David Beckham attended the state banquet hosted by King Charles during Qatar’s state visit to the UK with his wife, Victoria.
This surprise appearance of the Beckhams, who once shared friendship with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has made the experts believe that their friendship with the Sussexes is over.
Talking to MailOnline, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said the Sussexes’ absence from the state banquet is a clear indication of their disassociation with the Beckhams, possibly due to an unusual incident.
David appears to have developed a closer relationship with Harry’s royal relatives. The ex-England football captain was recently named an ambassador for the King’s Foundation.
“The Beckhams, then considered friends, attended the Sussexes’ wedding in 2018 along with Hollywood stars who were not, yet they were not invited to the wedding dinner which was a bizarre misstep,” Fitzwilliams.
The royal expert noted that Meghan, who had visited the Beckhams in California before her marriage, had worn clothes designed by Victoria to promote her label as far back as 2013 and Harry and David Beckham had been friendly before he met Meghan.
At first, it seemed that the Sussexes had a cordial relationship with the Beckhams, who were reportedly eager to make Meghan feel welcomed in the UK. Reports even suggested that Victoria had provided Meghan with access to her exclusive list of preferred hairdressers and stylists in London.
However, the first signs of tension between the friends appeared when reports surfaced that Victoria was assisting Meghan, which reportedly upset the Sussexes. The Mail on Sunday reported that Harry confronted David over a phone call, leaving the former Manchester United star “furious”.
Media reports suggest that Harry invited David to be an ambassador for the Invictus Games. However, the relationship reportedly turned sour when Harry declined to meet the ex-England football captain during the 2018 Sydney event.
Rumors have indicated that Harry is distancing himself from his friend amid concerns from Meghan that Victoria has been leaking stories about her to the press.
Noticeable signs of rift between the Sussexes and the Beckhams
In 2022, David and Victoria’s eldest son, Brooklyn married actress Nicola Peltz in a grand Florida wedding. However, Harry and Meghan were absent.
“We know the Sussexes did not appear at their son Brooklyn’s wedding. The likelihood is that the Sussexes, Meghan in particular, became jealous of a couple who are not only among the world’s genuine high achievers but also who are clearly strong supporters of the royal family, including William,” Richard Fitzwilliams said.
Similarly, David Beckham had welcomed football legend Lionel Messi to his Inter Miami team last summer, a host of celebrities were present for his debut.
The star-studded crowd included Kim Kardashian, LeBron James and Serena Williams, a known close friend of Meghan Markle. However, the Sussexes were noticeably absent from the event.
