The Daily Mail’s Richard Eden is practically foaming at the mouth this week because he gets to talk about the Beckham family, the Waleses and the Sussexes all at once. To recap, the Princess of Wales stepped out this week in a Victoria Beckham suit, a rare moment when Kate actually wore something new-to-us. Simultaneously, Victoria and David Beckham have been waging a pretty public campaign against their daughter-in-law, Nicola Peltz, who is married to Brooklyn Beckham. This week, we also learned that Nicola and Brooklyn were recently in Montecito and they had dinner with Prince Harry and Meghan. What do we get when we throw all of these gossip items together? The latest Eden Confidential column:
The Duke of Sussex cruelly suggested in his memoir, Spare, that his brother, Prince William, had married Kate Middleton because she fitted the ‘mould’ of the Royal Family, rather than solely for love. ‘For so many people in the family, especially obviously the men, there can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who would fit the mould as opposed to somebody who you perhaps are destined to be with,’ Prince Harry wrote.
This depiction of The Princess of Wales as a weak character whom the Windsors and their courtiers can shape in every which way they choose has always been far from the truth. Just how wide of the mark this notion really is was vividly illustrated this week when she made a powerful statement, not with words but by her actions. In this case, through her choice of clothes for a royal engagement. She appeared at a fashion industry event to present the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design in an olive-green, £1,340 trouser suit by Victoria Beckham.
Kensington Palace sources said her decision to wear the sharply tailored two-piece suit was to demonstrate her support for British designers in general. A friend of the Princess’s suggested that there was, however, more to it than that. And what they told me was fascinating.
‘Kate wanted to show her support for Victoria Beckham,’ the friend claimed. ‘She’s aware of what Victoria and David have been going through.’ A Kensington Palace spokesman declined to comment. What the Beckhams have been ‘going through’ is a family saga that has temporarily managed to knock the Windsors’ own difficulties off front pages.
While William has become estranged from his brother, the Beckhams have become distant from their eldest son, Brooklyn. In both Harry and Brooklyn’s cases, the problems started after they married older American women. Brooklyn, 26, married Nicola Peltz, 30, daughter of billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz, in 2022, while Harry, 40, had exchanged vows with actress Meghan Markle, 43, four years earlier.
Today, it is reported that the Sussexes are ‘secretly’ supporting the Peltzes. According to The Sun newspaper, Meghan and Harry invited Brooklyn and his wife to their mansion in Montecito, California, for dinner last week. It was a highly significant invitation as relations between the Beckhams and Brooklyn and his wife are said to be at rock bottom after the couple’s no-show at David’s various recent 50th birthday celebrations. The rift is said to come down to a struggle for Brooklyn’s affections between his doting wife – who is, according to those in the know, the ‘boss’ in the relationship – and his equally doting mother.
One long-standing friend of the Beckhams told my colleague Alison Boshoff: ‘Victoria is fairly open among her close friends about what a viper Nicola is and how she feels betrayed by Brooklyn, so the mask has fully dropped. This is a takeover situation and it is all about the relationship between Victoria Beckham and Nicola. In some ways, Brooklyn has married his mother in Nicola.’
Kate’s very public gesture to Victoria this week may be seen as a further blow to the Sussexes, who once considered the former England football captain and his wife to be part of their ‘court’ across the Atlantic.
“Who once considered the former England football captain and his wife to be part of their ‘court’ across the Atlantic…” Except the British tabloids have been screaming for YEARS that the Beckhams hate the Sussexes and want nothing to do with them. Similarly, there are claims that David was basically given an ultimatum: give up his friendship with Harry or else Beckham will never get a knighthood. As for drawing connections between the Peltz-Beckhams and the Sussexes… my god. Both British guys married American women and their British families turned extremely toxic about it! That’s it. That’s the whole connection. I’ve read Nicola’s interviews over the years, and I feel like she was probably really thrilled to meet Meghan especially. They have friends in common – Serena Williams is tight with the Peltz family (they’re neighbors). Anyway, it’s funny that this is a five-alarm emergency in the British press, to the point where Kate is trying to send bitchy messages to American women by wearing a terrible baby-poop-colored suit.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.
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- WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – FEBRUARY 03: Victoria Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham arrive at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Vertical Entertainment’s ‘Lola’ held at the Regency Bruin Theatre on February 3, 2024 in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 843383219, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Victoria Beckham, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz attends Burberry’s AW25 Runway Show at TATE Britain in London, England, UK on Monday 24 February 2025 during London Fashion Week February 2025.
Justin Ng/,Image: 968695722, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/Retna/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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- HRH Catherine – The Princess of Wales arrives at 180 Strand in London, England, UK on Tuesday 13 May, 2025 to present the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.,Image: 998550045, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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- HRH Catherine – The Princess of Wales departs 180 Strand in London, England, UK on Tuesday 13 May, 2025 after presenting the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.,Image: 998550114, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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180 Studios, London, UK. 13th May 2025.
The Princess of Wales attends a special industry showcase event hosted by the British Fashion Council (BFC) at 180 Studios, where Her Royal Highness presented the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.
The event celebrated the impact of young British creatives and the UK’s thriving fashion industry, and recognised designers who are leading the way in sustainable practices and making a positive impact on the environment.,Image: 998551002, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Supplied by AVALON – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon – [email protected] London: 44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: 1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: 34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photo by Amanda Rose/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales at the British Fashion Council at 180 Studios in central London, where she will present the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. Picture date: Tuesday May 13, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Kate.,Image: 998555925, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales at the British Fashion Council at 180 Studios in central London, where she will present the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. Picture date: Tuesday May 13, 2025.,Image: 998556209, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales during a visit to the British Fashion Council at 180 Studios in central London, where she will present the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. Picture date: Tuesday May 13, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Kate.,Image: 998556376, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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The Hague, NETHERLANDS – Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive for the Friends and Family reception during the 2022 Invictus Games in The Hague. The reception at the Invictus Games Park is hosted by the city of The Hague and the Dutch Ministry of Defence
Pictured: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Duchess of Sussex
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The Hague, NETHERLANDS – Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the athletics finals on Day 2 of the Invictus Games in The Hague, Netherlands.
Pictured: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Duchess of Sussex
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Paris, FRANCE – Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz match their bowties as they head to Victoria Beckham’s fashion show during PFW.
Pictured: Brooklyn Beckham, Nicola Peltz
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