A Slap In The Face For King Charles: David Foster Dubbed Harry's Surrogate Father

Despite finally meeting up in the U.K., in July 2026, there's still said to be some considerable distance between Prince Harry and King Charles III. Luckily for Harry, he reportedly has another father figure in his life: Music legend David Foster. And naturally, not everyone is happy about it. Videos of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex not just attending the David Foster Foundation's 40th anniversary gala in August 2026, but also posing and hanging out with David and his wife Katharine McPhee at the event were widely shared across social media, which wouldn't have been much of a surprise to those who follow either couple closely. 

After all, back in 2020, the "American Idol" runner-up discussed her husband's bond with the Duke of Sussex during an interview with "Access Hollywood." Addressing their "beautiful relationship," McPhee notably gushed, "They're like father and son." As such, when the two couples reunited publicly several years later, that particular comment resurfaced. Many royalists criticized Harry for supposedly having another father figure in his life besides Charles, especially while relations between the two seemingly haven't improved. "Wonder how [his] real father feels," wrote one fan in response to an article by GB News. 

A Daily Mail reader, meanwhile, decried it as "disrespectful" to the king. Others claimed that David had actually distanced himself from the royal defector in recent years, and they weren't really close IRL. But it's worth noting that the quote in question hasn't come up in any of the composer's interviews, so it's likely not true. What's more, after it was rumored that he'd snubbed Meghan Markle at the event, David Foster denied being shady in a statement to People. "Harry and Meghan are dear friends of mine," he clarified. 

Notably, Katharine McPhee has known Meghan Markle for years too. They attended Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, though McPhee was a few years younger than the now-Duchess of Sussex. However, Katharine McPhee clarified that her and Meghan Markle's relationship wasn't especially close at the time, while speaking to "Access Hollywood," though they did get on well and even performed in school plays together. The two women reconnected many years later when McPhee was performing on the West End in London, and around the same time, she shared a sweet throwback of the two of them backstage as teens on Instagram, quipping, "She grew up to be the Duchess of Sussex and I grew up to star on the West End, so same life if you ask me."

Fast-forward to 2026 and, in McPhee's Instagram photo dump from the David Foster Foundation event, the singer also specifically shared a pic of herself posing with Meghan on the red carpet, as well as one with both of their husbands. Unfortunately, that drew a ton of criticism, though some of the actor's followers lauded the move. "Thank you for being Meghan's friend openly without fear of royal fans attack. Or royal rota attack. Now that's a real friend," one such fan wrote.

Likewise, Sara Foster sent a ton of hearts in response to McPhee's post. While that could be because David Foster's daughter clearly approves of Katharine McPhee, we're taking it as a sign that she's more than okay with her dad's tight bond with Prince Harry too. Here's hoping this works its way into a future "Nobody Wants This" storyline. Erin Foster, you know what to do.