combined audience of more than 400 million Instagram followers.

This photo of Kim Kardashian with Meghan and Harry, taken at Kris Jenner’s 70th party, vanished from Kim’s Instagram – only to resurface later on Reddit 

Prince Harry, 41, and Meghan Markle, 44, were snapped by paparazzi on arrival at Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party, hosted by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez at their LA mansion 

Kim’s photo showed the Skims founder in a glittering gemstone crop top and matching skirt, flaunting her signature curves, as she cosied up to the Duchess of Sussex, who opted for a demure high-neck, long-sleeved black gown. 

Meanwhile, Prince Harry looked animated in the background, deep in conversation.

Kris posted a separate Instagram carousel of the festivities, including a shot of the ‘momager’ flanked by the former Suits star and the son of Britain’s king.

Reality TV royalty rubbing shoulders with the real thing.

But within hours, the images vanished from social media in what’s now dubbed ‘photo-gate’, sparking speculation they were pulled at Team Sussex’s request.

The move left royal fans and celebrity watchers baffled.

Even if Meghan and Harry hoped to keep the candid party pictures private, the cat was out of the bag as paparazzi had already snapped them en route to Bezos and Sanchez’s $165million mansion.

Reports suggest the Kardashians are far from thrilled with it all went down. The deleted snaps have allegedly ruffled feathers and ‘won’t be easily forgiven’ in Hollywood.

The Kardashian-Jenner clan (Khloé, Kourtney, Kim, Kris, Kylie and Kendall, pictured L-R) posted a flurry of party shots. But images of Kris and Kim with the Sussexes vanished just hours after appearing on their Instagram accounts

Although the Instagram shots disappeared, Harry and Meghan’s arrival at Kris Jenner’s party was still captured by paparazzi outside 

Royal watchers on Reddit were left scratching their heads over the missing Instagram photos 

A source claimed Kim was particularly ‘p****d off’ about the photo drama, especially given that Meghan and Harry were already snapped at another event earlier that night.

The source added that Kim couldn’t fathom ‘the problem’ with sharing the pictures – though someone close to her denies this. 

People magazine – widely seen as the Sussexes’ preferred outlet in the U.S. – initially claimed the images were pulled because the couple ticked ‘no’ on a photo consent form.

Yet a correction was swiftly issued, citing a source close to the event: ‘There were no consent forms,’ they said. The rapid reversal underscored how quickly Hollywood insiders moved to quash the pro-Sussex narrative. 

All this drama brings to mind another royal photo kerfuffle halfway across the world.

In Copenhagen, Denmark’s Queen Mary quietly attended her longtime friend Caroline Fleming’s milestone 50th – a lavish ‘Out of Africa’-themed soirée on September 13.

Like the Bezos bash, this one unfolded at a lavish mansion. Caroline and her surgeon husband, Frederik Koelle, welcomed the who’s who of Danish high society to their Hellerup villa for a decadent celebration. 

Guests included Danish celebrities, business heavyweights – and yes, a royal.

Queen Mary’s attendance was inadvertently revealed when she appeared in the background of a guest’s photo shared on social media 

Danish socialite Caroline Fleming (right) marked her milestone with a lavish party at her Hellerup home alongside her husband, plastic surgeon Frederik Koelle (left) 

Like the Kardashians, Caroline – once a reality TV star on Ladies of London – carries an air of controversy thanks to personal scandals, a high-profile lifestyle and a penchant for topless shoots 

Caroline’s safari-themed soirée was a lively affair, with guests embracing the theme in animal prints, feathers and leopard-inspired makeup.

Guests dined at long tables beneath a sweeping panoramic tent in the garden of Caroline’s luxury villa. 

Queen Mary enjoyed a prime spot opposite the birthday girl, elegantly sidestepping the wild dress code in a chic white shirt, loose waves and understated makeup.

Like Kris, Caroline later shared an Instagram carousel reflecting on the fun and excitement of her big night. 

But here’s where things diverge: none of Caroline’s photos featured her hush-hush royal guest, Queen Mary. 

Mary’s attendance only came to light because she appeared in the background of other guests’ social media posts – the clearest courtesy of Danish business executive Christian Stadil. 

Now, given the similar leaked-photo saga in LA, it’s striking that every image featuring Mary remains live on social media and easy to find.

The presumed reason is obvious: there were no post-party pleas by the Danish royal household to scrub the shots from Instagram.

Caroline’s milestone 50th embraced an ‘Out of Africa’ theme and drew a Who’s Who of Danish high society 

Mary Donaldson (centre), as she was then known, and Caroline Fleming (right) share a friendship dating back to the early 2000s. They’re seen here with a friend in London in 2007 

What’s more, the Danish hosts and guests have deftly dodged questions about Mary’s presence – a stark contrast to the Bezos/Kardashian bash, where claims and counterclaims have spilled into the open, albeit through anonymous sources.

Caroline happily shared details of the lively celebration in a post-party interview – except for one key element. When asked about her royal friend’s attendance, her team swiftly shut it down. ‘We don’t comment on that,’ publicist Elisa Lykke said, as Caroline stayed silent.

She wasn’t the only one keeping mum.

Musician Sazeline Dreyer, another guest, abruptly shut down questions about the Queen’s attendance in a later interview, offering a curt ‘no comment’ and gesturing to signal she’d say no more.

Beyond the leaked photos, not a word has surfaced in the press about Mary’s attendance. Her inner circle has firmly closed ranks.

Two strikingly similar royal incidents; two starkly different responses.

On one side, Queen Mary is shielded and welcomed to enjoy herself in peace. No sources spilling afterwards, no drama about photos.

On the Hollywood end, Meghan and Harry’s alleged image-removal demand has seemingly left them out of favour with the A-list.

As the Sussexes lay deeper roots in California and distance themselves from Britain, they may need to accept that their quest for privacy clashes with Hollywood’s relentless appetite for exposure.

What’s that old saying? When in Rome…