King Charles Meets With David Beckham After Declining to Spend Time With His Son Prince Harry

The monarch was reportedly "too busy" to visit with the Duke of Sussex during his recent U.K. trip.

King Charles Meets with David Beckham After He Was "Too Busy" To See Son Prince Harry
(Image credit: Getty Images)

King Charles reportedly met with soccer legend David Beckham after declining to spend any time with his son, Prince Harry.

On Friday, May 10, the matriarch hosted a "private" meeting with Beckham, according to a report from The Times. Beckham is "understood to have visited Charles" in order to "learn more" about King Charle's charity, the King's Foundation.

The educational charity was established in 1986 by the King—at the time the Prince of Wales—to teach and demonstrate the principles of urban design and architecture.

The private meeting is raising some proverbial eyebrows, as it comes just days after King Charles declined to meet with his son, Prince Harry, while the Duke of Sussex was back in London to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his beloved Invictus Games.

"In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not The Duke will meet with his father while in the U.K. this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program," a spokesperson for Prince Harry said in a statement to The Telegraph.

"The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon," the statement continued.

Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex greets the public while departing The Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service at St Paul's Cathedral on May 08, 2024 in London, England.

Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex greets the public while departing The Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service at St Paul's Cathedral on May 08, 2024 in London, England. 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Duke of Sussex had reportedly invited the royal members of his family to attend, including King Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton. None of them accepted his invitation.

Instead, King Charles and members of the royal family attended the first garden party of the season at Buckingham Palace just a few miles away. As a result, Prince Harry walked into the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral flanked by his late mother Princess Diana's siblings.

While attending the service, Prince Harry seemed to send a subtle snub his father's way. The Duke of Sussex wore four distinct medals on his jacket: his Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan, Queen Elizabeth's Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee Medal, and Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Medal, The Mirror reported.

He declined to wear his King's Coronation Medal.

Britain's King Charles III (L), Britain's Camilla, Queen Consort and Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex look at members of the Bearer Party transferring the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard, form the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy into the State Hearse at Wellington Arch in London on September 19, 2022, after the State Funeral Service of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Prince Harry look at members of the Bearer Party transferring the coffin of Queen Elizabeth.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A royal insider claims that the rift between royal father and son is a direct result of Prince Harry forcing King Charles to "choose" between his son and is wife, Queen Camilla.

"Harry has made things very difficult for himself by saying such cruel and hurtful things about Camilla," the source told the Daily Beast. "Charles loves his sons, but he also loves his wife. The last few months have made it very clear how important she is; she has been the one propping up the whole edifice.”

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.