Recently, Prince William and David Beckham were seen sharing a private moment as they inspected two London air ambulances funded by the fundraising efforts of ARF Northal in West London.
While the details of their conversation remain undisclosed, many have speculated about the light-hearted nature of their exchange. Some wonder if it could have involved a joke about Prince Harry, who might be concerned about his relationship with Beckham. The two were once close friends, with David Beckham and his wife, Victoria, attending Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018. However, in the years following, the Beckhams have noticeably distanced themselves from the Sussexes.
The relationship between the Beckhams and the Sussexes started on a high note, especially in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding. In a generous gesture, the Beckhams offered Meghan the use of their luxurious six-bedroom villa in Los Angeles during a time of intense media scrutiny. This Italian-style villa became a sanctuary for Meghan, where she could escape the public eye and receive support from the Beckham household staff. During this period, Victoria Beckham, who was expanding her fashion brand, also provided Meghan with beauty advice, offering tips on makeup and hair styling. However, things began to sour when word of this generosity reached the press. Meghan reportedly felt betrayed, suspecting that the Beckhams had leaked details about their support to the media.
This incident marked the beginning of growing distrust between the Sussexes and the Beckhams. Although David and Victoria attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding, they were notably absent from the exclusive evening reception, a snub that raised eyebrows. The reception included several celebrities who were only acquaintances of the Sussexes, making the Beckhams' exclusion all the more puzzling. Despite this, David continued to support Prince Harry, even traveling to Australia at Harry’s request to show his support for the Invictus Games. However, David faced disappointment when he discovered that Harry was unwilling to be photographed with him, reportedly due to Meghan’s influence. According to renowned biographer Tom Bower, Meghan wanted to avoid sharing the media spotlight, particularly when it came to the Invictus Games, as she preferred the focus to remain on her own image.
The cooling of relations between the Sussexes and the Beckhams is particularly striking, given David Beckham’s long-standing admiration for the royal family. The former football star has demonstrated his loyalty on numerous occasions, such as dressing in his finest attire to watch the Queen’s Christmas speech and queuing for 12 hours to pay his respects when she lay in state. Given Beckham's deep respect for the monarchy, it is not surprising that the Sussexes’ ongoing criticisms of the royal family did not sit well with the Beckhams. A source close to the Beckham family revealed that both David and Victoria place great importance on family and would never publicly criticize or turn against the royal family, unlike Harry and Meghan.
This fundamental difference in values has further widened the gap between the two couples. While the Sussexes have been outspoken about their grievances with royal life, the Beckhams have remained supportive of the monarchy. In fact, the source noted that Victoria Beckham never held Meghan in particularly high regard, despite being friendly and welcoming at first. Over time, Victoria showed little interest in maintaining a close relationship with Meghan.
As David Beckham continues to build his American sports empire through his ownership of Inter Miami CF, one might expect him and Victoria to align themselves with the Sussexes, who have established a significant presence in the U.S. However, the Beckhams seem to have chosen loyalty to the Windsors over forging alliances based on celebrity. In a hypothetical match of power couples, it seems the Beckhams have sided with tradition and long-standing respect for the royal family, leaving them aligned with William and Catherine rather than Harry and Meghan.
