Inside the secret friendship of Kate Middleton and Victoria Beckham - two of the most high-profile matriarchs in Britain

They are the matriarchs of two of the most high-profile families in Britain. Step forward Catherine, Princess of Wales and Victoria Beckham, who enjoy above-A-list status here in the UK as well as in the United States. And they both know what it feels like when family tensions make it into the headlines, bringing them the kind of publicity they dread.

So is it any surprise that the striking similarities they share have brought them, almost subconsciously, together? Sources say that the Princess of Wales has 'great sympathy' for the way the Beckhams’ family feud has played out so publicly in recent months.

Brooklyn’s astonishing outburst on social media put immense pressure on the former Spice Girl. As his mother, she simply had to take the criticism on the chin. As someone so high-profile, she was likely advised to say little, if anything, that would provoke further attacks.

Sound familiar? Victoria’s plight resonated with Kate, who has endured a campaign of outspoken anger at the hands of Prince Harry, who had once proclaimed her the 'sister I never had'.

William and Kate aren’t ones to hang out within celebrity circles, although William has worked with Sir David Beckham on several projects over the years - and, of course, David and Victoria attended their wedding in 2011.

But Palace sources say that Kate has been keen to show signs of support for Victoria because she knows what it is like when a family feud gets out of hand in the public arena.

They point to her decision to wear Victoria’s designer outfits on more than one occasion. When Kate chooses to step out in a designer’s ensembles, it can be like winning the jackpot.

Clothes that Kate wears often sell out within minutes, and royal approval from one of the most photographed women on the planet can be a game changer for the status of said designer.

Kate knew exactly what she was doing when she decided to wear a striking olive-green Victoria Beckham suit while visiting a project called Home-Start in Oxford. It was no coincidence that she chose to wear the outfit in public on the exact same day the designer’s docuseries landed on Netflix.

Celebrity endorsements don’t come much better than this. Arguably an endorsement that money can’t buy, it was a gesture from one high-profile woman to another.

Few behind Palace doors felt this was anything other than a subtle show of solidarity for Victoria at a time when she was hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

One Palace insider told me, 'This is classic Catherine. She knows what it must feel like for Victoria to come under attack from a member of her own family. Make no mistake, a great deal of thought goes into every single item of clothing the Princess of Wales wears. Coincidences simply don’t happen - they are planned.'

Kate’s outfit consisted of an £850 jacket and a £490 pair of trousers. That is towards the higher end of the market for a princess famous for wearing clothes picked from the rails of high-street brands.

But her intentions were clear. She wanted to show support for Victoria and the Beckham clan, and this was one of the best ways in which she could really make a difference.

This was a very public show of allegiance, which has its origins in the painful days when Harry and Meghan were targeting Kate and seemingly accusing her (and others) of briefing the media at the expense of the Sussex clan.

Fortunately, this war of words seems - at least at the moment - to have reached an impasse, but the relationship between William and his brother remains broken. They haven’t spoken for many months, and the chances of Kate and Meghan making up seem worse than zero.

Kate has proven to be a lot stronger than she may appear. In public, she’s the beautiful princess who photographers scramble to catch a picture of. But behind the scenes, Palace sources say she has been a pillar of strength following the fall-out between her husband and brother-in-law - stoic, strong and determined to make sure her family are protected from external threats.

In many ways, this is something that could also be said about Victoria Beckham. She too has a vested interest in making sure bad situations don’t get worse in the face of an estranged family member making waves at every juncture.

There are, of course, other things Kate and Victoria have in common. The Beckhams were once good friends with the Sussexes and attended their 2018 wedding. But, like Kate and William’s, their relationship with the Sussexes has become fractured in recent years, apparently after allegations published about Meghan accusing Victoria of ‘leaking’ stories about her to the press.

What’s more, Prince Harry enjoyed a close relationship with Kate and his brother ahead of his whirlwind romance with Meghan Markle. Brooklyn Beckham was similarly loyal to his family, up until he fell in love with and then married Nicola Peltz.

Nicola, 31, is the daughter of billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz. In echoes of Meghan, she too is an actor who has appeared in a number of films, but away from the cameras is an animal-rights activist with strong views and a desire to make a difference to the causes she supports.

Following their marriage, Brooklyn uses the surname Peltz Beckham, and he seems to be mesmerized by the ‘love of his life’. It appears that the gulf between actual royalty and celebrity royalty really isn’t that big.

As my source added, ‘They may occupy different spaces, but the gap between Harry and Meghan and Brooklyn and Nicola really isn’t that wide. It seems such a shame that relationships between couples seem to have taken such a grave toll on their respective families. Kate will know what Victoria is going through, and her subtle support for her is likely to continue, no matter what.’