Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have cultivated an exclusive group of new friends. Photo / Getty Images
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have cultivated an exclusive group of new friends. Photo / Getty Images
Between claims of a major falling out with David and Victoria Beckham and tidbits from Meghan Markle’s birthday celebrations, it appears Prince Harry and his wife have acquired an exclusive new set of friends - and ditched some old ones along the way.
According to The Sun, the Sussexes have traded in some of the big-name celebrities who attended their wedding, back when they were still working royals, for a crew who mainly resides nice and close to their $23.6 million mansion in California’s Santa Barbra County.
The Sun claims while Harry, who has made just four public appearances alongside his wife this year, is “happier bunkered down at home,” many of Markle’s new friends “are very much into the Gwyneth Paltrow-style wellness fads.”
Wellness entrepreneur Myka Harris, whose company Highbrow Hippie sells items such as “moonstone crystal essence”, shared a photo this week celebrating a late birthday lunch with Markle.
While Harris is not pictured, Markle’s hair stylist Kadi Lee and poet Cleo Wade are seen on either side of the duchess.
Meghan Markle celebrates her birthday with friends Cleo Wade, left, and Kadi Lee, right. Photo / Instagram
Meanwhile, neighbour Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi are believed to have become close with the royal couple. It has been reported de Rossi and Markle, who were friends before the Suits actress met her prince, recently saw the Barbie movie together.
Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres are said to be longtime friends of Harry and Meghan. Photo / Getty Images
Another neighbour and longtime friend of DeGeneres is also understood to be part of what’s become known as the Montecito Mafia: cosmetics mogul Victoria Jackson and her husband Bill Guthy, whose agency promotes Jennifer Lopez’s beauty collections.
DeGeneres is also said to be the connection for Harry’s friendship with Argentinian polo player Nacho Figueras.
Markle also has a friend in Tinder co-founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, 34. Herd and her Texas oil heir husband Michael Herd. The pair were spotted on a sushi date with Harry and Meghan in May, reports The Sun.
Michael Herd and Whitney Wolfe Herd are friends with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Photo / Getty Images
Another couple in their inner circle are Grammy-winning songwriter David Foster and his fifth wife Katharine McPhee who described her husband’s relationship with Harry as “beautiful”, “like father and son.”
The paternal friendship is said to be thanks to the men’s wives, who have known each other since childhood.
David Foster and Katherine McPhee. Markle and McPhee have known each other since childhood. Photo / Getty Images
While Markle hasn’t returned to acting, it appears she and her husband are still friends with other famous Hollywood faces.
According to The Sun, the royal pair met with John Travolta, who famously danced with Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, at the White House in 1985.
And they were spotted out for dinner with Cameron Diaz and her husband Benji Madden in Montecito in May.
Benji Madden and Cameron Diaz. Photo / Getty Images
And of course, Harry and Meghan are said to still be close with Oprah, who did attend their lavish 2018 wedding and would later conduct their first bombshell interview about their experiences with the royal family.
When Markle popped up at Taylor Swift’s concert recently, it was with her old friend Lucy Fraser in tow.
According to The Sun, Fraser and Markle met in 2014, travelled to Costa Rica together and worked on the duchess’ lifestyle blog The Tig.
Fraser also spoke out on the couple’s Netflix documentary.
While it appears the Sussexes have a strong set of new friends, there are those who are certainly off the invite list.
The Beckhams, said to be warm and welcoming to Markle when she arrived in England and always supportive of Harry, have allegedly been sidelined.
According to The Sun, royal biographer Tom Bower claimed the popular British pair have been struck off since accusations were made that they leaked information about the royal pair to the tabloids.
A source told the Mail on Sunday David is “absolutely bloody furious” following a terse phone call between the couples.
David and Victoria Beckham are believed to no longer hold a friendship with Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle. Photo / Getty Images
Another supportive friend who is now nowhere to be seen is one Jessica Mulroney, who was often snapped with the Markle and attended her wedding to Prince Harry.
According to The Sun, Mulroney, 43, was friends with the former actress for 10 years but when the fashion stylist was accused of “textbook white privilege” the duchess reportedly made the decision to distance herself.
However, Mulroney has claimed she still speaks to her old friend via FaceTime.
Jessica Mulroney and Meghan Markle were good friends for 10 years. Photo / Getty Images
And as for Harry, his old Eton chums no longer get a look in.
Tom “Skippy” Inskip was friends with the prince for years and never far from the most debaucherous moments of his younger years.
But in the 2020 book Finding Freedom, by the Sussexes’ journalist friend Omid Scobie, it’s claimed Skippy was given the flick after questioning the pace of Harry’s relationship with Markle.
Tom "Skippy" Inskip, left, was Harry's best friend since the pair met while students at Eton. Photos / Getty Images
A similar fate befell Thomas and Charlie van Straubenzee, said to be caught in the middle of the bust up between Harry and his brother, Prince William.
