How the Beckham Family Feud Became Royal Warfare: A Proxy Battle Unfolds

If the monarchy is considered a national drama series, not many TV writers would have been able to come up with a storyline as dramatic as this one.

Despite the King and his family still feeling the sting from a televised interview where Prince Harry laid bare the rift inside the House of Windsor The estranged royal and his spouse, the Duchess of Sussex, had an "intimate" dinner with Brooklyn Beckham and his partner Nicola Peltz. They too are a couple who have distanced themselves from his parents, David and Victoria Beckham.

This follows when Brooklyn and Nicola, the actress and filmmaker who is also the daughter of American tycoon Nelson Peltz, turned down the offer. David’s numerous extravagant birthday bash for his 50th In London, Paris, the Cotswolds, and Florida over the last several weeks.

Harry and Meghan, it must be remembered, also fell out with David and Victoria, who attended both their wedding in 2018. Some say the fallout was over Meghan’s suspicion that Victoria was leaking stories about her, a claim the Beckhams have denied. Others say it was over Victoria’s refusal to give her discounted dresses, an allegation previously denied by the palace when she was a working royal.

The shocking moment during the dinner party occurs in the same week when the Princess of Wales donned a £1,340 Victoria Beckham trousersuit to bestow the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design at the British Fashion Council event. This seemingly signalled her endorsement of the ex-Posey Spice.

It's every screenwriter's fantasy. The monarchy aligning with different factions, forging pacts, and waging a covert battle due to a similarly ruinous rift within one of Britain's most dazzling clans, the Beckhams, who have amassed a fortune estimated at £500 million according to recent reports. Sunday Times The Rich List will be released over the weekend.

Actually, the situation might not be as intense. Supporters of Kate maintain she merely aimed to back the British fashion sector by choosing an ensemble from a local designer. However, everyone caught up in this affair excels at managing their image publicly and surely understood the potential impression, based on close observers of these events.

Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are said to have hosted the dinner last week in Montecito, the celebrity enclave in California where they now live, at an event attended by around 18 guests invited by the Paramount television chief executive Brian Robbins.

None of the participants is speaking publicly. Harry and Meghan’s office has declined to comment. But a showbusiness source has provided multiple media outlets with agreed quotes about the dinner party. “Brooklyn and Nicola were invited prior to David’s numerous global birthday galas, so the timing is pure coincidence,” the source said.

Although it was a small get-together, there were several extra attendees such as VIPs and movie industry leaders. Both Brooklyn and Nicola enjoyed themselves immensely and felt that Harry and Meghan were notably gracious, considerate, and magnanimous.

The Sun, which first reported the news, took it a step further by quoting a source stating, "Harry was completely informed about the circumstances and provided unconditional backing to Brooklyn, given Harry’s own experience with something similar."

According to the report, Meghan and Nicola discovered "shared understanding" following accusations that they had ruined their respective spouses' families.

It is alleged that Robbins wasn’t aware of the Beckhams’ internal family conflict and maintains he extended invitations to Brooklyn, aged 26, and Nicola, 30, solely due to their connection with David. Notably, David is presently starring in the Paramount production, "Beckham & Friends Live."

However, according to Ingrid Seward, the royal biographer, the younger Beckhams would likely have been embraced by the Sussexes specifically due to them being in the spotlight over their familial estrangement. She stated, "I reckon the sole reason they attended was because they're current celebrities; they’re trending figures. The Beckhams probably joined as they added some glamour to the event." Additionally, she noted that both Brooklyn and Nicola had reasons to be interested: "They would have wanted to go just to irk his dad."

After the Sussexes departed from Britain five years back, David, who has always been a staunch supporter of the monarchy, continued to offer diplomatic backing both for them and other high-ranking members of the royal family. However, according to certain accounts, this was despite Harry stirring up trouble by accusing him of tipping off Victoria regarding leaks about Meghan.

However, even though he has refrained from public criticism, the ex-England skipper, who awaiting in line for 12 hours to view the late Queen's coffin during its state laying period in September 2022 He has grown distant from the Sussexes and formed stronger ties with the Prince and Princess of Wales, who have since become the King and Queen. Last June, he took up the role as an ambassador for the King’s Foundation, finding common ground with Charles III through their mutual passion for beekeeping, rural skills, nature, and the British countryside.

He has collaborated extensively with William via the latter's position as both the initial president and current patron of the Football Association, along with assisting him on various initiatives. "Whenever The Prince of Wales messages me saying, 'I require your presence here or assistance with this,' my answer is always affirmative," David stated during an onstage discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos back in January. "Therefore, when the King invited me to join his foundation, I felt deeply honored and immensely fortunate."

“You know, our King is an incredible man,” he added.

Cynics have suggested that the former Manchester United midfielder is still after a knighthood, eight years after hackers released emails in which he labelled a Cabinet committee that had turned him down as “unappreciative c***s”. Sources close to Beckham reportedly said at the time the comments were made “in the heat of the moment”.

Tom Bower, known for penning biographies about both the Beckhams and royalty, thinks that Brooklyn has stabbed his father through the heart by having dinner with the Sussexes, thereby generating unfavorable attention surrounding their conflict.

Obviously, Brooklyn has aligned himself with Harry and Meghan. It's like calling out the challenge," he stated. "In my opinion, along with the outrageous nature of David Beckham's 50th birthday festivities, this will likely ruin any chances he had for receiving a knighthood. This move by Brooklyn might be the most detrimental action yet.

We shall see, but for the moment, David and Victoria—who have connections to royalty dating back to her time with the Spice Girls—appear to be following the Windsor approach in handling their family dispute. Similar to how the King has acted, along with William and Kate, they too have chosen to stay publicly quiet regarding the matter. As celebrities akin to royalty themselves—with friends like Tom Cruise and NFL great Tom Brady—they aim to maintain attendance at royal functions and keep up appearances.

Harry and Meghan reportedly think that talking about their meal with Brooklyn and Nicola, and attempting to challenge the prevailing story, won’t be beneficial. However, might showing apparent backing and advice to a couple at odds with their kin reduce the chances of mending fences with the King and other relatives like William and Kate? According to royal experts, this approach is unlikely to aid reconciliation efforts.