Meghan Markle's celebrity friends she's 'ditched' - from the Beckhams to Jessica Mulroney

Meghan Markle's circle of Hollywood friends has changed over the years since she married Prince Harry - and it is believed she grew apart from some pals she was once close to.

According to relationship expert Kate Mansfield, one of the reasons the Duchess of Sussex "ditched" some of her friends could be that "they no longer have much in common" and have embraced "different values, lifestyle and interests".

The expert told The Mirror: "People who value growth and personal development often grow out of friends and connections over the years, as they change to the point that they no longer have much in common with old friends."

"This can be down to different values, lifestyle and interests - all of which profoundly and most certainly apply to Meghan's journey into becoming a royal."

David and Victoria Beckham are just among the friends Meghan was once close to. But who are the others? We take a look.

Piers Morgan

The Duchess of Sussex and Piers Morgan seemed to be friendly when they followed each other on Twitter in 2015. The same year, he shared an article the now Duchess of Sussex wrote, calling it "brilliant". The two seemed to be in contact, with Piers even referring to her as his friend.

But when she tied the knot with Prince Harry, he was not invited. By the end of 2018, Piers wrote a column titled: "Meghan Markle is a ruthless social climbing actress who has landed the role of her life and is determined to milk it for all she can."

In 2019, the presenter said: "I was friendly with Meghan but she ghosted me." He also suggested that her old co-stars on her US television show Suits told her to "drop" him.

"From my personal experience, she is someone I thought I was pretty matey with and, 'bang,' she met somebody more important and that was it," he added.

The "former friend" of Meghan also blamed her then-new husband Harry for her decision to pull away from him, saying: "The moment she met Harry she cut everybody off who she thought might be no longer desirable in her friend and family circle. It is extraordinary behaviour, we will see how it all plays out."

Jessica Mulroney

Meghan and Jessica Mulroney were once best friends but their friendship turned sour after the former Suits star married Prince Harry.

The Canadian stylist was so close to Meghan that she was the friend the Duchess of Sussex called moments before Harry proposed on the grounds of Kensington Palace in 2017.

Their close bond was on display during Harry and Meghan's wedding at St George's Chapel in Windsor in 2018, with Jessica's three children - twin sons John and Brian, and daughter Isabel - serving as pageboys and a bridesmaid in the ceremony. Jessica was also on hand to celebrate Meghan's baby shower in 2019, which caused controversy as it was held at the lavish Mark Hotel on New York City's Upper East Side, with guests including Amal Clooney and Gayle King, as well as Serena Williams, who reportedly footed the $200,000 (£158,000) bill for the party.

The mother-of-three also joined Meghan and Harry on their royal tour of Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Tonga, and was on hand to advise her close pal on stepping down from her and Harry's roles as senior working members in the Royal Family.

However, her close friendship with the Duchess began crumbling in 2020, when Jessica was accused of "problematic" behaviour after her head-to-head with lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter.

In an 11-minute video posted on Instagram, Sasha alleged Jessica had threatened her connections with brands and sponsors after the women sent each other messages regarding a misunderstanding over a Black Lives Matter post. "If you go to the press over this nonsense and threaten to go to your followers, I won't be afraid to go to brands and tell them what you are doing to me," Jessica allegedly said in a text message to Sasha, which promptly marked the beginning of her downfall.

At the time, it was reported Meghan had cut ties with Jessica after she was embroiled in the race row, but just a few months later, the mother-of-three posted an update on her friendship with the Duchess of Sussex on her Instagram Story. "I'm going to tell this once and for all. Meghan and I are family. She is the kindest friend and has checked up on me every day," Jessica wrote.

But less than a year later, Jessica hinted that her friendship with the former actress had soured, as she shared a cryptic quote on Instagram about losing important people from her life: "Life changes. You lose love. You lose friends. You lose pieces of yourself that you never imagined would be gone. And then, without even realizing it, those pieces come back. New love enters. Better friends come along. And a stronger, wiser you, is staring back in the mirror."

David and Victoria Beckham

Last year, Harry and Meghan allegedly accused David and Victoria Beckham of leaking stories to the press. David is said to have been left "absolutely b****y furious" over the alleged accusation by Meghan that Victoria leaked stories about her, which prompted the Beckhams to distance themselves from the Sussexes.

A source claimed: "David and Victoria have been distancing themselves from Harry and Meghan for quite some time. They've been worried about how the couple have been handling their public image since stepping down from the Royal Family, but it ultimately comes down to one sticking point for the Beckhams - family loyalty."

"Victoria and David have spent years building their brand but they've always made it clear that family comes first, and they would never speak out about a feud so publicly. Ultimately, the way Meghan handled her issues with the royals is why Victoria felt she had to dump her. It wouldn't sit right with her to carry on that friendship," the source told Closer.

Lizzie Cundy

The British socialite first met Meghan in 2013 at a charity event. Supposedly, Meghan wanted a role on Made in Chelsea and Lizzie tried to set her up with Ashley Cole.

Like Piers, Lizzie also claimed that meeting Harry was the reason Meghan decided to cut ties with some of her famous friends. Lizzie spoke negatively of her old friend and last year told The Mirror about the couple's decision for only Harry to attend the Coronation of King Charles.

"I think Meghan is not coming to the Coronation because she knows she's going to get booed but she's putting her own feelings and worries about being booed before her children," she said.

"What will Harry and Meghan say to them when they're older? When they say 'Why weren't we there at the most historical moment in British history? Why weren't we on that balcony?'"

Millie Mackintosh

Another friend who claimed she was "ghosted" by Meghan is Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh. The two became friends after meeting at a hotel opening event in Istanbul, Turkey, around 2015. Millie said she was a fan of Meghan's show Suits and quickly struck up a friendship at the hotel bar.

"We would hang out, we'd go out to brunch, we'd go to yoga, we went for a stroll, I took her to my favourite spots [in London]," she said on her podcast. However, the friendship didn't last long as Millie also claimed that once Meghan started seeing the youngest son of King Charles, the actress started being "abrupt" in her messages. She felt that Meghan must have thought: "Right, I'm going to be royal now, I don't need Millie in my life."

But despite some old friendships ending, Meghan still has a close inner circle of friends she is close to. These include Beyonce, whom she first met in July 2019 at the London premiere of The Lion King.

The Duchess of Sussex has also been close to Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Serena Williams and Gwyneth Paltrow.