{"id":217340,"date":"2025-06-27T01:28:19","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T01:28:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/217340\/"},"modified":"2025-06-27T01:28:19","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T01:28:19","slug":"how-harry-and-meghans-friends-cant-resist-the-royals-when-it-comes-to-picking-side-some-a-list-friends-find-it-hard-to-stay-loyal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/217340\/","title":{"rendered":"How Harry and Meghan&#8217;s friends can&#8217;t resist the royals: When it comes to picking side, some A-list friends find it hard to stay loyal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It&#8217;s long been said that Meghan and <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/prince_harry\/index.html\" id=\"mol-b215ccb0-5280-11f0-b38e-f7e8e83a9540\" rel=\"noopener\">Prince Harry<\/a> have an unfortunate habit of &#8216;Markling&#8217; those close to them &#8211; and have ditched several of their pals over the years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But as George and Amal Clooney joined <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/king-charles-iii\/index.html\" id=\"mol-b210c3a0-5280-11f0-b38e-f7e8e83a9540\" rel=\"noopener\">King Charles<\/a>\u00a0for a star-studded reception at <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/buckingham-palace\/index.html\" id=\"mol-bc2f6d20-5288-11f0-b38e-f7e8e83a9540\" rel=\"noopener\">Buckingham Palace<\/a> last night, it highlighted how several of the Sussexes&#8217; friends have actually chosen the <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/royals\/index.html\" id=\"mol-621f5370-528a-11f0-b38e-f7e8e83a9540\" rel=\"noopener\">royal family<\/a> over them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Clooneys were among the most famous non-royals to attend Harry and Meghan&#8217;s wedding in 2018 &#8211; and were said to have invited them to their house in Lake Como just weeks later.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Yesterday the actor and his humanitarian rights lawyer wife turned on the charm for the royals &#8211; seemingly choosing their side in the transatlantic rift between the Prince and the rest of his family.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In many ways, it seems that Harry and Meghan&#8217;s move to the US has put more than just physical distance between them and some of their oldest friends.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Harry and William&#8217;s old pals, including the Duke of Westminster, Thomas von Straubenzee and William van Cutsem have all remained close to the Prince of Wales &#8211; but seem to have parted ways with Harry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">And A-list pals who had once joined forces with the Sussexes, such as the Beckhams and Idris Elba, have now teamed up with the Royal Family for various projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Even Misha Nonoo, one of Meghan&#8217;s oldest friends, was seen chatting to Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall at Royal Ascot last week in another display suggesting she&#8217;s caught between both sides &#8211; while her friendship with the Duchess has gone suspiciously quiet.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>George and Amal Clooney   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-401f0b52ce56adcc\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99744711-14849531-image-a-21_1750938145902.jpg\" height=\"927\" width=\"634\" alt=\"George and Amal Clooney were among the two most famous non-royals to attend Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">George and Amal Clooney were among the two most famous non-royals to attend Harry and Meghan&#8217;s wedding in 2018<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-905a363f59206299\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99744721-14849531-image-a-22_1750938160247.jpg\" height=\"422\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Yesterday, George and Amal turned on the charm as they joined King Charles at a star-studded reception at Buckingham Palace\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Yesterday, George and Amal turned on the charm as they joined King Charles at a star-studded reception at Buckingham Palace<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">George and <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/amal-clooney\/index.html\" id=\"mol-4f77bba0-527a-11f0-b38e-f7e8e83a9540\" rel=\"noopener\">Amal Clooney<\/a> were among the two most famous non-royals to attend Harry and Meghan&#8217;s wedding in 2018 and were given prime seats in St George&#8217;s Chapel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">After the marriage they were said to have become closer and Amal was even invited to Meghan&#8217;s baby shower in New York in 2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Clooneys hosted Harry and Meghan at least twice at their home in Sonning, Berkshire, according to the Sussexes&#8217; biography Finding Freedom.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The book also claimed that the Clooneys invited the Sussexes to Lake Como only weeks after their wedding, flying them out on their private jet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A source said at the time: &#8216;Meghan and Amal spent a lot of time relaxing by the pool and playing with the twins while George and Harry checked out George&#8217;s motorbike collection.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Harry took one of them out with one of his protection officers. George recently had an accident, so he wasn&#8217;t back on his bike yet.&#8217;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Finding Freedom co-author <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/tvshowbiz\/omid-scobie\/index.html\" id=\"mol-4f88f9b0-527a-11f0-b38e-f7e8e83a9540\" class=\"class\" rel=\"noopener\">Omid Scobie<\/a> also told Good Morning America that Harry and Mr Clooney had bonded over a love of motorcycles and basketball.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Asked by the Daily Mail in 2019 how he knew the couple, Mr Clooney said: &#8216;I&#8217;ve just known them. We live not too far from one another and we have dinners and stuff and we&#8217;re friends with them for all the reasons that you&#8217;re friends with anybody.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;They&#8217;re just really nice, fun, kind people, they&#8217;re a very loving couple, and they&#8217;re going to be great parents.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But when the Clooneys turned out in support of King Charles III at a Prince&#8217;s Trust event in London in May 2023, it called into question which side they stand on.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Prince&#8217;s Trust &#8211; now known as The King&#8217;s Trust &#8211; is the organisation created by King Charles, and his biggest charitable success.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;The Clooneys clearly want to be on good terms with the King and the Royal Family,&#8217; a source told the Daily Mail&#8217;s Richard Eden at the time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Yesterday, George and Amal turned on the charm as they joined King Charles at a star-studded reception at Buckingham Palace.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">As they joined ambassadors and winners of The King&#8217;s Trust Awards in London, it appeared George and Amal exuded warmth in their interactions with Charles, as Harry remains estranged from his family.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>David and Victoria Beckham   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-933670e42feb2e7f\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99744709-14849531-image-a-23_1750938878383.jpg\" height=\"441\" width=\"634\" alt=\"The Beckhams were once said to be close to Prince Harry and Meghan. David is pictured with Prince William and Prince Harry in 2010\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">The Beckhams were once said to be close to Prince Harry and Meghan. David is pictured with Prince William and Prince Harry in 2010<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-112b1ae47c81de9d\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99744723-14849531-image-a-24_1750938933951.jpg\" height=\"680\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and David Beckham speak backstage after The Earthshot Prize 2022\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and David Beckham speak backstage after The Earthshot Prize 2022<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Beckhams were also among the Sussexes&#8217; exclusive wedding guest list when they tied the knot at St George&#8217;s Chapel in Windsor in 2018.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Meghan is thought to have struck up a friendship with fashion designer Victoria in 2017 when she first moved to the UK and was living in Frogmore Cottage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">According to the Mail on Sunday, the couples bonded because Izzy May, David Beckham&#8217;s communications director, was friends with Markus Anderson, chief membership officer for private social club Soho House, who helped arrange Meghan&#8217;s secret dates with Harry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Beckhams also hosted Meghan in their six-bedroom house in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles before her marriage to Harry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">By the time that Meghan and Prince Harry became engaged, she and Victoria were said to have \u2018grown close\u2019 and would \u2018regularly text\u2019, according to royal biographer Tom Bower.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Meghan also gave the designer her seal of approval by selecting a cashmere knit for one of her engagement portraits with Harry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">When the royal couple moved to the US in 2022, David Beckham praised his &#8216;amazing&#8217; friend Harry &#8211; but revealed he hadn&#8217;t spoken to the Duke about his decision to step down as a senior royal and move to the US.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He said of Harry: &#8216;We love him and he&#8217;s an amazing person &#8211; and that&#8217;s the most important thing &#8211; but I&#8217;m proud to see him growing up as an individual and being that person that every father wants to be.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But in 2023, it was claimed the royal couple had a suspicion that the Beckhams leaked stories about Meghan&#8217;s help from Victoria to the press &#8211; a claim the former Spice Girl denied and left David reportedly feeling &#8216;absolutely bloody furious&#8217;.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-f03f18cb273475ea\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99746111-14849531-image-a-25_1750938971730.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Victoria and David have grown increasingly close to the King. Pictured together in February\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Victoria and David have grown increasingly close to the King. Pictured together in February<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A source close to the Beckhams told the Mail on Sunday: &#8216;David and Victoria went to Meghan and Harry&#8217;s wedding and were very supportive when Meghan arrived in the UK.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Last month, David and Victoria were said to feel &#8216;blindsided&#8217; after their eldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz &#8216;struck up&#8217; a friendship with their ex-pals.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Sussexes\u00a0allegedly had Brooklyn and Nicola over for dinner at their mansion in Montecito, California where the women had a &#8216;deep and meaningful&#8217; chat and shared a bond after being accused by critics of being &#8216;homewreckers&#8217; and women who &#8216;tear apart their husbands&#8217; families&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Friends of David and Victoria\u00a0reportedly told <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" class=\"class\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/tvandshowbiz\/34973479\/david-victoria-beckham-brooklyn-meeting-harry\/\">The Sun<\/a>:\u00a0&#8216;David and Victoria were blindsided by the news \u2014 they didn\u2019t see it coming. Of course it\u2019s a bit weird for them as they used to socialise with Meghan and Harry, and now their boy is doing it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;David has no problem with Harry and has always acted very graciously towards him, even after the fall-out with Victoria, and they still communicate occasionally.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Beckhams themselves have grown increasingly closer to the royal family in the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The former footballer was finally named in the King&#8217;s Birthday Honours List last month and is finally set to be awarded a knighthood.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Beckham was recently asked to represent the King&#8217;s Foundation, an invitation he said made his mother cry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He said in a recent interview: &#8216;I always get emotional talking about anything that I do with our Royal Family. I was brought up in a household that adored and loved everything that came with the Royal Family.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Asked about his involvement with the King&#8217;s Foundation &#8211; an educational charity established in 1990 by King Charles &#8211; Beckham said his grandparents would be &#8216;proud&#8217; of his involvement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Our King is an incredible man,&#8217; he gushed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Beckham was also spotted in conversation with Charles and Queen Camilla at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show &#8211; and Charles and Camilla even revealed they&#8217;d sent him a birthday present.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Idris Elba\u00a0   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-16c10f179e52b430\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99744715-14849531-image-a-26_1750939165272.jpg\" height=\"392\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Prince Harry and Meghan Markle opened up their wedding album for their Netflix series in 2022, featuring pictured with Idris Elba\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Prince Harry and Meghan Markle opened up their wedding album for their Netflix series in 2022, featuring pictured with Idris Elba<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-fc090ecce0b2b2a0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99744713-14849531-image-a-27_1750939188078.jpg\" height=\"771\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Idris is now teaming up with King Charles for a new documentary on Netflix. Pictured in July last year\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Idris is now teaming up with King Charles for a new documentary on Netflix. Pictured in July last year<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The lauded British actor is best known for his roles in Luther and The Wire &#8211; but Idris Elba is also a talented DJ and performed at Harry and Meghan&#8217;s wedding, where he was also a guest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The actor, who hails from Canning Town in East London, was spotted among the exclusive wedding guests at St George&#8217;s Chapel in Windsor with his glamorous wife, Sabrina.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">However, in the Sussexes&#8217; tell-all Netflix documentary Harry &amp; Meghan, the couple shared behind-the-scenes snaps of Idris behind the DJ decks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In 2022, in an interview with BBC Radio 1Xtra, Idris revealed he played Still by rapper Dr Dre, which he joked &#8216;went off&#8217; with the crowd.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The actor explained that &#8216;it was Meghan&#8217;s choice&#8217; to play the song, after taking to the decks for the royal occasion.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He has also revealed the Duchess busted the most impressive moves on the dancefloor,\u00a0telling ET Canada: &#8216;I think Meghan was the one that was really like letting it go.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;You know, she was real\u2026 She just had a lot of fun. It was her wedding. So she had the greatest time.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">However, despite being a friend to the Sussexes, Idris has maintained ties with King Charles despite the royal couple&#8217;s rift with Harry&#8217;s father and other family members.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">When he was starting out in acting, the Prince&#8217;s Trust supported him with a \u00a31,500 grand which helped him train with the National Youth Music Theatre.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Speaking in a video for The Prince&#8217;s Trust, he revealed the grant &#8216;gave me my start in my career&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He&#8217;s now set to join King Charles in a new documentary with Netflix, believed to air in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Idris will accompany The King as he offers &#8216;rare access and insights&#8217; into his support for the Trust &#8211; which he set up in 1976 with his modest naval pension to change the lives of disadvantaged young people &#8211; over the past five decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Katy Perry   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-a5207b297ac1ddc7\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99746811-14849531-image-a-32_1750940038958.jpg\" height=\"952\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Katy Perry performing during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Katy Perry performing during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-31c51e57202592af\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/94812995-14849531-Katy_Perry_performed_at_King_Charles_s_coronation_concert_in_202-a-30_175093962598.jpeg\" height=\"379\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Katy Perry performed at King Charles's coronation concert in 2023 (pictured also with Queen Camilla and Lionel Richie)\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Katy Perry performed at King Charles&#8217;s coronation concert in 2023 (pictured also with Queen Camilla and Lionel Richie)<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The relationship between pop princess Katy Perry and the <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/tvshowbiz\/meghan-markle\/index.html\" id=\"mol-2e0034b0-7f0a-11ee-9fc8-495a035873a8\" rel=\"noopener\">Duchess of Sussex<\/a> has had its ups and downs over the years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In 2023, the Sussexes were spotted at a Katy Perry concert in Santa Barbara, with the Duchess dressing to impress in a stunning black sequinned dress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It was previously reported that Meghan held a &#8216;grudge&#8217; against Katy over a critical comment the singer made about her wedding dress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">During a promotional tour in the US for American Idol in May 2018, Perry joked to Entertainment Tonight she &#8216;would&#8217;ve done one more fitting&#8217; in relation to the dress at St George&#8217;s Chapel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A source told the Daily Star in August 2022: &#8216;Meghan is keenly aware of a comment that Katy Perry made in 2018 about her wedding dress and is notorious for holding a grudge.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;While the comment wasn&#8217;t meant to be hurtful, Meghan felt under siege at that time and was overwhelmed by arguments with staff, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Thomas Markle.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">However, this did not stop Harry making friends with actor Orlando Bloom, then Perry&#8217;s fianc\u00e9 (they are now reported to have split), after the family moved to Montecito.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Speaking on Dax Shepard&#8217;s Armchair Expert podcast to discuss his mental health struggles, Harry admitted that he regularly texts his new friend.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In May 2023, Perry also travelled to the UK where she headlined King Charles&#8217;s Coronation Concert alongside the likes of Lionel Richie and Take That.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">She performed in front of\u00a020,000 members of the public and invited guests at Windsor Castle including the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales &#8211; but notably, Prince Harry was not present.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The previous day Katy attended Westminster Abbey where she was one of the exclusive 2,200 guests at the King&#8217;s Coronation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Following the Coronation events, Katy took to Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes detail in her concert dress which suggested she&#8217;s a fan of the monarch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Inside the corset of the dazzling gold Vivienne Westwood gown, the words &#8216;Katy Perry, Charles III, 2023&#8217; had been sewn into the material.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">However, in February this year, Katy performed at the opening ceremony of Harry&#8217;s Invictus Games &#8211; showing that once again, she&#8217;s caught between both sides.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Misha Nonoo   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-f7f28a1d18039867\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99628963-14849531-Princess_Eugenie_beamed_as_she_took_a_selfie_with_Meghan_Markle_-a-12_175093703977.jpeg\" height=\"595\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Princess Eugenie beamed as she took a selfie with Meghan Markle's close friend Misha Nonoo while attending Royal Ascot last week\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Princess Eugenie beamed as she took a selfie with Meghan Markle&#8217;s close friend Misha Nonoo while attending Royal Ascot last week<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-4ad926ad46305d6f\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99628965-14849531-Meghan_has_been_close_friends_with_Misha_Nonoo_since_long_before-a-13_175093705142.jpeg\" height=\"953\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Meghan has been close friends with Misha Nonoo since long before she met Harry. Pictured together in 2015\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Meghan has been close friends with Misha Nonoo since long before she met Harry. Pictured together in 2015<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Misha Nonoo is one of Meghan&#8217;s oldest friends &#8211; and is even credited with helping to set her up with Prince Harry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">She was a guest at their wedding in 2018 and is the former wife of Harry&#8217;s friend Alexander Gilkes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Meghan first met Misha when she was filming the TV drama Suits in Toronto, and they became good friends \u2013 even going away on holiday together.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Meghan sat front row during Misha Nonoo&#8217;s runway debut, a collection that emphasised the empowerment of women &#8211; a cause Meghan has long been passionate about.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Their friendship would grow stronger over the years, with Misha becoming a key figure in Meghan&#8217;s inner circle.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In 2019,\u00a0Meghan attended Misha and Mikey&#8217;s wedding in Rome the following year, along with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Misha, who worked with the Duchess on her Smart Works charity line, opened up to FEMAIL in 2020 about her friendship with the royal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Reflecting on the experience of working together, Misha described Meghan as &#8216;the ultimate professional&#8217; and very &#8216;considerate&#8217; of the women the collection was helping.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;It was such an ideal, incredibly easy collaboration,&#8217; she said. &#8216;It was, from start to finish, wonderful, thoughtful, considerate, as is she.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-a547ee953c53bf0a\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99628961-14849531-The_royal_and_her_designer_friend_were_also_spotted_in_conversat-a-14_175093706398.jpeg\" height=\"889\" width=\"634\" alt=\"The royal and her designer friend were also spotted in conversation with Zara Tindall\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">The royal and her designer friend were also spotted in conversation with Zara Tindall<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But this week, as Misha <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" class=\"class\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/femail\/article-14837767\/Princess-Eugenie-selfies-Meghan-Markle-misha-nonoo-ascot.html\" rel=\"noopener\">took selfies with Princess Eugenie <\/a>at Royal Ascot and was seen chatting with Zara Tindall, a question mark was raised over where her loyalties now lie.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Meghan has not mentioned her former best friend in a number of months and notably didn&#8217;t give her brand a shout out when <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" class=\"class\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/femail\/article-14534513\/meghan-markle-shop-underneath.html\" rel=\"noopener\">launching her ShopMy link<\/a>\u00a0earlier this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In 2020, Meghan sported her pal&#8217;s \u00a3174 &#8216;husband&#8217; shirt to visit her patronages the National Theatre and Mayhew animal welfare charity, both in London, on 8 January &#8211; hours before she and Harry announced they were stepping down.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">She has frequently used her status as a high-profile style icon to shine a light on Misha and her brand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Meghan wore the &#8216;husband&#8217; shirt in white for her first official outing with Prince Harry in September 2017 and chose to wear a skirt from the label when she launched her first solo charity endeavour, the Together cookbook, in September 2018.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">She also enlisted Misha as one of her brand partners for the Smart Works charity clothing collection, which was unveiled in collaboration with John Lewis, Marks &amp; Spencer and Jigsaw, in September last year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But the Duchess has had a busy few months after launching her own lifestyle brand As Ever, cooking show With Love, Meghan, and podcast series &#8211; and does not appear to have recently met up with Misha.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Duke of Westminster\u00a0   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-c406cb8b002607a5\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/97317021-14849531-The_Duke_and_Duchess_of_Westminster_joined_Prince_William_in_the-a-18_175093737392.jpeg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"The Duke of Westminster is pictured with Prince William and Prince George in April\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">The Duke of Westminster is pictured with Prince William and Prince George in April<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-d20d36a743a3bf5f\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/96121835-14849531-Billionaire_aristocrat_Hugh_Grosvenor_34_and_his_wife_Olivia_32_-a-19_175093742634.jpeg\" height=\"600\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Harry's transatlantic dash has seen him miss multiple friendship milestones, such as Hugh's 2024 wedding to Olivia Henson (pictured together in official photo to mark their engagement)\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Harry&#8217;s transatlantic dash has seen him miss multiple friendship milestones, such as Hugh&#8217;s 2024 wedding to Olivia Henson (pictured together in official photo to mark their engagement)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, one of the UK&#8217;s biggest landowners, is godfather to both Prince George and Prince Archie &#8211; and a close friend to both the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A life-long friend for each of the brothers, he is thought to be the only pal both chose to mentor their children.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But Harry&#8217;s transatlantic dash has seen him miss multiple friendship milestones, such as Hugh&#8217;s 2024 wedding to Olivia Henson.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The billionaire aristocrat was reportedly keen to invite the Sussexes but mutually agreed with Harry that it would be better if they didn&#8217;t attend so the occasion wouldn&#8217;t be overshadowed by royal tensions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Daily Mail understands that the Duke, Hugh Grosvenor, was &#8216;very conscious&#8217; of the tensions surrounding the wedding of Lady Tamara Grosvenor and Edward van Cutsem at Chester Cathedral in 2004 and did not want anything similar at his own.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Hugh knows how sensitive wedding invitations can be,&#8217; a friend of the family told this newspaper.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Royal author Richard Fitzwilliams said that regardless of the true reason for the Duke&#8217;s non-appearance, it was fresh evidence of the &#8216;clearly awful&#8217; relationship between the brothers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It&#8217;s a far cry from Hugh&#8217;s once-close relationship with the Montecito-based father-of-two, who was reportedly earmarked as Hugh&#8217;s best man at one point prior to his exclusion from the society wedding.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In April, William was joined by the Duke as he watched Aston Villa take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">And to rub salt in the wound, it came just days after William enjoyed another boys&#8217; night out in Paris to watch Aston Villa with childhood friends Thomas von Straubenzee and William van Cutsem.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Thomas von Straubenzee and\u00a0William van Cutsem   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-2162cf52ffd3d5a2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/97139499-14849531-Prince_William_was_surrounded_by_old_friends_including_Thomas_vo-a-15_175093726998.jpeg\" height=\"789\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Prince William was surrounded by old friends - including\u00a0Thomas von Straubenzee, 42, pictured left, at a football match in April\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Prince William was surrounded by old friends &#8211; including\u00a0Thomas von Straubenzee, 42, pictured left, at a football match in April<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-a0a5b41ff69c8611\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/97139515-14849531-Prince_Harry_pictured_with_old_friends_Charlie_and_Thomas_van_St-a-17_175093729678.jpeg\" height=\"502\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Prince Harry pictured with old friends Charlie and Thomas van Straubenzee at a rugby match in 2015\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Prince Harry pictured with old friends Charlie and Thomas van Straubenzee at a rugby match in 2015<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In April, football matches exposed another sore spot for Prince Harry and Meghan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Pictured at the Parc des Princes, hugging young George and hollering in tandem with an excited William were Thomas von Straubenzee, 42, and William van Cutsem, 45 (nicknamed &#8216;VC&#8217;).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Both were boyhood friends with William and Harry and their families have remained closely entwined since, from high society events to charity partnerships, to godparent duties &#8211; and being ushers at each others&#8217; weddings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But after the Duke of Sussex made a dramatic move to Montecito in 2020, and laid bare his grievances with the family in a tell-all memoir, Spare; his connections with old friends have suffered alongside the well-documented rift with his family.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Thomas is known as William&#8217;s best friend and in the wake of Megxit, sources said the future King was leaning on his old pal for support while Harry turned to another Van Straubenzee brother, Charlie.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Meanwhile, Harry himself confirmed in his memoir Spare that he&#8217;d experienced a rift with some members of the van Cutsem family who didn&#8217;t approve of his tell-all Oprah interview.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The van Straubenzees have often been described as being like a second family to William and Harry, and Claire and Alex &#8211; the boys&#8217; parents &#8211; provided a retreat for the royal brothers during the &#8216;war of the Waleses&#8217; (Charles and Diana&#8217;s very public, and painful divorce).<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-c1fa820dc28da0d6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/97139511-14849531-William_van_Cutsem_45_popularly_nicknamed_VC_who_is_George_s_god-a-16_175093728691.jpeg\" height=\"406\" width=\"634\" alt=\"William van Cutsem, 45 (popularly nicknamed 'VC'), who is George's godfather (pictured far right) was also in attendance\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">William van Cutsem, 45 (popularly nicknamed &#8216;VC&#8217;), who is George&#8217;s godfather (pictured far right) was also in attendance<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Thomas &#8211; often described as the Prince of Wales&#8217;s best friend &#8211; is likely to have divided loyalties over the princes&#8217; rift.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He and the Duke were close to one another in the 2010s, and when Thomas was in 2012 mugged in Stockwell, south London &#8211; it was Harry he was on the phone to when his Nokia phone was snatched.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In 2015, he accompanied Harry and his brother Charlie to a rugby match.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">However, there seem to be no public joint appearances of the duo since &#8211; while Thomas has been seen by William&#8217;s side aplenty, both at the football and other gatherings, such as the Duke of Westminster&#8217;s wedding.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In Spare, Prince Harry detailed how Thomas acted as William&#8217;s real best man at his 2011 wedding to Kate, delivering the traditional speech with James Meade.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Thomas is also godfather to Princess Charlotte, and William is godfather to his daughter Mary, who Thomas has with his second wife Lucy Lanigan-O&#8217;Keeffe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The van Cutsems are too very close to both brothers &#8211; with VC being Prince George&#8217;s godfather.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">As a chartered surveyor, he specialises in logistics, renew-able businesses and building storage facilities across Britain.<\/p>\n<p>Edward Enninful\u00a0   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-5dddda354096a436\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99747275-14849531-image-a-34_1750940876203.jpg\" height=\"634\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Edward Enninful began a friendship with the Duchess of Sussex when he collaborated with her on an issue of British Vogue in 2019\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Edward Enninful began a friendship with the Duchess of Sussex when he collaborated with her on an issue of British Vogue in 2019<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-72bbb7d9b1258354\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/77606983-14849531-Mr_Enninful_was_also_present_at_the_reception_for_African_busine-a-33_175094024585.jpeg\" height=\"434\" width=\"634\" alt=\"King Charles III (right) shakes hands as he welcomes Edward Enninful during a reception and discussion to learn about opportunities for young people in October 2023\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">King Charles III (right) shakes hands as he welcomes Edward Enninful during a reception and discussion to learn about opportunities for young people in October 2023\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Present at the meeting of\u00a0African business leaders at Chapel Barracks in October 2023 was Edward Enninful, the outgoing editor of British Vogue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The editor was pictured shaking the King&#8217;s hand as the pair appeared to share a joke, both laughing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Edward also has strong ties with the King&#8217;s charity and was made global ambassador for the Prince&#8217;s Trust Group in 2021.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In 2023, he\u00a0praised the King as &#8216;charming&#8217;, &#8216;funny&#8217; and &#8216;kind&#8217; as he penned the monarch&#8217;s entry in 100 Most Influential People list that year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He added that the British monarchy &#8216;isn&#8217;t perfect&#8217; but that King Charles had the ability to &#8216;evolve with the times&#8217; in spite of this.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Writing the entry for the King, Edward said: &#8216;He could\u2019ve let his privilege shield him from the realities of our hardship in a time when these were not a cause c\u00e9l\u00e8bre. But he always met us with an open mind and a listening ear.&#8217;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Mr Enniful&#8217;s links to the monarchy don&#8217;t end with King Charles, as he also developed a friendship with the Duchess of Sussex when he collaborated with her on an issue of British Vogue in 2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The &#8216;Forces for Change&#8217; issue put inspirational women including actresses Gemma Chan and Jane Fonda, and former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern on the front cover.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">When it was published in the September, it was the fastest selling issue in the magazine&#8217;s 104-year history, selling out in less than 10 days.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The following year, Mr Enninful spoke to Sky News about criticism Meghan received when she joined the royal family, arguing that he didn&#8217;t believe it was solely down to racism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Describing the Duchess as a &#8216;brave woman&#8217;, he said: &#8216;Parts of it were probably racism, but it was more of an institution.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He added that while criticism was &#8216;harsh&#8217;, he &#8216;wouldn&#8217;t just blame it on racism&#8217;, saying: &#8216;She walked into an institution and everyone expected her to know the rules. And I think sometimes it takes a minute to understand the rules.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">However he continued to say he believed the treatment of her was &#8216;very unfair&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In May this year, it was revealed\u00a0that Meghan and Edward&#8217;s friendship imploded during a disagreement over how Vogue planned to feature the Sussex&#8217;s charitable work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Conde Nast insiders claimed that the coverage was pulled abruptly and scrapped.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A source said: &#8216;The duchess and her team had high expectations and were expecting she might get a print cover or at least a digital cover out of it, but Enninful was not able to meet those expectations. He already had a magazine cover in the bag for that month.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Instead,\u00a0British Vogue&#8217;s September 2022 cover star was Canadian fashion model Linda Evangelista.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It&#8217;s long been said that Meghan and Prince Harry have an unfortunate habit of &#8216;Markling&#8217; those close to&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":217341,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7708],"tags":[92,368,518,1281,447,5105,7710,519,448],"class_list":{"0":"post-217340","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-royals","8":"tag-dailymail","9":"tag-femail","10":"tag-king-charles-iii","11":"tag-meghan-markle","12":"tag-prince-harry","13":"tag-royal","14":"tag-royal-families","15":"tag-royal-family","16":"tag-royals"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114752738892990472","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=217340"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217340\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/217341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=217340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=217340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=217340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}