Prince Harry goes to watch Inter Miami play - but did the Beckhams give him the cold shoulder?

The Beckhams have previously had a close relationship with the royal family. Photo / Getty

The Duke of Sussex’s attendance at an Inter Miami football game in Los Angeles on Sunday was not only an opportunity for the Prince to get a flavour of home, but also to put rumours of an alleged feud with the Beckham family to bed.

The game drew a star-studded crowd from all over the city, and crucially, the visiting team’s co-owner, David Beckham.

But while both Prince Harry, 38, and Beckham, 48, watched Inter Miami take on the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) at the BMO Stadium, the pair did not appear to cross paths.

The Duke was pictured smiling and animatedly greeting LAFC co-owner and actor Will Ferrell before taking his seat in the VIP box next to his venture capitalist friend, Adam Lilling.

However, he was not seen with the former England captain during the evening. A video later emerged of Beckham’s eldest son, Brooklyn, 24, and his wife Nicola Peltz Beckham, 28, walking past the Duke and his security detail in the stadium.

The couple were filmed strolling behind a crowd of people who had stopped to take photographs of Prince Harry as he passed by. The young Beckhams, however, kept their eyes resolutely facing forwards.

Prince Harry reacts during a match between Inter Miami CF and Los Angeles Football Club at BMO Stadium. Photo / Getty

Harry was quickly ushered around the corner by his security as the crowd cheered him on.

The close encounter follows weeks of rumours that a rift between the Beckhams and the Sussexes had derailed a long and close friendship.

In late July, the Mail on Sunday reported that a “tense” phone call had marked the beginning of the end after the royal couple became suspicious that David and Victoria had leaked stories about them to the press.

While neither side has publicly addressed these allegations, the newspaper reported the accusation left Beckham “absolutely bloody furious”.

At the time, a source close to the Beckhams said: “David and Victoria went to Meghan and Harry’s wedding and were very supportive when Meghan arrived in the UK.”

The couple, who now have a base in Miami after David set up the football club three years ago, were guests at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess in Windsor in 2018, having previously attended the nuptials of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011.

The couples were said to have bonded because one of David’s chief publicists, Isabel May, became friendly with the Duchess through Markus Anderson, who is a consultant for the Soho House private members’ club and one of her closest friends.

Meghan and Harry’s secret first date took place at one of the club’s venues in London.

Tom Bower, a royal biographer, has claimed Victoria gave Meghan makeup advice after she moved to the UK.

But when the information found its way into the public domain, the former actress was said to be furious.

Speculation about a rift between the two couples first began when the Sussexes failed to attend Brooklyn Beckham’s lavish wedding ceremony, at which he tied the knot with Peltz, a US heiress, in Palm Beach in April 2022.

It is not known if they were invited. However, Serena Williams, a close friend of the Duchess, did attend.

Then came the claims about a breakdown in trust.

Victoria and Meghan were notably absent from Sunday’s game, despite Meghan’s name appearing on a leaked VIP guest list.

Their absence fuelled speculation both women decided to avoid the possibility of an awkward run-in.

Laughed off rumours of rift

Friends of the Sussexes have branded the claims nonsense and laughed off rumours of a rift, pointing out that just because two couples who live in different countries are not photographed together does not mean they have fallen out.

Prince Harry was pictured smiling enthusiastically next to Lilling as they watched Inter Miami beat LAFC 3-1.

Lilling, who is famous for making millions for Hollywood celebrities, is understood to have been working with the Duke and Duchess for some time.

He founded Plus Capital, which says it aims to partner “the world’s top influencers – those who can effect more change in a day than most can in a lifetime – with the best entrepreneurs and operators in the world”.

The Sussexes are said to have been introduced to Lilling by US television host Ellen DeGeneres, who is a mutual friend and their neighbour.

Other celebrities who came to watch Lionel Messi’s first Major League Soccer game for Inter Miami included Leonardo DiCaprio, Owen Wilson, Selena Gomez and Jason Sudeikis.

Perhaps now that he is living in Montecito, this is the usual crowd for Prince Harry.

While David is no stranger to celebrity gatherings either, he also runs with a set the Duke is no longer welcome in – which includes his brother, the Prince of Wales.