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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Jennifer Newton

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's celebrity pals - from texting buddy to playdate friend

Their lives away from the Royal Family have seen them set up home in California with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

And living in such close proximity to Hollywood means it's no surprise that that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can count on a host of celebrity friends.

Some have been long-time pals, who have had close bond with either Harry or Meghan before they even met, while others have struck up friendships with them since they've lived Stateside.

Here we take a look at who some of their closest celeb pals are - and how they became friends in the first place....

Tyler Perry

One friend who Harry and Meghan have come to rely on is Hollywood actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry.

When the couple was at their lowest point, stuck in Canada while their rift with the royal family grew deeper by the day, it was Tyler who came to their rescue.

Tyler Perry on Harry and Meghan's Netflix show (Netflix)

Despite having never met Meghan in real life, he sent her a message ahead of her royal wedding explaining that he knew what she was letting herself in for - and offering his help if ever she needed it.

Meghan didn't take him up on the offer for years, but decided to reach out to him when the couple were in Canada - and he arranged for them to go to California and stay in his home there until they had a permanent residence.

After Harry and Meghan moved into their own home, in an interview with The Cut, Meghan revealed he gifted them a massive grand piano, which now sits in pride of place in their living room, and asked them to "write the soundtrack to their lives".

And in the end, Meghan and Harry asked Tyler to be their daughter Princess Lilibet's godfather to thank him for their help, which he revealed on Harry and Meghan's Netflix show.

James Corden

Prince Harry started an unlikely friendship with fellow Brit James Corden after his move to the US.

The former Late Late Show talk show host built a close friendship with Harry while living in California with the prince even appearing on his programme.

The host and comedian revealed his children had enjoyed playdates with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet - and in Harry's memoir Spare, James is singled out for thanks in the acknowledgments.

Prince Harry with host and comedian James Corden (Copyright unknown)

Speaking about Harry, James said: "I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for Harry, and anyone who has been around him and spent time with him would feel exactly the same way.

"I think he is a devoted and loving husband and father and I think what they have done [in turning away from royal life] is incredibly brave and I’ll always be in their corner. I have nothing but admiration and respect for them. I think it's impossible to judge any of it really."

Serena Williams

The tennis champ has had a long-standing friendship with Meghan and it appears that has now extended to Harry too.

Meghan first met Serena in 2010 at the Super Bowl in Miami, Florida. Speaking about their friendship on her former lifestyle blog The Tig, Meghan said she and the tennis ace bonded very quickly when playing a game of flag football, which is a variation of American football.

Meghan wrote: "We hit it off immediately. Taking pictures, laughing through the flag football game we were both playing in, and chatting not about tennis or acting, but about all the good old fashioned girly stuff.”

Then-actress Meghan and Serena were also snapped together at the 2014 Super Bowl in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and again at the launch of Serena's clothing line during New York Fashion Week in 2016.

Serena was at Meghan's wedding to Harry in 2018 and also attended her baby shower in New York in 2019 - and last year Serena had the honour of being the first guest on Meghan's Spotify podcast Archetypes.

Ellen DeGeneres

Another celeb close to Harry and Meghan is chat show host Ellen DeGeneres, along with her wife Portia de Rossi.

They are neighbours in Montecito, California, and in an interview on her show, Meghan revealed how they had all spent Halloween together in 2021, while last year Harry and Meghan were at Ellen and Portia's vow renewal.

Ellen also hinted at how close they were last year, saying she'd invited some dancers on to her show at Meghan's recommendation.

Ellen and Meghan struck up a friendship in 2012 after an encounter at a pet shelter, which ended with Meghan taking home Bogart, a Labrador-shepherd mix.

Meghan on the Ellen Show back in 2021 (Warner Bros)

Meghan recalled the encounter in an interview in Best Health in 2017, when she said: "Now, I don't know her, but Ellen goes 'Is that your dog?'

"And I said, 'No,' and she's like, 'You have to take that dog.' And I said, 'Well, I'm deciding.' And she's like, 'Rescue the dog!'"

"It's sort of like if Oprah tells you to do something. I'm sitting there holding him and she's like 'Have you thought of a name for him yet?' And I said, 'Well, I think I'd name him Bogart,' and she's like 'You're taking the dog home.'

"And she walks outside to get into her car but instead of getting in she turns around and comes and taps on the window glass and she yells 'Take the dog!' And so I brought him home. Because Ellen told me to."

Orlando Bloom

In 2021, Harry spoke of a friendship he has struck up with actor Orlando Bloom, who lives "down the road" from him in California.

Speaking on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast to discuss his mental health struggles, Harry admitted that he regularly texts his new friend.

Orlando later voiced Harry in the satirical cartoon The Prince, and the series came under fire for its portrayal of the royals.

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, creator Gary Janetti said: "I don't know if Harry has said anything to Orlando about it, but I know before the show premiered, he was aware that Orlando was doing it.

Priyanka Chopra

Actress Priyanka Chopra has been a close friend of Meghan's - even before the former Suits actress met Harry.

The pair first met at an ELLE Women in Television dinner in 2016 and struck up a bond. Soon after, Meghan interviewed Priyanka for her blog The Tig.

Meanwhile in 2018, Priyanka wrote an open letter about her friend before the royal wedding and around the same time Meghan made it onto the TIME 100 list.

Priyanka's heartfelt note read: "More than anything else, Meghan is an important influencer in a world that needs strong public figures to respect and look up to.

"People the world can be inspired by. Meghan, standing shoulder to shoulder with Harry, will be a princess for the people."

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