Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Thought Victoria Beckham Leaked Stories About Them — Biography

TL; DR: 

• Tom Bower claims in Revenge: Harry, Meghan, and the War Between the Windsors, that the couple was concerned their celebrity friends were leaking stories to the press.
• Bower writes Meghan Markle once “suspected” Victoria Beckham of “indiscretion.” 
• The biographer also claims David Beckham denied the allegation during a phone call with Prince Harry. 
• Additionally, the biography claims Meghan Markle told off Prince Harry’s friends.

Another royal biography is here. In Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors, investigative journalist Tom Bower claims Meghan Markle “suspected” Victoria Beckham of leaking stories to the press. He also says Prince Harry approached David Beckham directly in an “awkward” phone call. 

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry supposedly ‘scoured the internet’ nightly for possible leaks

According to Bower’s book, which hit shelves in the U.K. on July 21, 2022, Harry and Meghan were concerned about their celebrity friends leaking stories to the press. 

“Harry and Meghan were shackled,” Bower wrote, per Us Weekly. “Every night, they scoured the internet to read the newspaper reports and the trolls’ postings on social media.” 

“Irrationally, they grouped the two together and fed each other’s frenzy about the media,” he continued. “Convinced that as champions of goodness they were being persecuted by mendacity and racism, they felt victimized by the mildest criticism.”

Author says Meghan Markle ‘suspected’ Victoria Beckham of leaking a story

Bower wrote in Revenge that Meghan “suspected Victoria Beckham of indiscretion.” He went on, saying, “Harry called David Beckham to repeat the accusation. Outraged, Beckham’s truthful denials damaged their relationship.”

Previously, The Sun reported a similar story in January 2020. “When Meghan moved to London, Victoria shared a whole bunch of beauty tips,” a source told the outlet. “But not long after, some of these emerged in print, and Meghan was furious.”

“Very protective of Meghan,” the source said a now-37-year-old Harry “decided to deal with the matter head-on, by directly contacting his good pal, David.”

They went on, saying Harry was “very polite” despite it being a “pretty awkward exchange” that left Beckham “mortified.” 

“He quickly put Harry right, and the two men agreed to move on. But it certainly made things awkward for a while,” they said. The source added the friendship got “back on track” after a “few months” later.

Victoria and David Beckham were later among the guests at Harry and Meghan’s wedding in May 2018. 

‘Revenge’ claims Meghan Markle called out Prince Harry’s friends

Among the claims Bower made in Revenge is one about how the Duchess of Sussex didn’t hit it off with Harry’s friends. According to the author, Meghan “challenged” her then-future husband’s friends during a weekend trip. 

“Their jokes involving sexism, feminism, and transgender people ricocheted around the living rooms and dining rooms. Without hesitation, Meghan challenged every guest whose conversation contravened her values,” he wrote. 

Bower also noted, per “some of Harry’s friends,” Meghan scolded them “again and again” over the “slightest inappropriate nuance.” 

Also worth noting is the response to claims made in Revenge. Did Queen Elizabeth II really say “thank goodness” Meghan wouldn’t be at Prince Philip’s funeral as Bower wrote? A source “close to the queen” told Newsweek it was been “unlikely” the monarch had been thinking of anyone but her late husband.

As for the magzine cover story that Bower claimed left Meghan upset and journalist Sam Kashner feeling “manipulated,” Kashner denied Bower’s account. 

“I found Ms. Markle to be exceptionally warm and gracious and admired her intelligence and her remarkable courage, as I still do,” he said in a note published in The Times seen on Twitter.