Meghan Markle and Victoria Beckham are two successful women with a link to the royal family, however subtle. While one is married to a Prince, the other is wife to football legend David Beckham, a close friend of the royals.
The Sussexes and the Beckhams are royalties in their own rights. Perhaps, that explains why the media have strived to find a means of connecting them by digging out facts that suggest an ongoing feud.
Reports of a feud between Meghan Markle and Victoria Beckham have made headlines over the years, mostly fueled by media speculations and bits from interviews. The supposed feud seemed to have died down in recent times as the families appear closer than ever.
However, newer developments may revive old wounds, especially when it involves something as sensitive as the ongoing royal family scandal resulting from Megxit.
Here, we discuss everything we know about the reported feud between Megan Markle and Victoria Beckham and why their familial friendship may become threatened.
Their Families Go way Back
Meghan Markle and Victoria Beckham knew each other thanks to the long-standing friendship between their respective husbands. Notably, Prince Harry and David Beckham became friends after forging a connection at an FA reception in 2010.
Prince William, who also attended the event, once opened up about their time together and how they hit it off. He recalled how the guys once felt bad after a bad game, forcing him and Harry to behave like “idiots” just to cheer them up.
In the end, David got in on the act, leading to the start of their friendship. The friendship between the royal brothers and the football legend blossomed thereafter. Beckham and his wife got the chance to attend Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal wedding in 2011.
The Beckhams remained constant fixtures in the royals’ life, hanging out with them and snagging invites to grand occasions. In 2017, Harry introduced his longtime friends to his then-fiancé Meghan Markle.
The next year, Harry and Meghan picked out a house very close to the Beckhams’ country house in Cotswolds. The move enabled them to become neighbors to their best buds.
That same year, the Beckhams were among a lucky few to snag invites to Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding. However, the reported absence of the showbiz power couple at the evening after party of the newlyweds raised eyebrows at the time given how deep their friendship ran.
First Incidence Of A Fallout
Months after Harry and Meghan’s wedding, details explaining a possible reason why the Beckhams received no invite surfaced. A news outlet attributed this to a burgeoning rift between the two brides which took form in 2017.
According to the source, it involved an interview the Duchess of Sussex granted in May 2017. During the interview, Meghan reportedly said she would not wear Victoria’s designs because they did not fit her well.
The “Suits” alum attributed the inadequate fit to her not having a long torso to “support that silhouette” seamlessly. The former Posh Spice Girl, who thought she and Meghan could become friends due to the bond between their partners, felt hurt and appalled by the actress’ words.
Her attempts to set things right also failed. It was reported that Meghan declined to wear the numerous custom-designed outfits the brand sent her. A source claimed Victoria reached out to her personally to turn things around.
Her brand also penned a letter to the Duchess in hopes of discovering if there was a deeper reason for the snub, according to the source. Notably, those claims by unidentified sources had several loopholes.
When probed about it, a rep for the singer-turned-designer described the claims as untrue. Additionally, Meghan was sighted wearing some outfits from the clothing line in the months that followed. One such instance was her official engagement photos. But that did not stop the rumors of an existing feud from gaining traction.
Still On Dresses
The two women seemed to have another fallout in 2018, just before Meghan Markle’s royal wedding. This time, sources reported the actress turned on Victoria over free dresses.
According to the sources, Meghan expressed her desire to wear clothing from the Posh brand. However, Victoria offered the attire to the duchess at a discount rather than at no cost.
The former songstress’ refusal to give out her clothes for free due to her personal policies drove a dagger between their then-flourishing relationship.
Going further, the source claimed Meghan turned on the designer right after that. As a result, she accused David Beckham’s wife of selling stories about her to the press. The alleged leaked stories involved the royal’s visit to Victoria’s beautician pal Sarah Chapman.
Her allegations forced David to place a call to his friend and set things right. While the awkward call seemed to clear the air and resolve their differences, sources confirmed their relationship remained strained thereafter. That explained the Beckhams’ absence from the Sussexes after-wedding party as per the reports.
Rekindling Their Friendship
As bosom friends and neighbors, things could only stay awkward for so long. By Christmas that year, both families seemed to have swept it all under the carpet, evident in Meghan’s head-turning outfit during the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham.
The stunning black ensemble the Duchess of Sussex donned was a piece from Victoria Beckham’s clothing line.
Months later, the 47-year-old had nothing but praise for the Sussexes during her 2019 interview ahead of the launch of her beauty line. She expressed how Meghan’s words on kindness taught the core value of “women supporting women,” which she stood for.
Why The Feud May Resurface
Having reached a good place in their relationship these days, you might be wondering what could make the feud between Meghan Markle and Victoria Beckham resurface.
Back in June 2020, David and Victoria Beckham’s son Brooklyn Beckham announced his engagement to actress Nicola Peltz. The couple received support from their respective parents who sprang into action in preparation for the upcoming nuptials.
While this in itself was big news for both families and their well-wishers, it somehow left the Beckhams in a dilemma of deciding which of the estranged royal brothers to give an invite.
Like the rest of the world, the Beckhams are not alien to the ongoing scandal surrounding the British royal family since Meghan and Harry announced their step-back from their duties as senior royals in 2020.
Their rift further intensified following Megan Markle and Prince Harry’s revealing Oprah Winfrey interview in March 2021. Since then, the Sussexes and the rest of the royals, including Prince William, have not seen eye to eye.
By implication, it could become problematic to have both brothers, who are good friends with the Beckhams, show up at the wedding simultaneously.
Who Attends The Wedding?
In August 2021, sources reported that Victoria and David were torn between the two brothers and feared they may have to pick sides in the ongoing royal feud.
A source revealed that inviting both parties may result in conflict for the Beckhams, who want to remain on good terms with both couples. Deciding to do the rational thing by inviting just one would make them appear to snub the other party.
As the wedding date fast approaches, it might eventually have to come to that. David has been seen socializing more with the Cambridges since his former neighbors moved to the United States.
If his proximity to William was anything to go by, it could be a pointer to which brother would make the guest list and which party would get snubbed. And there’s no telling how the left out pair would react to the turn of events following the nuptials reportedly slated for April 9, 2022.
A possible outcome could be the resurrection of a supposed feud that has managed to lie in rest for years.