Meghan Markle's sartorial olive branch to the Beckhams? After their friendship soured, how the Duchess wearing a £600 VB silk shirt during couple's Colombia tour could get things back on track

Meghan Markle looked elegant in a silky brown ensemble during a conference about online safety on the first day of her and Prince Harry’s Colombia tour this week – and it seems her chosen outfit might also prove a friendship healer.

The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, who share children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, are touring the South American nation on a ‘quasi-royal’ four-day visit. 

When the couple attended the ‘Responsible Digital Future’ forum at EAN University in Bogota on Thursday evening, Meghan was wearing a £597 chocolate brown shirt by none other than her one-time friend Victoria Beckham. 

It’s believed to be the first time the Duchess has worn one of Mrs Beckham’s designs since relations between the two couples were first rumoured to have cooled in 2018. 

Pictured: Meghan Markle stunned in a silky brown ensemble as attended the ‘Responsible Digital Future’ forum at EAN University in Bogota on her first day of her and Prince Harry’s Colombia tour

Pictured: Joined by her husband, Meghan attended the ‘Responsible Digital Future’ forum at EAN University in Bogota, the South American capital on Thursday evening, kitted out in a glossy all brown number

She combined a natural coloured top half with a pair of glossy relaxed trousers and a set of burnt orange suede sandals in ‘Divine 85’ Cognac Brown Suede from the brand, Aquazzura

The Beckhams and the Sussexes had got on famously in the early days of their friendship, with David and Victoria on the guest list at Windsor Castle when Harry and Meghan wed in May 2018

Meghan will know that wearing a VB design to such a high profile occasion is likely to please the British designer she once called a friend – and might get the pals back on track.   

The Duchess combined the earthy coloured top half with a pair of glossy relaxed trousers and a set of burnt orange suede sandals in ‘Divine 85’ Cognac Brown Suede from the luxury brand Aquazzura.

The autumnal coloured heels cost £617 ($795) from the Italian brand from where the former royal regularly tops up her shoe collection.

She completed the sophisticated look with a delicate pair of Birks Muse Citrine And Diamond Drop Earrings. The expensive set featuring 14ct citrine and 0.35ct diamond are made of 18kt yellow gold and cost a hefty £1964 ($2,530).

Back on track: The two women could see their friendship rekindle after Meghan’s sartorial gesture

And Prince Harry’s wife finished her graceful jewellery collection with a re-wear of her £11800 ($15,200) Cartier Juste un Clou Small Necklace in Yellow Gold and Diamonds.

Meghan’s potential sartorial olive branch comes after revelations in celebrity biographer Tom Bower’s new book, House of Beckham, which claims the two women have an ongoing squabble dating back to 2018.

In his biography about pop culture’s beloved noughties couple, released in June, Tom writes that the former Spice Girl’s decision to give the Duchess of Sussex free clothes did not impact sales in the way she had hoped.  

He claims Victoria had gifted her former friend £6000 worth of clothes or the Royal Family’s traditional Christmas Day parade in Sandringham.

During the quasi-royal tour, the couple beamed with enthusiasm as they shook hands with Vice President of Colombia, Francia Marquez (right)

She finished her graceful jewellery collection with a rewear of her £11800 ($15,200) Cartier Juste un Clou Small Necklace in Yellow Gold and Diamonds

Meghan’s decision to wear an item from Victoria Beckham’s brand comes after the revelations in celebrity biographer Tom Bower’s new book, House of Beckham, that the two women have an ongoing squabble dating back to 2018

On another occasion, the wife of Prince Harry wore a custom-made pregnancy outfit including a white coat and dress for a service in Westminster Abbey, provided by Victoria’s expensive brand.

In the book, Tom also insisted that a further feud between the two women was spurred on by the fact Meghan ‘deluded’ herself into believing that her status in the royal family put her above Beckham ‘in the social pecking order’.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were previously friends with David and Victoria Beckham – but a row in 2018 tore the foursome apart.

The row is believed to have heightened when the Sussexes allegedly accused the Beckhams of leaking stories about them to the press – while royal biographers claimed Meghan ‘didn’t like the footballer’s friendship with Prince William.

Meghan and Victoria first met in 2013 when the then-actress wore one of her dresses to a gala event at the New York Film Festival and was apparently awe struck to have met the former Spice Girl.

Prince Harry and Meghan shook hands with Vice President of Colombia, Francia Marquez

Victoria had her own connections to Prince Harry, first meeting him more than 20 years ago in November 1997 when they both visited South Africa. 

Meanwhile David Beckham and fun-loving Prince Harry had spent a lot of time together both doing charitable work and socialising. 

David and Victoria also attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, in 2011, when Victoria was pregnant with Harper. 

David said the following year: ‘We had to pinch ourselves when we got the invite…’

Prince harry looked casual in a black blazer and unbuttoned blue shirt. Meghan completed the sophisticated look with a delicate pair of Birks Muse Citrine And Diamond Drop Earrings, which cost a hefty £1964 ($2,530)

David and Victoria showed kindness towards Meghan ever since she moved into Harry’s cottage in Kensington Palace in 2017, Bower told The Sun while promoting his book. 

According to the Mail on Sunday, the couples bonded because Izzy May, David Beckham’s communications director, was friends with Markus Anderson, chief membership officer for private social club Soho House, who helped arrange Meghan’s secret dates with Harry.

Victoria, in what Mr Bower describes as an attempt to ‘build their relationship’, offered Meghan make-up advice.

A member of the designer’s staff is also understood to have helped Meghan with facials and hairdressing.

But the royal couple allegedly had a suspicion that the Beckhams leaked stories about Meghan’s help from Victoria to the press – a claim the former Spice Girl denied and left David reportedly feeling ‘absolutely bloody furious’.

Here, FEMAIL breaks down how the relationship fell apart – from wedding invitation snubs and disagreements over designer clothing to fears of an upstaging

Harry and Meghan then decided not to invite the Beckhams to their wedding dinner , despite the fact that they were asked to attend the marriage ceremony at St George’s Chapel

The designer also produced a custom-made white coat and dress for Meghan in 2020 which she wore during her last appearance in Westminster Abbey in March that year (pictured). But Meghan, who was pregnant at the time, endorsing Victoria’s label had little impact on sales, Mr Bower alleged

David and Victoria also attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton , in 2011, when Victoria was pregnant with Harper

The Beckhams also hosted Meghan in their six-bedroom house in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles before her marriage to Harry. 

The couple’s staff tended to Meghan’s needs at no cost during her private visit to California, Mr Bower claimed.

Victoria at the time was reported to have been a kindly and constant influence, growing ever closer to Meghan.

By the time that Meghan and Prince Harry became engaged, she and Victoria were said to have ‘grown close’ and would ‘regularly text’. 

Meghan also gave the designer her seal of approval by selecting a cashmere knit for one of her engagement portraits with Harry. 

In 2018, it was being reported that their friendship had grown and that Meghan was in the habit of consulting Victoria about style. 

Vanity Fair reported: ‘They get along well and have been in touch recently. Meghan really likes Victoria’s style and was keen to pick her brains about pulling together a working wardrobe.’

However Harry and Meghan then decided not to invite the Beckhams to their wedding dinner, despite the fact that they were asked to attend the marriage ceremony at St George’s Chapel.

Mr Bower claims the move was a ‘near-unforgivable insult’, citing that many Hollywood stars who attended the dinner ‘were not friends’.

But regardless of the alleged slight, David still accepted Harry’s invitation to attend the Invictus Games. He travelled to Sydney in October 2018 but then never even had face time with the Duke.

Mr Bower alleges that during this time Harry and Meghan had been regularly searching themselves on the internet to look for hateful comments about themselves. 

He claims at that point Meghan was ‘not prepared to tolerate anything flattering regarding the Beckhams and the Games to appear in the media’.

Regardless, the Beckhams seemingly tried to maintain a relationship with Harry and Meghan.

The couples were neighbours in Oxfordshire after the Beckhams built a home and Harry was renting a converted barn. 

The biographer claims that while the men ‘occasionally meet at weekends’, Meghan had already ‘put on airs’.

In July last year, it emerged there was a suspicion the Beckhams may have leaked stories about the Sussexes, an accusation The Mail on Sunday was told left David ‘absolutely bloody furious’. 

A source close to the Beckhams said: ‘David and Victoria went to Meghan and Harry’s wedding and were very supportive when Meghan arrived in the UK.’ 

But the accusations, which The Mail on Sunday has been told came in a tense phone call, fractured the Beckham friendship.

The source added: ‘Any making up now is so unlikely.’ 

Meghan changed into a colourful printed jumpsuit for her second look of her Colombia Tour

Meghan wore a colourful maxi dress by Johanna Ortiz made in Colombia in a sweet nod to the hosting country

The Duchess opted for the $2,150 burgundy Navajo Weaver Metallic Tweed Maxi Dress, and styled her hair into loose waves after her earlier up-do.

The Sussexes hit down in Colombia yesterday to kick start their four day tour where they hope to join in on discussions with women and youth to work towards combating discrimination and cyberbullying. 

Earlier in the day, the former royals were treated to a colourful tribal dance at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts.

Meghan chatted to vice president Francia Márquez and pointed to some of the costumes, before shaking hands with the dancers at the end of the performance. 

She looked stylish as she changed into her second look of the tour – a colourful maxi dress by Johanna Ortiz, who has Colombian heritage. 

She wowed in the look, which boasted a slit up the thigh and featured a stylish cut-out in the middle. 

Though the dress itself appeared to be new, Meghan wore a very similar look on her ‘quasi-royal’ tour of Africa back in May, wearing a £2,275 striped sundress also by Johanna Ortiz.  

She kept the same jewellery from earlier in the day, but also appeared to add her $12,800 Cartier ‘juste un clou’ necklace, which she has sported many times before. 

She gave a sweet nod to the hosting country, as the dress is made in Colombia itself. 

It’s also practical – featuring removable ruffle sleeves and being cool for the climate, as well as stylish in nature. 

Meghan was beaming as she watched the performance, with the couple holding hands and showing much affection.  

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