As Victoria Beckham celebrated her 50th birthday alongside husband David Beckham and loved ones last week, some expected to see Prince Harry and Meghan Markle turn out for the star-studded bash.

But the Sussexes were nowhere to be seen despite their previous close bond with the Beckhams following several reports that the once close relationship may have fallen on shaky ground. The two couples have had rumours circulate of snubs, and a less than friendly phone call that imply that the relationship has now turned frosty.

David and Victoria have been long-time friends of Harry as well as his older brother Prince William. In fact, during her Spice Girls days, Victoria met both of the princes, who were teenagers at the time, on several occasions, including at the premiere of SpiceWorld The Movie.

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How Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the Beckhams went south

Victoria celebrated her birthday last week ( 
Image:
INSTAGRAM)
It appears that the Beckhams stayed on friendly terms with Harry and when he started dating Meghan and they were reportedly eager to make her feel welcome in the UK. In fact, there were reports that Victoria had given Meghan access to her little black book of her favourite hairdressers and stylists in London.

Biographer Tom Bower, who has written a book on Meghan and is now writing one on the Beckhams, claimed in The Sun that the former footballer and fashion designer even offered the now Duchess of Sussex refuge at their Los Angeles home at a time when there was intense media interest about her.

However, the first sign of tension came shortly after this, when reports about Victoria helping out Meghan were published – leaving the Sussexes upset. According to the Mail On Sunday, Harry confronted David with his suspicions in a phone call that left the ex-Manchester United star “furious”.

Harry and Meghan were said to be worried that close friends might be leaking stories about them and were keen to find out who could be behind it. It is alleged that in particular, Meghan suspected Victoria – and Harry called David to repeat the accusation. A source close to the Beckhams told the publication: “David and Victoria went to Meghan and Harry’s wedding and were very supportive when Meghan arrived in the UK.”

Afterwards, the couples seemed to put the ordeal behind them with David and Victoria at St George’s Chapel in Windsor to see Harry and Meghan get married in May 2018. Victoria wore a chic navy dress and hat while David looked smart in a morning suit. Several months later, the royal couple headed off on a tour of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, which coincided with the 2018 Invictus Games, which were being held in Sydney. Harry and a pregnant Meghan appeared at the opening ceremony of the Games.

How Invictus Games fueled the feud

Harry and Meghan appear to have drifted from David and Victoria ( 
Image:
Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror)
Harry is said to have asked David to be an ambassador for the Invictus Games – but things reportedly turned sour when the prince refused to see the former England football captain at the event in Sydney in 2018. It was claimed that the reason Harry was keeping his friend at arms’ length was Meghan – as she feared Victoria was leaking stories about her to the press.

“Having flown half-way around the world, he was perplexed why officials after he arrived at the sporting venue were playing a dance to keep him happy, but away from Harry,” Tom Bower writes for The Sun. “The reason for the distance was Meghan, the newly married Duchess of Sussex. She wanted no competition in the media from David, and especially not from his wife, Victoria.”

But despite the growing tension, Meghan did wear some of Victoria’s designs after this. On Christmas Day in 2018, while pregnant with Prince Archie, she wore a Victoria Beckham navy coat during the royals annual walk to church in Sandringham. And just months later in March 2019, she wore a Victoria Beckham to the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey.

Former Suits actress Meghan previously spoke of Victoria in the press and admitted she didn’t have the right ‘silhouette’ to wear designs from the Spice Girl’s fashion label. Meghan, who is 5ft 6in, said: “What I’m starting to learn is, even though things look amazing on the hanger, it doesn’t mean they’re going to look amazing on me. For example I love Victoria Beckham dresses, but I don’t have the long torso to support that silhouette.”