Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ‘struggle with exodus of A-listers’ as famous friendships falter

But recently the Duke and Duchess’s inner circle appears to be shrinking, as there have been public spats with a number of celebrities, including the Beckhams.

David was “absolutely furious” after he and his wife Victoria were reportedly accused by the Sussexes of leaking stories and reports suggested their relationship was now “over”.

Regarding the royal couple’s A-list friendships, a source told Closer: “There are very few supportive A-list friends. Any chance they had of reconciling with the Beckhams was squashed by the royals. Tom Cruise has clearly sided with the royals, George and Amal Clooney almost dumped them too and even Elton John has been too busy to pay them much attention.”

The source was discussing a recent Instagram photo from pop sensation Taylor Swift, in which the musician poses with Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte after a performance at Wembley Arena last month.

In the snap, all three were beaming as they took a selfie with the legendary pop star, who is currently on her record-breaking Eras tour. Travis Kelce, Swift’s NFL star boyfriend, was also in the picture. Kensington Palace also shared a professional photo of the selfie on its social media channels.

The source said Swift’s photo, which has been liked by millions of people, likely unsettled one person – Meghan Markle.

They said: “According to insiders, the Sussexes believe this is another attempt by William to show Harry and Meghan that they are clear outsiders in the royal family, despite Harry’s attempts to reconnect with the Firm.”

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They added: “They already fear that everyone is ganging up on them to attack them, with William taking the lead. So this whole Taylor thing feels very personal, especially because it’s so big at the moment.”

The blow becomes even more personal after Markle reportedly tried to persuade Swift to appear on her Archetypes podcast through a “personal letter,” according to The Telegraph. The Duchess was rebuffed by the Tortured Poets Department star, who declined the request.

Richard Eden of the Daily Mail highlighted the differences between William and Kate’s and Harry and Meghan’s approaches to celebrity networking.

Eden said: “It’s a very different relationship because essentially Taylor Swift is here and she wants to show her respect for the royal family.

“In a way, you could say she is courting Prince William – but with Harry and Meghan it’s the other way around.

“They are the ones who always seem to suck up to the stars of Hollywood.

“When they moved to California, they thought, ‘We’ll be at the center of a royal court like this and everyone will come to see us.’ But it never seems to work out.”