In a startling revelation, Meghan Markle reportedly barred Prince Harry from being photographed with soccer star David Beckham at the 2018 Invictus Games, igniting a rift that would see Beckham exact “revenge” years later. This juicy drama is unraveled in Tom Bower’s latest book, “The House of Beckham: Money, Sex and Power,” detailing how a once-friendly relationship between the prince and the athlete soured dramatically.
David Beckham and his wife, Victoria, were among the high-profile guests at Harry and Meghan’s wedding in May 2018. However, by October of the same year, tensions surfaced when Beckham attended the Invictus Games for injured service members in Sydney, Australia. Bower alleges that Markle orchestrated a snub to keep Beckham away from Prince Harry, leaving the soccer star puzzled and isolated.
“Beckham found himself alone at the Invictus Games stadium,” Bower writes. “Arriving on the agreed day to meet Prince Harry, he was perplexed as to why officials were playing a dance to keep him happy, but away from Harry.”
According to Bower, Beckham soon learned that “the prince had ordered that under no circumstances was the footballer to be allowed near him.” The biography claims that Markle issued the exclusion order, not wanting any media competition from Beckham or his fashion-icon wife, Victoria.
“The royal snub was brutal,” Bower claims. “David Beckham was puzzled. Why did the prince refuse to meet him? The exclusion order, it later transpired, was issued by Meghan. She did not want any competition in the media from Beckham, and especially not from his wife Victoria.”
Hurt by this cold shoulder, Beckham reportedly sought revenge four years later. In November 2022, Beckham added his star power to a celebration in Boston held for Prince William and Princess Kate, strategically overshadowing a concurrent event attended by Harry and Markle in New York. Beckham “flew 7,600 miles from Qatar to Boston to join the new Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, and President Joe Biden to celebrate the launch of the royals’ environmental Earthshot prize,” Bower writes. This move effectively stole the spotlight from the Sussexes.
“Inevitably the Sussexes were overshadowed by the constellation [of celebrities] in Boston,” Bower concludes. “Beckham had got his revenge for the Sydney snub.”
Bower’s book delves deeper into the strained relationship between the Sussexes and the Beckhams. Markle allegedly sought free clothes and handbags from Victoria, a request that Buckingham Palace vetoed as against royal protocol. Moreover, Victoria felt “insulted” for not being invited to a pre-wedding dinner attended by other celebrities, including George Clooney.
Adding fuel to the fire, Beckham was reportedly “absolutely bloody furious” over accusations that he or Victoria had leaked stories about the Sussexes to the media. Tensions escalated during a heated phone call between the two couples, further straining their relationship.
This unfolding saga highlights the behind-the-scenes power plays and personal vendettas within the elite circles of royalty and celebrity. Meghan Markle’s alleged maneuvering and David Beckham’s calculated response provide a riveting look into the complexities of fame, loyalty, and revenge. As this story continues to unfold, it’s clear that the world of the rich and famous is as dramatic as ever.
