Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle were dealt a fresh blow last week after the Duke’s Heart of Invictusdocumentary was snubbed at the 76th Emmy Awards.
The Netflix show – which followed the stories of six veterans as they prepared to compete in Harry’s 2022 Invictus Games – failed to receive a nomination among any of the categories. It’s the second time the Sussexes have missed out at the Emmys, after their self-titled docuseries, Harry & Meghan, also went unrecognised last year.
And to rub even more salt into the wounds, their rumoured rivals David and Victoria Beckham managed to secure an impressive five nominations for their biopic, Beckham. In contrast, the couple are up for Best Documentary or Nonfiction Series, Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Picture Editing and Outstanding Music Composition.
Opening up about the nominations, David gushed, “Making this series was such a personal journey, a love letter to football and my family. It has been overwhelming for me and Victoria that we have had such a warm and positive response to the series.”
Now, insiders have revealed that it’s left a bitter taste in Harry and Meghan’s mouths, making them feel somewhat jealous of their former friends.
“This is the second time they’ve missed out on getting any Emmys recognition and in some ways, this one is even more upsetting because Harry is so passionate about this subject matter. It wasn’t just him or the games this doc focused on – it told the story of veterans that are true heroes, so it’s pretty shocking that something like the story of a footballer and his pop star wife would merit more accolades,” our source said.
“Harry doesn’t do this for the awards, it’s about the work he does with Invictus, but for the sake of the organisation and the veterans featured in the documentary, he would have really liked some sort of acknowledgement from the Emmys. They hired Oscar-winning directors, so it’s not as though this was an amateur production. It really doesn’t make sense that they were passed over. Of course, it feels like a snub.”
Last year, Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, were said to be left feeling “wounded” after their names were left off the nominations list, despite their Harry & Meghan doc bringing in 81.6million viewing hours globally within its first four days of release.
Hollywood guru Lynn Carratt claimed at the time that the couple would be licking their wounds, saying, “Meghan and Harry may feel slightly wounded by not receiving an Emmy nomination. But they were up against some tough competition for nominations.”
And while Harry has been left feeling disappointed once again, it’s hit Meghan even harder – who, according to our source, is refusing to let this one go.
“Meghan is taking a harder approach and saying it’s more proof that there are people out to block them from getting any sort of win, it’s very clear to her that they’re being sabotaged at every turn. Meanwhile the Beckhams have come up smelling like roses, leaving her and Harry humiliated in the process,” we’re told.
“It was already upsetting enough that the Beckhams won such rave reviews for their biopic when Harry and Meghan’s got slammed, now they’re winning all these awards while they wind up with nothing, not even one single nomination. She’s stewing big time and not prepared to let it go, either. But at the end of the day everyone knows there’s nothing she can really do.”
While Harry and Meghan once counted David, 49, and Victoria, 50, as their close friends – with the couple attending their wedding in 2018 – it appears they’ve grown apart in recent times. Meghan wore a jumper from Victoria’s fashion label when she and Harry announced their engagement in 2017, which appeared to mark the start of their blossoming friendship. Meanwhile, Harry and David were long-term pals, having been pictured publicly together since 2011.
But in 2020, shortly after Harry and Meghan stepped down from royal duties, things turned frosty after reports claimed that during a tense phone call to David, Harry accused Posh of leaking stories about Meghan to the press – allegedly leaving the former footballer “absolutely furious”.
Rumours of a fallout became even more rife when Harry and Meghan were left off the guestlist of David and Victoria’s son Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding to Nicola Peltz in May 2022, while Prince William and Kate Middleton received an invite. Last month, the couple also appeared to make their allegiance clear when David met up with the King, amid reports he was “too busy” to see son Harry during his UK visit, to discuss the work of the King’s Foundation.
And it doesn’t appear the couples will be the best of friends again any time soon. Our source continues, “Meghan has been trying to turn the other cheek and not get riled up by certain people who’ve been pushing her buttons, but the Beckhams – and Victoria in particular – really get on her nerves, big time. It makes her shudder that they were front and centre at her and Harry’s wedding, only to turn on them a few years later when the chips were down.
“Harry’s a lot more even keeled, he’s bitterly disappointed the David and Victoria have sided with William and other royals but ultimately it doesn’t surprise him. He’s trying to pacify Meghan, reminding her that it’s a marathon and not a sprint, they’ll get their just deserves eventually. But all that pragmatism aside, it’s still a huge kick in the teeth for him as well.”