An explosive new biography of the Beckhams revealed how David got revenge on Prince Harry after Meghan Markle “ordered” him to snub the footballer at the Invictus Games.
Tom Bower claims in House of Beckham that David was left “perplexed” by Harry’s behaviour at the 2018 games, which celebrate the sporting achievements of wounded, sick and injured service people.
“Beckham found himself alone at the Invictus Games stadium,” Mr Bower wrote about the Sydney-based event.
“Arriving on the agreed day to meet Prince Harry he was perplexed why officials were playing a dance to keep him happy, but away from Harry.”
As the footballer questioned the whereabouts of his long-term friend, he was oblivious that “the prince had ordered that under no circumstances was the footballer to be allowed near him.”
Mr Bower added: “Photographs of the two together were forbidden. The royal snub was brutal. 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.”
But while Meghan might have been successful in keeping David and Beckham apart, the footballer did not forget the Duke of Sussex’s actions.
He allegedly “flew 7,600 miles from Qatar to Boston to join the new Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, and President Biden to celebrate the launch of the royals’ environmental Earthshot prize” during the 2022 World Cup.
On the same day, Mr Bower said, “Harry and Meghan were seeking to wow Americans during an event in New York. Inevitably the Sussexes were overshadowed by the constellation [of celebrities] in Boston.
“Beckham had got his revenge for the Sydney snub.”
As detailed in the book, while the two couples were once on seemingly friendly terms, their relationship has now soured.
This was reportedly not the first time that Meghan issued an “order” to her husband, either.
She also allegedly ordered Prince Harry to act on her behalf after she accused Victoria of leaking information about her beauty regime to The Sun.
“Only after The Sun reported how Victoria had given Meghan make-up advice did the relationship between the two ambitious women crash,” Mr Bower explained.
“Sensitive to the media’s probing into her unusual past, Meghan was outraged by The Sun’s report. This was the latest of a series of nasty revelations by London’s newspapers.”
The author claimed Harry was once again “ordered” by his wife, this time, “to complain to David Beckham”.
He denied that his wife had leaked any information to the press and explained the story had likely come from a beautician – “although the culprit was probably a boastful publicist”, Mr Bower claimed.
The Independent has reached out to a representative for the Sussexes and Beckhams for comment.