After public criticism takes its toll on the Beckhams, friends say Meghan Markle has urged pal Victoria to up sticks and move to LA – for the sake of her family
She’s said to “feel like herself again” since relocating to her native LA earlier this year – after quitting royal life amid the constant barrage of criticism she endured since marrying Prince Harry in May 2018.
And friends say Meghan Markle, 38 – who last week reportedly hired the Beckhams’ former Hollywood aide, 70-year-old Rebecca Mostow, to help run their day-to-day lives – has been quietly encouraging her pal Victoria Beckham, 46, to follow suit and move back to LA with her family after facing her own recent backlash from the British public.
Victoria was said to be “really upset” over the “unfair” attacks she received for her now-reversed decision to furlough 33 staff at her struggling fashion label, despite her family’s estimated £350m fortune.
In the aftermath of the storm, sources claimed the atmosphere at the Beckhams’ Cotswolds mansion – where she and husband David, 45, have been isolating with their three youngest children, Romeo, 17, Cruz, 15, and eight-year-old Harper – was “dreadfully tense”.
But now friends say the designer has found comfort in pal Meghan. The pair became friends after being introduced by Harry – a longtime friend of the Beckhams – in 2016.
They reportedly fell out earlier this year amid allegations Posh was leaking stories about her new pal – but in March, Meghan appeared to confirm Closer’s story they’d called a truce during a secret meet-up in Canada, where she and Harry, 35, were living at the time, wearing a dress designed by Victoria’s label for the first of her final royal engagements.
Since then, sources have told Closer how Meghan has supported Victoria since the furlough storm, understanding only too well how she felt, as she and Harry were also blasted by the British public for using taxpayers’ money to fund her lifestyle – including her and Harry’s £2.1m refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, which they agreed to pay back after leaving the royal family, and their lavish summer holiday last year, which included taking four private jets.
A source tells us, “Meghan and Vic have built an even stronger bond lately, thanks to their mutual friends, Elton John and David Furnish, who’ve offered both their unwavering loyalty.
“After Meghan returned to her home city as an A-list star, she and Vic have been comparing notes. Vic is very familiar with LA, as she lived there for six years when David played for LA Galaxy, so she’s been helping Meghan with everything from hiring staff, like Rebecca Mostow, to recommending her favourite bakery for Archie’s cake in the lead-up to his first birthday earlier this month.
"She seemed so nostalgic and upbeat when talking to Meghan about LA that Meghan told her it seemed like she and David would be happier there than in the UK. She suggested that she should leave to give herself and her family a less stressful life, as they would be away from such intense scrutiny.”
Meghan has famously suffered her own backlash from the British public, and last week it was reported she was keen to bring forward the release date of her and Harry’s biography, Finding Freedom, in order to put her side across.
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Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family
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It's slated for release on 11 August but the publication date could be brought forward.
Insiders say she feels a move would also be the best way forward for Victoria – who once called LA her “spiritual home” – to escape all the criticism. The source tells us, “Meghan has mentioned before about struggling to adopt the British ‘stiff upper lip’, whereas LA has a more laid-back vibe so she doesn’t feel she’s under the same pressure. The more peaceful lifestyle has helped them reconnect again and really focus on their love for each other and their baby.”
Last month, Closer reported how Posh feared the furlough storm could be detrimental to her family’s reputation, especially after receiving criticism from the likes of Piers Morgan and Ricky Gervais, and has been “desperate to stop her brand with David falling apart and win back the public.”
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The source explains, “While Meghan has told Vic that by taking herself out of the glare of the spotlight in the UK – where she’s one of the most recognised faces in showbiz – and retreating to a more secluded life in LA, she’ll at least be able to minimise the backlash, which Vic agreed with.”
The couple have weathered their fair share of storms during their 21-year marriage, including divorce rumours in 2018, which they claimed were “ludicrous”. But recently they have seemed more loved-up than ever, putting on PDAs on Instagram.
And friends say they are so keen to maintain their spark – which has been credited to Vic’s more “laidback attitude” – that they are seriously considering Meghan’s suggestion.
The source says, “While Vic and David are in a great place, there’s no denying that all the negativity around the last few weeks has put pressure on them. She loves the idea of being back in LA, where their reputations haven’t been tarnished, and it brings up so many great memories from when they lived there before.”
After uprooting to California in 2007 when David signed for MLS soccer team LA Galaxy, the pair were welcomed into the Hollywood elite and formed a close friendship circle with A-listers such as Tom Cruise and J-Lo.
Their friend DJ Dennis Winter revealed at the time how “David and Victoria love the balance of hanging out with major A-list stars combined with the laid-back attitude” of LA. But when David finished his contract in 2013, the couple moved back to the UK and closer to their families.
However, now the kids are older – and with David launching his own football club in Miami – the couple recently splashed out on a new £10m penthouse in Florida, with a view to travelling back and forth between the UK and the States.
And with their eldest son Brooklyn, 21, reportedly keen to make a permanent move to New York, where he’s currently isolating with girlfriend Nicola Peltz, 25, it’s another pull for Posh, who admits to “missing him”, to also make the move.
Check out: from V Beck to Cheryl, where are the 2006 WAGS now?
The UK Wags - where are they now?
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1 of 9Victoria Beckham
One half of the indestructible Beckham brand, Victoria was the original Queen WAG in 2006. At the time Victoria had been married to David for seven years and had just given birth to her third boy, Cruz. She had also just launched her denim line, dvb Style and walked the catwalk for Roberto Cavalli. Over a decade later, she is a fully fledged and well respected fashion designer, with a fourth addition to her brood – the adorable Harper.
2 of 9Coleen Rooney
Coleen rose to fame as a WAG at just 20 years old. Coleen and Wayne are married and they celebrated their ten-year anniversary in 2018. However, Wayne's repeated cheating has strained the relationship over the years. They have four children together, Kai, Klay, Kit and Cass. Since 2006 Coleen has released a fitness DVD, been a style advisor for Littlewoods and even had a column with us in Closer magazine.
3 of 9Cheryl
How could we forget Cheryl as a WAG? Back then, 23-year-old Cheryl was a popstar in Girls Aloud who had just married Ashley Cole. Nowadays, Cheryl is a household name and a worldwide celebrity in her own right. After splitting from Ashley in 2010, she had a successful (well, successful-ish) solo career, was a judge on The X Factor and was the face of beauty brand L'Oreal. She married Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini in 2016 but they divorced three months later. Most recently, Cheryl separated from One Direction singer, Liam Payne, who she has a baby son called Bearwith.
4 of 9Abbey Clancy
Abbey first grabbed our attention in 2006 as one of the finalists in Britain's Next Top Model. She began dating Peter Crouch that same year and the pair are now married with three kids Sophia Ruby, Liberty Rose and baby Johnny. Lingerie model Abbey went on to win Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 and she returned to Britain's Next Top Model as the show's presenter. Not bad work, eh?
5 of 9Danielle Lloyd
Danielle Lloyd was dating footballer Teddy Sheringham when she gained her WAG status. At the time, her title as Miss Great Britain was a controversial matter and she was later stripped of it. Fast forward to now and Danielle has appeared on TV shows such as Celebrity Big Brother, Total Wipeout, The Weakest Link and even Come Dine With Me. She has three sons, Archie, Harry and George with her now ex-husband Jamie O'Hara. Danielle gave birth to a fourth child with her husband Michael O'Neill, Ronnie, in 2017.
6 of 9Elen Rivas
Elen Rivas was engaged to Frank Lampard at the time of the 2006 World Cup, and was a permanent fixture in the WAG circle. After splitting from Frank after a seven-year relationship, she dated Peter Andre, appeared on Dancing On Ice and now looks after her two daughters Luna and Isla while working as a model. Frank has since married TV presenter Christine Bleakley and they've welcomed their daughter Patricia into the world.
7 of 9Louise Owen
Despite being married to one of the most famous footballers at the time, Louise Owen wasn't your stereotype WAG. She has always managed to keep her distance from the limelight. Her passion is rescuing race horses and she currently lives in Wales with her husband Michael and their four children, Gemma, James, Jessica and Emily.
8 of 9Carly Zucker
Now known as Carly Cole after marrying midfielder Joe Cole in Chelsea in 2009, Carly loved to party during the 2006 World Cup (we know the feeling). She then spent two weeks in the jungle during I'm A Celeb in 2009 before being the third to be booted out. Carly and Joe have had three children, Ruby, Harrison and Max together.
9 of 9Alex Curran
Former nail technician Alex Curran began dating Liverpool player Steven Gerrard in 2002. She was one of the leading figures in the 2006 WAG squad. The pair married in 2007 and they have had four children together, Lexie, Lio, Lord, Lilly-Ella. Fashion lover Alex has released a perfume, fronted a Lipsy campaign and written a weekly shopping column for a national newspaper.
And it could be the perfect time for her to grow her struggling fashion label, which mounted further losses last year of £12.5m.
The source adds, “Vic is taken with the idea of relocating to LA, especially as Brooklyn is in New York and it will be closer and easier for David to travel to Miami when he needs to. On top of that, she says it could help her business – especially with a new set of A-list pals, including Meghan, to help promote it.
"David’s keen too, and while they’ve agreed not to make any rash decisions, it’s now an option they’re seriously considering.”
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