The absence of Harry and Meghan at the Royal Box (Royal Area) at this year’s Wimbledon tennis tournament has become the center of discussion.
Notably, the couple’s old friend, former football star David Beckham, appeared in this prestigious position.
The 2023 Wimbledon tennis tournament officially kicked off on July 1. This world-class sporting event always attracts media attention due to its scale and famous guest list.
This year, the focus of the media was on the Royal Box with the appearance of former football star David Beckham and his mother, Sandra.
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Sitting next to the mother and daughter were famous faces such as Jamie Cullen, Alexander Armstrong, Katherine Jenkins and Sir David Attenborough.
Notably, while their old friend David Beckham was given a prestigious seat at the Royal Box, Harry and Meghan were completely absent.
It is known that this is the 4th consecutive year the couple has not attended the tournament. The last time the public saw Harry and Meghan at the Royal Box was in 2019, before they announced their withdrawal from the royal family.
The Sussexes’ absence from Wimbledon this year may not have surprised many people. Because their relationship with the Beckham family has been “not so good” for a long time. The media once reported that Harry deliberately avoided David at the 2018 Invictus Games because Meghan did not want her husband to be photographed with the former football star.
A source close to the couple said that mending the relationship is “unlikely”. Lizzie Cundy – Meghan’s old friend – even revealed that the Beckhams “quietly left like other friends”.
The Royal Box is the VIP area of Wimbledon’s center court, reserved for celebrities and special guests of the organizing committee. David Beckham’s frequent attendance at Wimbledon and his seat in this prestigious position have only added to the public’s suspicions of a rift between him and the Sussexes.
However, it is worth noting that David’s relationship with singer Katherine Jenkins – who was sitting right behind him at the Royal Box – is also not very good. David had previously complained about Katherine being awarded an OBE in a leaked email. Body language expert Inbaal Honigman commented on David’s expression when sitting next to Katherine: “David Beckham’s expression looks tense when Katherine Jenkins is right behind him. His mouth is pursed, even when smiling, and his lips are pursed most of the time, which shows tension.”
“He seems to be leaning forward slightly, which shows that he is moving away from Katherine, who is behind him, so he is putting some distance between them,” Honigman added.
