Tom Bower details Meghan Markle-Victoria Beckham fallout in new book
What's the story
Meghan Markle once dreamed of matching Victoria Beckham's posh style, reportedly even asking the Spice Girls-turned-fashion icon for "free" clothes during her engagement to Prince Harry.
However, Buckingham Palace put a stop to the request, citing their rules against such gifts, as detailed in Tom Bower's latest book, The House of Beckham: Money, Sex and Power.
This incident is just one of the sparks that led to Markle distancing herself from "The Beckhams."
Let's dig into other scandalous disclosures.
Usage details
Markle's use of Beckhams's gifts detailed in the book
Bower reveals that Beckham gifted Markle items worth £6,000 to promote her fashion brand before the infamous feud.
According to the book, this was part of a marketing strategy for Beckham's fashion line.
Bower's book states that the "financial gain" from gifting these items to Markle was "nil" for the Beckhams.
He also noted that the only successful item in 2019 was a £1,400 handbag displayed by Markle, with sales driven largely by "Victoria's Instagram video," rather than Markle herself.
Fallout
Beckham's makeup advice to Markle allegedly sparked a royal rift!
Bower asserts that Markle's relationship with "bestie" Beckham deteriorated rapidly after the Duchess of Sussex took offense at Victoria daring to give her makeup advice—a rumor subsequently reported by The Sun.
"David got a call from Harry accusing either he or Victoria of leaking the story to promote Victoria, but then they discovered it was one of Victoria's employees, and that undoubtedly caused anger," Bower wrote.
Wealth discontent
Markle's discontent with Beckhams's wealth is detailed in the book
Bower's biography alleges that Markle was irritated by the Beckhams's wealth and saw herself as higher up on the social ladder.
"In Meghan's celebrity world, ranking depended on wealth and fame," Bower wrote.
The book claims that Markle believed her royal status placed her above Victoria in the social pecking order.
It also suggests that she was annoyed upon discovering the Beckhams's significant wealth, including five homes, private jets, yacht invitations, and more money than she had.
Brewing tensions
Strained relations between Royals and Beckhams continued
According to Bower, tensions reached a climax when Markle allegedly snubbed the Beckhams at her 2018 wedding.
While the Beckhams attended the wedding, Victoria is said to have felt "insulted" that she and David were not invited to a dinner that included celebrities such as George Clooney.
The strain was further evidenced when Prince William and Kate Middleton were invited to the wedding of Brooklyn Beckham in 2022, but Markle and Harry were not on the guest list.
The book
Know more about the book synopsis
Per Harper Collins, "As one of the most famous and influential couples in the world, David and Victoria Beckham have attained iconic status. The ultimate power couple have together built a multi-billion-dollar global brand."
"Through extensive research, expert sourcing and interviews with insiders, Britain's most celebrated investigative biographer, Tom Bower, has unearthed a succession of revelations that give surprising insight into the reality of 'Brand Beckham'.