‘Pretty awkward exchange’: Prince Harry-Meghan Markle’s feud with David and Victoria Beckham; what went wrong?

Once close friends, David and Victoria Beckham and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are now reportedly estranged due to several incidents that strained their relationship, as revealed by celebrity biographer Tom Bower.

The Beckhams, who have maintained strong ties with the British Royal Family since the 1990s, initially shared a warm friendship with the Sussexes. David Beckham publicly admired Prince Harry and Prince William, calling them a credit to their family and late mother, Princess Diana.

The Beckhams and Sussexes were neighbours in the Cotswolds for a time, and the Beckhams attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018.

However, tensions reportedly began after Meghan Markle joined the Royal Family. According to Bower’s 2024 biography House of Beckham, Meghan felt a sense of superiority over Victoria Beckham due to her royal status, believing it placed her higher in social standing. This attitude reportedly led to awkward interactions between the two.

Bower also claimed that Meghan was uncomfortable with the Beckhams’ significant wealth, which she perceived as overshadowing her own. Despite these challenges, the Beckhams extended their friendship, even hosting Meghan at their Beverly Hills home to help her avoid paparazzi attention.

The first major rift reportedly occurred in 2018 when Meghan excluded the Beckhams from her exclusive evening wedding reception. Later that year, at the Invictus Games, David Beckham attempted to meet Harry but was allegedly brushed off, an act some attributed to Meghan’s concerns about Victoria receiving media attention.

The final break came in 2021 when Meghan accused Victoria of leaking stories to the press. Prince Harry directly confronted David about the issue, but the accusation was later found to be false.

‘David was mortified’

“Harry is very protective of Meghan and decided to deal with the matter head-on by directly contacting his good pal David. Harry was very polite, but obviously, it was a pretty awkward exchange, and David was mortified," an insider told The Sun.

In contrast, the Beckhams have maintained strong ties with Prince William and King Charles, even attending a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, sparking speculation about David’s knighthood aspirations.