David Beckham was left “astonished” by Prince Harry's behaviour during a visit to the Invictus Games, according to a new account of the breakdown in their once-close friendship. The revelation comes as Harry and Meghan are reportedly returning to the UK with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, amid plans for an extended stay.
Reported return to the UK
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to have flown from California on a private plane, according to BBC News, as they prepare for their children to begin at British schools in September. Their reported return has also renewed interest in Harry's relationships with some of the people he was once close to in Britain, including David Beckham.
According to Alison Boshoff's new book Brand Beckham, Harry and Beckham became particularly close in the early years of their friendship. The pair enjoyed two late-night outings in London around the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012, both at the Arts Club in Chelsea.
Friendship's rise and fall
The Daily Mail Editor-At-Large writes that the evenings were “heavy drinking sessions that went on until around 3 a.m.” and that they shared a circle of friends including James Corden, Edward Enninful, Idris Elba, Matthew Freud, Nick Jones and Markus Anderson. Their friendship continued after Beckham bought a farmhouse close to Soho House's Cotswolds outpost.
Harry and Meghan also spent time at Soho Farmhouse, with the venue becoming particularly significant in the early stages of their relationship. The Beckhams appeared to grow close to the couple, with David and Victoria attending Harry and Meghan's wedding and continuing to see them after the Sussexes rented a home in Great Tew, close to the Beckhams' property.
Rupture and aftermath
But according to Boshoff, the relationship later deteriorated. She claims the Beckhams were ostracised after Meghan suspected that somebody within their team was leaking information about her and Harry to the press. The biggest rupture supposedly came in 2018, when David travelled with his family to Australia to support Harry at the Invictus Games.
Boshoff writes that Beckham was “astonished” when Harry was unavailable for a scheduled meeting during the trip, with no meeting taking place at all. The pair have since remained on “good enough” social terms, according to the book. They were reunited in 2024 when Harry was in Miami and watched a football match involving Beckham's team. However, Boshoff says the friendship they once shared no longer exists in a meaningful sense.
The development comes as Harry and Meghan prepare for a significant period back in Britain. The couple, who stepped down as working royals six years ago and subsequently moved to the US, are reportedly planning to spend an “extended period” in the UK. The Cotswolds has been suggested as a possible destination, which would place the Sussexes once again in the area where Harry and Beckham's friendship once flourished. Harry and Meghan have yet to publicly discuss the reported move, while a spokesperson for the couple has not commented.
