“Meghan was very committed to being a huge star and a household name – and when she decides she wants something, she gets it. There’s no stopping her.”
According to reports in the Daily Mail and The Mirror, during her time in London Meghan employed two public relations advisers and landed a hosting gig with model Oliver Cheshire, who is now engaged to singer Pixie Lott. Through Pixie, Meghan met David.
“Meghan of course had always admired David from afar and knew he was married – but she still found herself attracted to him,” reveals the source. “The more they talked, the more besotted Meghan was – even though she knew it couldn’t go anywhere because of Victoria.”
While there was never any suggestion of romantic involvement between them, Meghan forged the beginning of what has since become a long-lasting friendship.
“In the end, she decided to just be friends with David and Victoria instead. After all, they’re one of the world’s biggest power couples and so they were good people for Meghan to know,” confides the insider.
“She knew that if she wanted to move in A-list celebrity circles, she needed to befriend A-listers … and that’s exactly what she did with David and then Victoria.”
It was no doubt helpful that the Beckhams had long been close to members of the royal family. David first became a royal favourite after sparking up a friendship with Harry and William in 2005 while working on London’s Olympic bid and has grown close to them through their mutual work on various charity campaigns.
In 2011, the Beckhams attended William and Kate’s wedding, and after Meghan moved to London at the end of 2017, Victoria offered the duchess-to-be advice on settling into life in the UK. She swapped tips on the capital’s most exclusive beauty salons and hairdressers and even helped Meghan put together a wardrobe that would fit into her new public role.
“They get along well,” a source told Vanity Fair at the time. “Meghan really likes Victoria’s style and was keen to pick her brains about pulling together a working wardrobe.”
The continuing friendship was evident when the Beckhams attended Harry and Meghan’s May 2018 Windsor wedding and when the former Spice Girl gave her friend interior design tips during the Frogmore Cottage renovations.
Last Christmas, Victoria paid tribute to Meghan, calling her “a beautiful, strong and wonderful woman”.
For more, see this week's New Idea - out now