As Prince Harry testified in a London Court Wednesday, getting tearful about “the misery” his wife, Meghan Markle, suffered at the hands of negative coverage by the Daily Mail, that U.K. tabloid and other publications were questioning whether he and Meghan had a role in Brooklyn Beckham’s decision to publicly lambast his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, and to blow up his relationship with them.
So, no one is saying that Harry and Meghan actively encouraged their young friend, Brooklyn Beckham, to launch a social media tirade against his father and mother Monday — in which he said he had no wish to reconcile with them while accusing them of “controlling” him his entire life and of trying to ruin his marriage to Nicola Peltz.
But multiple publications have addressed the growing friendship between the California-based Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the younger celebrity couple. And, they noted the obvious similarities in the “narratives” of Harry and Brooklyn.
Forty-one-year-old Harry, like 26-year-old Brooklyn, became estranged from his prominent British family after marrying a glamorous American actress, whom he claims received a cold welcome. Harry, like Brooklyn, also decamped to the United States in an effort to get away from a global family brand that he found oppressive. Moreover, Harry, like Brooklyn, wanted to establish his own identity and path to financial self-sufficiency. At the same time, both Harry and Brooklyn have chosen to air their grievances against their families in the most sensational way possible.
Former British model Brooklyn Beckham (L) and wife US actress Nicola Peltz Beckham arrive for the premiere of the movie “Lola” at the Bruin Theatre, in Los Angeles, California on February 3, 2024. (Photo by LISA O’CONNOR / AFP) (Photo by LISA O’CONNOR/AFP via Getty Images)
It was widely reported in May that Brooklyn and Nicola were becoming friendly with Harry and Meghan. People and other outlets described how the two couples hung out together at a dinner party in the Sussexes’ hometown of Montecito, amid “tensions” with Brooklyn’s family. A source told People: “Brooklyn and Nicola had a wonderful time and found Harry and Meghan to be particularly kind, caring and generous.”
Daily Mail columnist Maureen Callahan asked on Wednesday whether “nepo baby” Brooklyn “sought counsel on how to most effectively publicly humiliate your family of origin” when he and Nicola met up with Harry and Meghan at the dinner party. She also noted that Harry has “some skin in the game” after experiencing a reported falling-out with David and Victoria Beckham after they were among the celebrity guests at his May 2018 royal wedding. Harry apparently accused the Beckhams of leaking stories about Meghan to the media, according to reports.
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 20: David Beckham wearing a David Austin Roses “King’s Rose” speaks with King Charles III, patron of the Royal Horticultural Society during a visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show at Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 20, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Grover – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
At the same time, David Beckham’s friendship with Harry’s father, King Charles has grown, with the former Manchester United soccer legend being “a staunch monarchist,” and the two patriarchs bonding over shared their interests in gardening and philanthropy, InStyle reported. In November, Charles rewarded Beckham for his loyalty to the U.K. — and maybe to him personally — with a knighthood. Charles himself performed the ceremony at Windsor Castle, which Sir David Beckham said was “my proudest moment.”
Now, in the wake of Brooklyn’s bombshell Instagram post, celebrity journalist and gossip columnist Rob Shuter reported on his Naughty but Nice Substack that Harry had indeed “quietly stepped into an unexpected mentoring role” for the young man, as he’s tried to navigate his estrangement from his family.
“Harry sees a lot of himself in Brooklyn,” an insider told Shuter, saying that Harry had given Brooklyn “personal and professional” advice. According to multiple sources, Harry urged Brooklyn to proceed with caution, and to think carefully “about timing and tone” if he chose to make a public statement about his family dynamics. As Harry advised Brooklyn to protect his mental health, he also said: “Don’t burn everything at once. You only get one chance to tell your story the right way.”
JOHANNESBERG, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 19: Prince Harry (R) smiles with David Beckham at an FA reception at the Saxon Hotel on June 19, 2010 in Johannesberg, South Africa. (Photo by Owen Humphreys – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Maybe Brooklyn was ready to “burn everything at once,” as Shuter also reported that Harry had put him in touch with the publisher of his controversial memoir, “Spare.” In apparently suggesting that the Beckhams’ oldest son could write his own tell-all, Harry also advised that “honesty works best when it’s controlled, thoughtful, and human.”
People will debate whether Harry’s memoir — about growing up as the second son of King Charles and the late Princess Diana and the younger brother of Prince William — was honest, controlled or thoughtful. Amanda Dobbins and Juliet Litman of The Ringer Dish podcast also questioned whether Brooklyn’s scorched-earth attack on his parents will ultimately bring him the personal peace and satisfaction he apparently seeks.
Dobbins and Litman also brought up “the similarity” in the narratives of Harry and Brooklyn. “I’m actually not trying to dispute what Brooklyn Beckham is saying, because obviously he has a lot of specifics here,” Litman said. “But just the positioning of it, and (Brooklyn’s statement about how) ‘I can no longer stay silent,’ is just so shockingly similar to Prince Harry. It’s not surprising to me that they had been spending time together.”
Dobbins said she thought it was “ill advised” for Brooklyn and Nicola to apparently copy Harry and Meghan’s tactics in breaking away from family. While Harry and Meghan initially celebrated their “freedom” in leaving royal life in 2020, and seemed to be cashing in on lucrative deals with Netflix, Spotify and Harry’s memoir, they don’t seem to be “winning” in their situation six years later, Dobbins said.
They no longer have their multimillion-dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify, and they may be struggling to earn enough money to fund their lavish life-style, according to reports. Dobbins pointed out that Brooklyn Beckham, on the other hand, will never been hard up for money as long as he stays married to Nicola Peltz, whose father is billionaire businessman and investor Nelson Peltz.
“Nicola and Brooklyn don’t have to worry about money in the same way that Harry and Megan do, because it doesn’t seem like they’re estranged from the Peltz family,” Dobbins said.
Harry’s situation also is different from Brooklyn’s in another way. The prince actually is trying to find a way to reconcile with his father, and perhaps with other members of his family. According to a recent Us Weekly report, Harry may have made a life for himself in Montecito with Meghan and their two young children, but he “remains torn between two worlds.”
Royal author Christopher Anderson told Us Weekly: “On one level, Harry is content in California.” But on another, he regrets that “neither he nor his children are sharing in their royal heritage.” Us Weekly also reported that Harry misses “the structure and purpose” he gained from having royal responsibilities. For that reason, he is looking for a way to spend more time in the UK and to even do some work for the royal family if needed — and if they will have him.