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VICTORIA Beckham is said to have gifted Meghan Markle over £6,000 worth of clothes, but it had “nil” financial benefit, according to a new biography.

Celebrity author Tom Bower claims in his new book that the former Spice Girl didn’t make many sales after the Duchess of Sussex wore her designs.

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Victoria Beckham gifted Meghan Markle £6,000 worth of clothes, according to celebrity biographer Tom BowerCredit: Getty

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The Duchess of Sussex pictured wearing clothes by Victoria Beckham at SandringhamCredit: Getty Images – Getty
In the newly released House of Beckham, Tom claims: “Victoria agreed to provide a coat, dress, boots and a handbag worth £6,000 to Meghan for the Royal Family’s traditional Christmas Day parade in Sandringham.

“Later, Meghan wore a Beckham custom-made pregnancy outfit and a white coat and dress for a service in Westminster Abbey.

“Victoria’s style also attracted Melania Trump. She wore a Victoria Beckham dress during the president’s official visit to London.”

Despite the two famous women wearing her designs, it didn’t translate to many sales for Victoria’s label.

Tom added: “The financial benefit was nil.”

The biographer claims that there was one item that Meghan wore from Victoria’s label which did prove to be a success.

He continued: “The only success in 2019 was a £1,400 handbag that had been displayed by Meghan.”

However, Tom theorised that sales had been “prompted” by “Victoria’s Instagram video”, instead of Prince Harry’s wife.

The explosive biography also featured the rumoured rift between the Beckhams and the Sussexes, which is said to have developed in recent years.

Tom claimed Meghan was “irritated” that Victoria had “considerably more wealth” than her.
Beckham is given top charity ambassador role by King Charles after pair bonded over love of nature
The book alleged Meghan “put on airs” around Victoria when they first met, due to her status within the royal family and also as the Californian actress felt she had “little in common” with the former Spice Girl.

The biography claims: “In Meghan’s celebrity world, ranking depended on wealth and fame.

“As a seasoned operator, Meghan deluded herself that her status in the Royal family placed her above Victoria in the social pecking order.

“She was irritated to discover that the Beckhams had considerably more wealth than herself.

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A new Tom Bower book claims to shed light on the feud between Meghan Markle and Victoria BeckhamCredit: Getty

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The Beckhams attended Meghan and Harry’s 2018 royal wedding but weren’t invited to the wedding dinnerCredit: Getty

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David and the royal family have enjoyed a close friendship for years – but a rift is said to have formed between the Beckhams and the SussexesCredit: Getty
“They owned five homes, had constant access to private jets, invitations to sail on yachts and much more money. And she was soon to be a duchess.”

According to the book, Victoria reportedly made an effort to befriend Meghan, due to her family’s long-standing friendship with Prince Harry and Prince Wiliam.

Due to her wish to avoid paparazzi, Meghan allegedly stayed at the Beckham residence in Beverly Hills during a private trip, and it meant her “secretly provided for by the Beckhams’ staff.”

Tom claimed “a member of Victoria’s staff offered Harry’s fiancé advice on the best facials and hairdressing in London.”

When it was reported that Victoria had given Meghan make-up advice, the relationship is said to have soured, with the Duke of Sussex allegedly calling David to accuse him and Victoria of leaking stories, leaving David ‘furious.’

The Beckhams did secure an invite to Harry and Meghan’s 2018 royal wedding, however Tom claims that in a bid to “punish” the Beckhams, they were not invited to the wedding dinner, despite welcoming other big names like George Clooney, who Meghan did not know personally.

David was also “snubbed” by Harry after flying for 22 hours from London to Sydney at the royal’s request, for the 2018 Invictus Games.

Cracks allegedly first started emerging in the pair’s friendship in spring 2022 when the former footballer invited Prince William and Kate to his son Brooklyn’s wedding – and not Harry and Meghan.

Prince Harry’s ‘snub’ of David Beckham in Australia

AFTER flying for 22 hours from London to Sydney at Prince Harry’s request, David Beckham was puzzled why the prince had not met him.

But the prince had had no plans to see the former England football captain, nor even of being pictured with him, claimed Tom Bower.

It was October 2018, and Harry was hosting the Invictus Games.

Since David had played a prominent role bringing the 2012 Olympics to Britain and an important part in the 2010 unsuccessful bid for the football World Cup, it seemed natural for Prince Harry to ask David to join him at the celebrated competition for injured servicemen.

As a man who loved the royals, David would never refuse such an important request.

But having flown half-way around the world, he was perplexed why officials after he arrived at the sporting venue were playing a dance to keep him happy, but away from Harry.

She wanted no competition in the media from David, and especially not from his wife, Victoria.

The reason for the distance was Meghan, the newly married Duchess of Sussex.

At the time, a source said: “David’s attachment and history go back with William and Kate and they have a very strong relationship and they were their choice of wedding guests.

“It was always about them, it was never about Meghan and Harry.

“They are the people David and Victoria are attached to and it’s always been about them because they’ve had a long history together.”

And perhaps it wasn’t a coincidence that after the apparent ‘snub’, Meghan seemingly stopped wearing Victoria’s designs – while Kate wore them more frequently.

It seems the Beckhams’ loyalty to the other members of the royal family has paid off, with David being given a top charity ambassador role by King Charles after the pair bonded over love of nature.

Ex-Manchester United ace Becks, 49, surprised the King, 75, last year with a jar of his homemade honey then chatted about their passion for beekeeping.

The House of Beckham: Money, Sex and Power was released on 20 June.

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David is said to have sided with Prince William in recent yearsCredit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun

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King Charles has appointed David Beckham as ambassador to The King’s Foundation charity

WHEN David Beckham tied the knot with Victoria Adams, aka Posh Spice from all-conquering pop group The Spice Girls, their lavish wedding defined the 1990s.

Next Thursday the couple will celebrate their silver wedding anniversary – 25 years of married bliss, and some occasional bother.

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David Beckham tied the knot with Victoria Adams in a lavish wedding that defined the 1990sCredit: Mirrorpix

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Posh and Becks holding hands for the ceremonyCredit: Refer to Caption

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The couple sat on thrones surrounded by candles during the celebrationsCredit: The Beckhams
Many thought it would not last, but to those who know David and Victoria, their union is as strong now as ever.

Four children and an estimated £455million fortune later, they continue to dominate the cultural landscape, as their recent blockbuster Netflix special proved, bringing new fans to the Posh ’n’ Becks phenomenon.

Today, in the first part of a special series, we take an intimate look back at that magical day a quarter of a century ago . . .

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IT WAS a wedding like no other – matching thrones and purple outfits, flower girls dressed as angels and a cake topped with a nearly nude sculpture of the newlyweds.

Even Prince Philip later talked about how he and the Queen did not use thrones at her 2012 Jubilee because they would have “looked like Mr and Mrs Beckham”.

Ahead of Posh and Becks’s 25th ­anniversary on Thursday, we exclusively bring you the inside details of the ­sensational wedding.

And while OK! magazine stumped up a record-breaking £1million for exclusive rights to cover the event at 15th-century Luttrellstown Castle near Dublin on July 4, 1999, it was The Sun that scooped the world.

Despite the whole venue being cloaked in secrecy, with screens erected to ­protect the magazine’s exclusive deal, we had pictures of Posh and Becks in their infamous gold-and-red velvet chairs before the magazine came out — and our reporter even sat in the seats on the grass in the castle grounds.

Former Sun showbusiness reporter Thomas Whitaker recalls: “Security had been tight all weekend but there was no security there then.

“Posh and Becks were nowhere to be seen and staff were clearing out the marquee.

David Beckham shares never seen before pics of wife Victoria as she celebrates 50th birthday
“Dumped in the middle of the field were the couple’s identical thrones that we’d heard about the day before.”

Next to the chairs on the lawn was a matching crib which four-month-old baby Brooklyn had napped in, as well as three 7ft naked gold figurines and two huge black Egyptian cat statues.

Sun photographer Marc Giddings recalls: “The thrones were there waiting to be picked up by a truck, completely unguarded.

“As I was ­taking photos of Thomas on one of the thrones, some security people drove by in a van.

“They did a ­double-take and came rushing over.

“We were asked to leave but by then we’d got our exclusive pictures.”

Preparations for the wedding, rumoured to have cost £750,000 — around £1.4million in today’s money — had begun a year earlier.

Alan Edwards, who was the Spice Girls’ publicist, tells The Sun: “We had endless meetings with the ­wedding planner worrying about who sat next to who, would cameras be allowed, dietary requirements . . . every detail you could think of.”

He added: “This was a worldwide publicity event and we knew the interest was akin to that around a royal wedding.

“In fact, we’d had a complaint from Buckingham Palace saying that they kept getting letters addressed to David and Victoria at ‘Beckingham Palace’!”

He adds: “David and Victoria were impossibly romantic, always gazing into each other’s eyes and laughing with each other.

“They were a joy to be around.

“It was all very fairytale and special.”

According to Jim Maloney, former deputy editor at OK! and author of David & ­Victoria: An Invitation To A Wedding, Victoria had “clear views of what she wanted and was very hands-on”.

He adds: “She had told ­wedding organiser Peregrine Armstrong-Jones, whose ­company had been responsible for Elton John’s lavish 40th birthday party, that she wanted something green and leafy in the countryside.”

‘Green and leafy’

VICTORIA, now 50, and David, 49, chose a Robin Hood theme, with a dark green, ­burgundy and purple colour scheme and huge floral ­displays.

Jim recalls: “Such was the ­attention to detail that fresh apples that formed part of a trailing ivy arrangement were pierced to release their scent.

“A leafy walkway was created, stretching from the French windows of the library, across the manicured lawns to two marquees where the reception and dancing would take place.”

He adds: “Wedding invitations had been printed on parchment, headed with the couple’s specially designed crest.”

Guests were given a black and white dress code so they would not clash with the Beckhams, and they included three of Victoria’s Spice Girls bandmates — Mels B and C and Emma Bunton, but not Geri Halliwell — and David’s Manchester United team-mates Teddy Sheringham, Ryan Giggs and Dwight Yorke, as well as best man Gary Neville.

The ceremony, officiated by the Bishop of Cork, the Right Rev Paul Colton, took place at 3pm in a folly chapel at the ­castle, watched by 29 of the couple’s closest family and friends.

Dominic Mohan, The Sun’s then Showbiz Editor, remembers the deafening sound of helicopters overhead.

He says: “It was an absolute bunfight.

“OK! had a helicopter ­desperate to defend their property, and other helicopters from other media outlets kept turning up.

“They flew quite low with quite a roaring sound.

“It was ridiculous, like something from the film Good Morning, Vietnam.

“The guests at the wedding must have really heard the racket in the marquee.”

Fans flew in from around the world and 236 security guards were hired, led by ex-military man Kevin O’Brien.

Manchester-based photo- grapher Eamonn Clarke, who appeared in the recent Netflix docu series Beckham, covered the event for The Sun, and said: “It was a roasting hot weekend and the world’s press descended on Dublin trying to see the footballers, wags and stars.

“People camped outside the castle for days waiting to look inside any car or van that went in.”

On the morning of the ceremony, David played golf at the castle with his best man Gary to calm the nerves.

Derek Morrison, who was then the castle’s assistant pro golfer, told The Sun: “He borrowed my clubs.

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The couple with a bouquet at Posh’s parents’ home in Hertfordshire two days before their weddingCredit: Rex Features

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The newlyweds take to the floor for the first danceCredit: The Beckhams

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The couple with baby son Brooklyn

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The new parents in matching colourful outfitsCredit: David Beckham Instagram

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It’s game on as the couple canoodleCredit: The Beckhams
“I remember him buying a tartan wind-cheater in the shop.

“It was like a Scottish design that the week before I’d thought, ‘Who the hell is going to buy that!’ ”

For the big day itself, David wore a cream suit, gold and cream waistcoat, cream shirt, cravat, top hat and shoes by British designer ­Timothy Everest, and arrived in a £230,000 Bentley Azure.

Victoria opted for a £100,000 gown by Vera Wang, featuring a bodice by couture corsetiere Mister Pearl, who has since worked on outfits for Bridgerton.

US designer Vera said last year: “I call it the transatlantic dress.

“That bodice flew back and forth four times on Concorde.”

And OK!’s Jim tells The Sun: “Her simple champagne-coloured dress surprised many.

“Elegant and stylish, it had a fitted, strapless bodice made of Italian Clerici Duchess satin, ­recognised as the finest in the world, which emphasised her tiny waist.

“In reality, of course, there was nothing simple about it.

“There had been two initial consultations, six ­fittings in New York and London and it took 15 months to make.”

Posh accessorised it with a £30,000 18-carat gold and diamond crown-shaped tiara by Irish-born jewellery designer Slim Barrett.

He told The Sun: “One day we received a call from a management agent wanting to arrange an appointment for Victoria Adams.

“She arrived at my studio with her mum Jackie and baby Brooklyn.

“Victoria said she was looking for a crown to wear on her wedding day to complement her gown.

“She wanted something like you would see in a fairytale.”

Slim, who also made a necklace for Princess Diana, added: “She had a lot of fun trying on our tiaras and crowns, with her mum taking photographs.”

But in the end Victoria only ­borrowed the East of Paris fairy crown, and in 2013 it was put up for auction — but failed to reach the asking price.

For her journey to the folly for the ceremony, Posh descended a flight of purple-carpeted steps and climbed into a silver Bentley.

She had three bridesmaids — her sister Louise, Louise’s 13-month-old daughter Liberty and David’s niece, Georgina, 16 months.

JIM recalls: “The younger ones were dressed as woodland flower fairies in cream with fake ivy around their wrists and ankles and gossamer wings.”

He adds: “A trumpet fanfare by pageanters dressed in traditional Irish costume heralded the bride’s arrival as she made her way to the altar, where a smiling David was waiting.

“At one point the Bishop raised a laugh when he reminded them that love should be enduring, quoting an old Irish country priest — ‘The eyes that over cocktails seem so sweet, may not seem so amorous over Shredded Wheat’.”

Just before 5pm the orchestra struck up ­Mendelssohn’s Wedding March, the service ended, and a white dove was released over the estate, ­symbolising the couple’s love.

Guests dined on a three-course feast of red pepper and tomato soup, chicken with garlic and sage, served on roasted potatoes, asparagus spears and a summer vegetable medley with a light herb jus.

It then became a star-studded extravaganza, with a further 197 guests joining the newlyweds for a lavish reception.

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The classy couple used a sword to cut their wedding cakeCredit: The Beckhams

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David plays a cheeky round of golf before the weddingCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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The event took place at 15th-century Luttrellstown Castle near DublinCredit: John Coghill
Jim recalls: “They were greeted by a fanfare on the battlements, with six-foot silk flames flurrying from the turrets, along with a purple flag bearing David and Victoria’s crest.

“Inside, they enjoyed champagne and canapes before making their way along the woodland walkway to the marquee for the reception.

“The walls were lined with pleated ivory taffeta, tables draped in green velvet under cream-coloured calico, adorned by spectacular flower arrangements.

“But the most jaw- dropping aspect were the throne-like chairs for the couple, set on a dais, like medieval royalty.”

The loved-up pair had their first dance to It Had To Be You, by Frank Sinatra.

An orchestra also played Spice Girls hits and Sir Elton John had been due to perform but had to pull out after suffering a heart attack weeks earlier.

The couple’s three-tier cake featured layers of chocolate sponge and was stuffed with apples and iced in green and purple leaves with fondant sculptures of a semi-naked David, Victoria and Brooklyn on the top.

Posh and Becks cut the cake with a bespoke silver Wilkinson sword — supposedly a gift from four-month-old Brooklyn, and engraved with their crest and an inscription from their son — before sharing a lingering kiss.

After speeches, Jim says the ­newlyweds led everyone through to a second marquee, which was decorated in Moroccan style, with purple and gold drapes, gold statues and towering ­floral arrangements, where music and dancing took place on a black and white chequered floor.

They then slipped away to change into matching purple designer outfits.

Victoria wore a Jessica Rabbit-style dress, with flowers down one ­shoulder and a thigh-high split, while Becks wore a double-breasted blazer and flared trousers.

David recalled in 2017: “That was pretty bold.

“Victoria’s was pretty nice. Mine, I’m like, ‘What was I thinking?’

“I look like the guys out of Dumb And Dumber when they went to that party and wore those ridiculous outfits,” he told Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.

“I even had a top hat in purple. Unbelievable.”

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The Beckhams’ wedding cakeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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A gaudy figurine from the weddingCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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The couple announced their engagement in 1998Credit: Getty
Even baby Brooklyn, now 25, who served as the couple’s ring bearer, had a purple top hat and bib to match his parents.

But PR supremo Alan — whose new book I Was There: Dispatches From A Life In Rock And Roll details his time working with celebrities — says: “The purple suits and thrones and all that were definitely a bit playful — mischievous, as opposed to serious.

“Definitely tongue in cheek.”

While the wedding party let their hair down, the OK! team were hard at work.

Jim recalls: “We were based in a barn next to the castle, leaning over a light box, choosing the best transparencies to send quickly back to the office, along with captions giving as much detail as possible.

“The reporters were writing their copy on the hoof.

“Speed was vital.

“The magazine’s deadline had been brought forward to get it into the shops as early as possible, to ­capitalise on the moment and sell enough copies to recoup the costs.”

He adds: “At 2am, everyone gathered on a large platform, built to one side of the marquee, to watch the evening’s spectacular finale — a firework display, accompanied by Bjork’s hit It’s Oh So Quiet.”

And after the last guests had left, Marina Licht, then the magazine’s junior features writer, recalls helping to deliver proofs to the couple.

She tells The Sun: “The photographs had to be approved by ­Victoria and David that night.

“It must have been about 3am and they were still in the castle, dressed in white towelling dressing gowns.

“She still looked very glamorous.”

Up against a deadline, the mag’s team then flew straight back to London.

Marina, now Associate Editor of NationalWorld.com, says: “I didn’t have any sleep.

“We got a flight from Dublin at 6am and went straight to the office.

“We had to be escorted the whole way by security.”

Jim adds: “The three issues of OK! magazine covering the wedding and reception party sold out, bringing total sales to seven million.”

Since then, the couple have renewed their wedding vows and celebrated their anniversaries.

But nothing that they — or any other couple — do now could ever quite match up to the Posh and Becks wedding extravaganza.

Stay together for the brand? We stay together because we love each other’.

As the Beckhams celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, we uncover the secrets to their successful marriage.

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David and Victoria Beckham have proved naysayers wrong, and – despite much publicised ups and downs – they celebrate their 25th anniversary on ThursdayCredit: Shutterstock

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Romeo, Cruz, Victoria, Harper, David and Brooklyn at Victoria’s 50th birthday partyCredit: UK.EROTEME.CO.UK

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Victoria loves posting topless pics of David
It is a marriage few predicted would stand the test of time in a notoriously fickle showbiz world, with even the bride herself pointing out wryly a couple of years ago: “They said it wouldn’t last.”

But David and Victoria Beckham have proved the naysayers wrong, and – despite some much publicised ups and downs – the pair celebrate their silver wedding anniversary on Thursday.

And thanks to clever decision-making and a new social media strategy, they are more popular than ever – brand Beckham is now worth an estimated £455million.

With a fortune so vast, the prospect of throwing yet another A-list shindig on par with their star-studded wedding in a castle in Ireland a quarter of a century ago, must be hugely tempting.

It’s well-known they love a party – Victoria’s 50th birthday bash in April saw high-profile guests, including Tom Cruise, Eva Longoria and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, flock to private members’ club Oswald’s in Mayfair, where the birthday girl reunited with the Spice Girls for an impromptu one-off performance.

But according to insiders, their anniversary will be a more intimate affair – a celebration with their four children and close family merged with a luxury holiday.

The new book is a clickbait way of sensationalizing their relationship.

Brand And Culture Expert Nick Ede

The insider says: “David and Victoria are saving their big blowouts for their birthdays – her 50th [in April] and his 50th next year.

“They haven’t sent any invites out to their wider circle for a summer party, favouring more of a family celebration overseas instead. They see it as very much a family affair, but the intention is to celebrate in style, as ever.”

Historically, Victoria has been the driving force behind the couple’s biggest and most lavish parties. Those close to her believe the bashes were a bid to fend off rumours of uncertainty in their relationship – to prove their commitment to one another. But currently, their marriage is in the best place it’s ever been, so there is no need to put on a public show of unity.

The only shadow over their celebrations is a new book that has been making headlines, as it takes a deep dive into their relationship. It repeats previous allegations of David’s affairs, their fiery rows, and claims that by 2018 the couple were only together for financial reasons.

Watch the hilarious moment David Beckham calls out wife Victoria for ‘not being honest’ about ‘working class’ childhood
However, in traditional Beckham fashion, it is thought the couple will simply weather the storm as usual.

Brand and culture expert Nick Ede says: “The new book is a clickbait way of sensationalizing their relationship. The Beckhams have grown together to have a solid and loving relationship with a tight family and close-knit friends. I think this will only make them even more solid and they won’t rise to it.”

‘Tough times are a part of marriage’

Victoria’s fashion empire is finally making a profit, David’s commercial interests and businesses, which now include co-owning Inter Miami football club, continue to thrive, and the pair are even making multimillion-pound Super Bowl TV adverts poking fun at each other.

So how has the Beckhams’ marriage managed to survive through all its ups and downs, while the pair run their respective businesses that, at times, involve working in different continents?

Victoria gave an insight into the way they balance both work and marriage in an interview with Elle UK, saying: “David and I both respect that each of us are very, very busy. We are both running big businesses, but we do put the phones down and sometimes we just talk.”

We have four kids who are always going in different directions, but you have to prioritise your time with each other. That’s what we’ve always done, and it seems to be working.

David On His Marriage To Victoria

She added that David being heavily involved with their children when she’s away working also eases any threat of mum guilt, and vice versa.

Victoria explained: “During Fashion Week, when I’m working, the children will be in New York and he’s already planned to take them to museums then out for dinner on Saturday night, so he is very good at that sort of thing — as am I.

“That’s how you can show your support in a marriage, by saying: ‘You know what, I’ve got this.’ That’s what makes a good partnership.”

Former Manchester United and England footballer David, meanwhile, says the secret to their marriage is some good old-fashioned compromise.

He revealed: “You work together. It’s a bit of give and take, always. And marriage is hardwork. We’re busy. I always tell Victoria I’m more busy, but she says she is!

“We have four kids who are always going in different directions, but you have to prioritise your time with each other. That’s what we’ve always done, and it seems to be working.”

David recently responded to persistent hurtful allegations that they are only together for the sake of their brand, insisting: “We know each other better than anybody. People have talked about: ‘Do we stay together because it’s a brand?’ Of course not. “We stay together because we love each other, because we have four amazing children… Do you go through tough times? Of course. That’s part of relationships. It’s part of marriage.”

Those “tough times” have included David’s alleged affair with his PA Rebecca Loos, navigating the huge chunks of the year they spend apart and, most recently, an alleged rift with eldest son Brooklyn and his wife, American heiress Nicola Peltz, 29.

The fallout is said to have happened after Nicola opted to wear a Valentino dress for their nuptials, rather than a VB gown, which Victoria had offered to design. There were also rumours the Beckhams felt sidelined at the glitzy wedding held at Nicola’s billionaire father’s family estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in April 2022.

But relations have clearly improved, with Nicola gushing over Victoria on Instagram for her 50th birthday, while she and Brooklyn have been in attendance at recent Beckham events, including the 2023 launch of David’s Netflix documentary.

Meanwhile, David’s alleged affair with Rebecca, 46, during his stint in Spain playing for Real Madrid in 2003, threatened to not only end their marriage, but tarnish their squeaky-clean brand, too, in what Victoria later described as: “The hardest period for us.”

Speaking in the Beckham documentary, Victoria said: “It felt like the world was against us.

And here’s the thing — we were against each other, if I’m being completely honest.

“Up until Madrid, sometimes it felt like us against everybody else, but we were together, we were connected, we had each other. When we were in Spain, it didn’t really feel like we had each other. And that’s sad. I can’t even begin to tell you how hard it was and how it affected me.”

David, who played in England, Spain, Italy, France and the US during his glittering career, also opened up about the alleged tryst for the first time in the documentary, admitting they’d never before been “put under that kind of pressure in our marriage.”

Unfortunately for the Beckhams, the allegations refuse to go away, as after years out of the limelight, Rebecca has been offered her own TV deal to share her side of the story.

Naturally, the couple intend to ride out any potential fresh storm. The insider says: “Victoria isn’t worried. She anticipated some kind of reaction but won’t let it bother her.”

‘David and Victoria have always had a laugh together’ Indeed, in recent years Posh and Becks’ popularity as a couple has risen, which is in no small part down to the documentary, as well as their social media presence.

In what was a very deliberate move, they wanted to exude more fun and give their followers an indication of what makes them tick behind the scenes.

Ribbing his geeky side

They’ve always been in on the joke, poking fun at their showbiz royalty tag by posing on gold thrones on their wedding day, embracing their marital home being nicknamed “Beckingham Palace” and poking fun at their former penchant for wearing outrageous matching outfits, including black leather ensembles at a Versace dinner in 1999, which Victoria admits still haunts her.

But now, they’ve ramped up their efforts to new levels for the benefit of their combined 121 million Instagram followers.

Another insider said: “David and Victoria have always had a laugh together, that’s one of the reasons why their marriage has remained strong.

“They wanted to show that side more on social media, be it Victoria joking she’s ’giving fans what they want’ by showing footage of David cooking topless, or ribbing his geeky side,

like a recent post when she zoned in on his bottom while he planted rose bushes. It makes them more human and more relatable.”

They could be little s**ts, and they’re not. That’s why I say I’m so proud of my children, and I’m so in awe of my children and the way they’ve turned out.

David Speaking About His Kids

The other big factor behind their long-lasting marriage is their children and the couple’s pride in how they’ve jointly raised them. Indeed, there is always a danger given the privileged background that the dreaded “nepo baby curse” could impact the family set-up and, of course, tarnish their beloved brand.

In wannabe chef and influencer Brooklyn, 25, promising footballer Romeo, 21, and aspiring singer Cruz, 19, they’ve managed to keep a lid on any unwanted headlines, and the pair are confident they’ll do likewise with daughter Harper, 12.

Speaking in his Netflix doc, David admitted their kids could easily have turned into “little s**ts.” He said: “We’ve tried to give our children the most normal upbringing possible. But you’ve got a dad that was England captain, and you’ve got a mum that’s Posh Spice.

“They could be little s**ts, and they’re not. That’s why I say I’m so proud of my children, and I’m so in awe of my children and the way they’ve turned out.”

So, what’s next for Posh and Becks? Now her brand is finally turning a profit, Victoria is focusing on ensuring its trajectory continues and securing its status alongside the fashion elite.

David has dreams of turning Inter Miami into a football powerhouse and global brand, which he’s on the road to doing, thanks to signing Argentinian World-Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi, seen by many as the greatest footballer of all time.

But there is another, more wholesome, subject on the agenda – becoming grandparents.

David added: “I said to Victoria: ‘You know, at some point, you’re going to be a grandma.’

She said: ‘Don’t talk to me about that!’” Granny Spice does have a certain ring to it…

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Mia Regan, Romeo, Cruz, Harper, David, Victoria, Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham attend the Netflix ‘Beckham’ UK PremiereCredit: Getty

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As they approach their 25th anniversary celebrations a new book is set to repeat previous allegations of David’s affairs

ANDY Harmer, 45, runs a lookalikes agency and lives in Eastbourne. 

“Feeling despondent after watching David Beckham get sent off in the 1998 World Cup, I heard my phone ring and when I answered it, a man’s voice said: ‘How do you feel disgracing your country? You’d better watch out.’

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“Stunned, I told him he’d got the wrong number and I hung up.

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David and Victoria Beckaham lookalikes Andy Harmer and Camilla Shadbolt

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Andy’s pals began telling him that he and his then-girlfriend were the image of Posh and Becks

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Andy said: ‘Within a few months I had to leave my job as we were getting so many bookings, doing newspaper and magazine shoots’
Just 19, I’d been working as a David Beckham lookalike for around a year and couldn’t believe what had just happened. How had they got my phone number? Did they think I was the real Beckham?

I put it down to drunk men at the pub messing around and thought no more of it. But a few days later, I discovered my car had been completely burnt out.

Being young and not wanting to cause a fuss, I didn’t report the incident and eventually the abuse stopped.

It was crazy – but as I was learning, there was never a dull moment impersonating one of the most famous footballers on the planet.

Aged 18, I was working at a mate’s garage valeting cars, when people began telling me and my then-girlfriend, Camilla Shadbolt, that we were the image of Posh and Becks.

We signed up to a lookalikes agency, not thinking much would come of it.

But within a few months I had to leave my job as we were getting so many bookings, doing newspaper and magazine shoots, VIP club appearances and openings.

Realising I could make a lucrative career out of it, I began to pore over photos to copy David’s ever-changing clothes and hairstyles.

I also watched hours of video footage so I could adopt his mannerisms, like the slight eyebrow raise and the way he smiles.

And of course, I perfected my football tricks, which people loved.

Within a year, Camilla and had I split up, but we remained firm friends and carried on being Posh and Becks, spending the next 20 years travelling the world.

I’ve since worked on a lot of high-profile jobs, doubling for Beckham on adverts for Pepsi, Adidas, Vodafone and PlayStation, alongside some of the world’s top footballers including Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Carlos.
David Beckham fires stern warning to Man Utd flops ahead of FA Cup final against Man City
In 2001, I even got to meet David himself while working on a Pepsi ad, where he shook my hand and said a quick hello.

I appeared in the movie Bend It Like Beckham, where I met Keira Knightley before she became an A-lister, and I helped create Channel 4’s show Lookalikes, which was based on my lookalikes agency, which I also starred in.

In 2003, a newspaper sent me to Madrid to spark rumours that the Beckhams might be moving there. I caused mass hysteria and was in newspapers all over the world!

On another job at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for the 2006 FA Cup final, Rod Stewart invited me into his private box.

He was so friendly – I had to pinch myself that he wanted to meet me because I was a Becks lookalike!

Knowing that my time as David Beckham had a shelf life, I’ve diversified over the years. In 2003, I became a hit in Japan with my band The Copycats. We released one album, and are still in touch today.

In 2010, I appeared on Britain’s Got Talent with the celebrity variety act I’d created, The Chippendoubles, featuring me as Beckham and others as David Brent, Mr T, Gordon Ramsay, Simon Cowell, Daniel Craig and Will Smith.

Simon said, in a way, it was his favourite act and we got through to the semi-finals.

It hasn’t all been glitz and glamour, though.

As well as the abuse after the 1998 World Cup, many women were only attracted to me because they loved Beckham, and obviously, I wasn’t really him.

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Becks poses topless in this iconic shot

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Andy said: ‘Rod Stewart invited me into his private box. He was so friendly – I had to pinch myself that he wanted to meet me because I was a Becks lookalike!’Credit: Shutterstock

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Andy and Camilla came out of retirement to be Posh and Becks again for TK Maxx’s 30th birthday shoot
In May 2013, when he retired from football, I went from travelling the world to being booked for kids’ parties, teaching them footie tricks.

But, I wasn’t bitter, because over the years, I’d had a ball and made up to £75k a year from it.

Now I run my own successful agency, Lookalikes, supplying celebrity impersonators and tribute acts.

In May, Camilla and I came out of retirement to be Posh and Becks again for TK Maxx’s 30th birthday shoot.

I also have a beautiful daughter, Scarlett-Rose, 10, who some say looks like Beckham’s daughter Harper.

THEY were the Prince Charles and Princess Diana of their day, the world lapping up every detail of their blossoming romance.

And in part three of our series celebrating David and Victoria Beckham’s 25th wedding anniversary on Thursday, we tell their love story in their own words.

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David Beckham and Victoria Beckham are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversaryCredit: PA:Press Association

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Posh and Becks announce their engagement with this picture of the rings in 1998Credit: Getty – Contributor
From falling for each other before they even met — after the ex-England captain saw the pop star wearing a sexy catsuit in a Spice Girls video — to secret trysts in a pub car park, their relationship has gone from strength to strength.

Since their fairytale wedding broke a world record and they started the next generation of brand Beckham, we have been hooked on everything Posh and Becks have said and done.

Author Virginia Blackburn, who wrote biographies for both, told The Sun: “They were the non-royal version of what Charles and Diana had been in the 1980s. Everything they did made headlines. They had both been successful apart but, once they got together the combination was far more successful than they had been individually.

“Their wedding was all over OK! magazine, the first time a celebrity wedding had garnered £1million. It was a sensation.

“They’ve had longevity, which is so very rare in the world of celebrity. They’ve built up something really successful.”

His story

We’ve been together 27 years and we were only saying to each other the other day that we actually quite like each other

David Beckham

RECALLING fondly the first time he laid eyes on Posh, David told The Sun: “I always said that once I met Victoria, I would always be with her.

“A couple of months before we met I was abroad with the England team. Gary Neville and I were in the hotel room and a Spice Girls video came on. I think it was Say You’ll Be There. I pointed at the screen and told him, ‘That’s the girl for me and I’m going to get her’.

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David plants a gentle kiss on Victoria’s nose after being awarded an OBE at Buckingham Palace in 2003Credit: Rex Features

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The couple loved-up at a showbiz bash in 2004Credit: Joe Andrew/FAMOUS
“It was her eyes, her face. She’s my idea of perfection.”

They finally met the following year and David, now 49, recalled how they initially took things slowly — before enjoying secret trysts in the footballer’s BMW in a Harvester pub car park.

He said: “I fancied her like mad but I didn’t want to rush things. It was hard, but I managed to stop myself kissing her until our fourth date. I’m glad I waited. It was a great kiss.”

Victoria Beckham hints at move back to LA as she tells fans ‘I miss it!’ 11 years after leaving for London
On radio show Desert Island Discs in 2017, David said of their meet-ups: “We used to kiss, of course, and just spend time together.”

While Posh had a jet-set lifestyle with the Spice Girls, David was based in Manchester, where he played for Man United, meaning much of their early courtship was at a long distance.

He told The Sun: “We spend a small fortune on phone calls. The club physio said I may have slightly damaged my neck because I’ve spent so much time cradling the phone on my shoulder.

“And he wasn’t joking.”

The former footballer has given his wife a total of 15 different engagement rings as a token of his love throughout their marriage.

After their fairytale wedding at Luttrellstown Castle, near Dublin in 1999 they jetted off to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, on the French Riviera, staying in composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s villa.

In his Netflix docuseries last year, ex-England captain David said: “We were meant to be there for ten days but the manager (Sir Alex Ferguson) called me about five days in and said, ‘I need you back in training’.”

Their marriage has survived two-and-a-half decades of ups and downs.

On James Corden podcast This Life Of Mine, Becks revealed it took years to fully discover what he deeply loved about Victoria, now 50.

He said: “Yes, she’s beautiful and yes, she’s sexy, but I like the fact that she works hard. We’ve been together 27 years and we were only saying to each other the other day that we actually quite like each other.

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2010 saw the pair in steamy scenes for an Intimately Yours fragrance advertCredit: Planet Photos
“It’s important to, after being together for so many years.

“We can still have dinner and laugh and joke, or not say anything to each other, and that’s the important part of being in a relationship.

“Having quiet moments with my wife and my kids and my family is the place where I’m happiest.”

The couple’s three sons, Brooklyn, 25, Romeo, 21, and Cruz, 19, may have left the nest, and only 12-year-old daughter Harper is still at home, but the family are as close as ever.

David says he has been much softer on his kids than his own dad Ted, 75, was on him.

He explained: “I’m definitely not as tough as my dad. I’m a lot softer, but I would like to say I’ve brought my children up with the same values as my dad and mum taught me.

“They are very polite, well-mannered, humble, and they all have the same values I have and my wife has. That’s the proudest thing we have as parents. But all of those moments where my dad was hard on me as a kid, there was a reason for it.

“Those tough moments I had in my career, all I knew was to put my head down and work hard.”

In the Netflix series, Becks told of his struggles with OCD, which saw him meticulously folding clothes for his wardrobe, cleaning the kitchen and wiping down candles before bed.

He revealed: “When everyone’s in bed, I then go around, clean the candles, turn the lights on to the right setting, make sure everywhere is tidy. I know it’s weird. I clean it so well. I’m not sure it’s actually appreciated so much by my wife. It’s tiring.”

David added: “Victoria is a great mum and she looks after me most of the time — and we’ve created this amazing life together, we’ve got our four kids. She kind of runs the family.

“I think that is the most important thing to me because family’s always been important, and the greatest thing she’s ever given me is my four children.”

Her story

I thought one word: Gorgeous. I said: ‘I’m telling you, Mr David Beckham, if you don’t ring me I’m going to kick you in the b*ll*cks

Victoria Beckham

VICTORIA admits: “I fancied David long before we met.
“I remember doing an interview for a soccer magazine and they showed me photos of different footballers.

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A smoochy snap Becks shared to mark their 21st anniversary in 2020Credit: Instagram

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The lovebirds with kids Cruz, Brooklyn, Romeo and Harper in 2021Credit: Instagram
“I had no idea who he was, but I just remember thinking one word: Gorgeous.”

The couple finally met properly in the players’ lounge at Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground in 1997, just before Victoria was due to go abroad with the Spice Girls.

In her life story, Learning To Fly, Victoria recalls: “We looked at each other. We both knew.

“I said, ‘Go on, give me your number then and I’ll call you’.

“‘No’, he said, quick as a flash. ‘You give me your number’.

“So I did. I opened my bag, found a pen, then looked for something to write on.

“The tear-off bit of my boarding card, that would do. First I wrote my mobile number. Then I thought better of it.

“You never know. I scribbled over the top then wrote down my mum’s number.

“‘I’ve got to go now’, I said.

“‘I’m telling you, Mr David Beckham, if you don’t ring me, I’m going to kick you in the bs next time I see you’.

“By the time I was next back in England a week later, me and David had talked for hours and hours on the phone.

“I don’t think there has been a day in my life since then that we haven’t spoken to each other.”

Describing the footie idol’s kind nature, Victoria said: “It was clear from day one that he was a complete gentleman.

“David had been brought up to have a lot of respect for women, something that’s pretty rare these days, and that’s all down to his parents.”

Victoria and David used unusual tactics to keep their relationship under wraps from the world during the first eight weeks of their romance.

She explained: “We used to go out in disguises, hats, glasses, all sorts of ridiculous clothes — and it worked. No one found out.”

The loved-up pair got engaged during a romantic weekend away at the Grade II listed Rookery Hall Hotel in Nantwich, set in 38 acres of Cheshire countryside.

Victoria recalled in her book: “We had a lovely light room overlooking the garden and, the second night we were there, David proposed.

“Went down on his knees and asked me to marry him. I didn’t dare say anything to anybody. All that mattered was what we knew, what we felt for each other . . . We were like kids, we were so excited.”

As a token of their love and commitment, Becks — who was then earning £18,000 a week — presented his pop superstar girlfriend with a £40,000, three-carat, single-stone, marquise-cut diamond ring valued at around £200,000 today.

Just after the couple announced their engagement, in January 1998, Victoria told The Sun: “I’d told him what my dream ring would be. He remembered and had it specially designed for me.”

Posh, then worth an estimated £5million, upped the ante by producing her own £50,000 diamond ring for David.

Recalling the moment, she said: “We were sitting in our dressing gowns when David pulled out the ring, got down on one knee and said, ‘Will you marry me, Victoria?’. I said, ‘Yes’, then produced my own ring and said, ‘Don’t forget Girl Power, will YOU marry ME?’.”

After 25 years of marriage, and four children, Posh told Spanish Elle magazine how the secret of their relationship is they still laugh together, explaining: “My husband is an inspiration to me.

“We like to have fun, chat, dance, drink. And laugh at each other. That’s what it takes to be happy.

“I realise that we have become a model. People like to see relationships that last.”

And as Victoria admitted to her Hollywood pal Drew Barrymore: “He’s amazing. He’s so supportive. We’re both supportive of each other.”

The star — who became emotional at her 2022 Paris fashion show when she saw David watching — said of her soulmate: “He’s a really, really, really great dad. He’s a fantastic husband.

“He works so, so hard. And I feel very lucky that we have each other.”

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The couple exude a happy glow in sunset PDA from a 2023 Croatia holidayCredit: victoriabeckham/Instagram

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Carrying on at Posh’s 50th birthday party this year

DAVID Beckham ‘got revenge’ on Prince Harry after Meghan Markle “ordered” him to snub him after he flew 22 hours to Sydney at the royal’s request, according to a new biography.

Tom Bower claims in House of Beckham that Prince Harry didn’t meet with the footballing legend at the Invictus Games, despite inviting him to attend.

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Prince Harry is said to have ‘snubbed’ David Beckham after he flew 22 hours to the Invictus Games at his requestCredit: Alamy

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It has been claimed Meghan didn’t want ‘competition’ from Victoria Beckham in AustraliaCredit: Reuters
The explosive new book claims David was left “perplexed” at the snub in 2018, particularly as he’d been friends with the Duke of Sussex for years.

Tom claimed: “Beckham found himself alone at the Invictus Games stadium,” Mr Bower wrote about the Sydney-based event.

“Arriving on the agreed day to meet Prince Harry he was perplexed why officials were playing a dance to keep him happy, but away from Harry.”

David is said to have questioned the whereabouts of Harry and was oblivious that “the prince had ordered that under no circumstances was the footballer to be allowed near him.

Tom claimed: “Photographs of the two together were forbidden. The royal snub was brutal. David Beckham was puzzled.

“Why did the prince refuse to meet him?

“The exclusion order, it later transpired, was issued by Meghan. She did not want any competition in the media from Beckham, and especially not from his wife Victoria.”

Also in his bombshell biography, Tom claimed Meghan was “irritated” that Victoria had “considerably more wealth” than her.

The book alleged Meghan “put on airs” around Victoria when they first met, due to her status within the royal family and also as the Californian actress felt she had “little in common” with the former Spice Girl.

The biography claims: “In Meghan’s celebrity world, ranking depended on wealth and fame.
Moment Prince Harry walked past and ignored Brooklyn Beckham & Nicola Peltz, amidst the family feuds
“As a seasoned operator, Meghan deluded herself that her status in the Royal family placed her above Victoria in the social pecking order.

“She was irritated to discover that the Beckhams had considerably more wealth than herself.

“They owned five homes, had constant access to private jets, invitations to sail on yachts and much more money. And she was soon to be a duchess.”

According to the book, Victoria reportedly made an effort to befriend Meghan, due to her family’s long-standing friendship with Prince Harry and Prince William.

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David and the royal family have enjoyed a close friendship for years – but a rumoured rift is said to have formed between the Beckhams and the SussexesCredit: Getty

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The Beckhams attended Meghan and Harry’s 2018 royal wedding but weren’t invited to the wedding dinnerCredit: Getty

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David was reportedly left ‘furious’ that Harry accused him of leaking stories, it has been claimedCredit: Getty
Due to her wish to avoid paparazzi, Meghan allegedly stayed at the Beckham residence in Beverly Hills during a private trip, and it meant her “secretly provided for by the Beckhams’ staff.”

Tom claimed “a member of Victoria’s staff offered Harry’s fiancé advice on the best facials and hairdressing in London.”

When it was reported that Victoria had given Meghan beauty advice, the relationship is said to have soured, with the Duke of Sussex allegedly calling David to accuse him and Victoria of leaking stories, leaving David ‘furious.’

The Beckhams did secure an invite to Harry and Meghan’s 2018 royal wedding, however Tom claims that in a bid to “punish” the Beckhams, they were not invited to the wedding dinner, despite welcoming other big names like George Clooney, who Meghan did not know personally.

Cracks allegedly first started emerging in the pair’s friendship in spring 2022 when the former footballer invited Prince William and Kate to his son Brooklyn’s wedding – and not Harry and Meghan.

Prince Harry’s ‘snub’ of David Beckham in Australia

AFTER flying for 22 hours from London to Sydney at Prince Harry’s request, David Beckham was puzzled why the prince had not met him.

But the prince had had no plans to see the former England football captain, nor even of being pictured with him, claimed Tom Bower.

It was October 2018, and Harry was hosting the Invictus Games.

Since David had played a prominent role bringing the 2012 Olympics to Britain and an important part in the 2010 unsuccessful bid for the football World Cup, it seemed natural for Prince Harry to ask David to join him at the celebrated competition for injured servicemen.

As a man who loved the royals, David would never refuse such an important request.

But having flown half-way around the world, he was perplexed why officials after he arrived at the sporting venue were playing a dance to keep him happy, but away from Harry.

She wanted no competition in the media from David, and especially not from his wife, Victoria.

The reason for the distance was Meghan, the newly married Duchess of Sussex.

At the time, a source said: “David’s attachment and history go back with William and Kate and they have a very strong relationship and they were their choice of wedding guests.

“It was always about them, it was never about Meghan and Harry.

“They are the people David and Victoria are attached to and it’s always been about them because they’ve had a long history together.”

And perhaps it wasn’t a coincidence that after the apparent ‘snub’, Meghan seemingly stopped wearing Victoria’s designs – while Kate wore them more frequently.

It seems the Beckhams’ loyalty to the other members of the royal family has paid off, with David being given a top charity ambassador role by King Charles after the pair bonded over love of nature.

Ex-Manchester United ace Becks, 49, surprised the King, 75, last year with a jar of his homemade honey then chatted about their passion for beekeeping.

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King Charles has appointed David Beckham as ambassador to The King’s Foundation charity

THEY said it would never last.

Twenty-five years married later, “they” have been proven very wrong.

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David and Victoria Beckham celebrating Victoria’s Paris Fashion Week show in MarchCredit: instagram/Victoria Beckham

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Loved up Victoria and David Beckham in an old pic they shared on InstagramCredit: instagram

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Victoria and David are often praised for their parentingCredit: Planet Photos
Over the past quarter century, David and Victoria Beckham have been through more highs and lows, drama, excitement and, crucially, scrutiny than most celebrity couples do in a lifetime.

Some of that scrutiny has come from me.

As a showbiz reporter for 20 years,  the Beckhams have been the gift that keeps on giving.

I know more about them than I do about most of my own family. Were I to go on Mastermind (unlikely), unquestionably Posh ’n’ Becks would be my specialist subject.

I have seen first hand the couple’s ups and downs — and make no mistake about it, there have been downs — but as a team, they are unbreakable.

The term “Brand Beckham” is bandied about by their critics as if, were it not for their combined earning power — £455million and counting — the ink would have long ago settled on divorce papers.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Four children impeccably brought up — I’ve met/engaged with them all, including a brief loo encounter with  Harper, 12,  at David’s big Netflix premiere last year — they  are polite, charming and very sweet.

Because family is everything to the Beckhams.

Their respective parents,  Sandra and Ted on David’s side, and Jackie and Tony on Victoria’s,  were strict but loving role models. They are now doting grandparents to Brooklyn, 25, Romeo, 21, Cruz, 19 and Harper.
David and Victoria Beckham in Super Bowl ad poking fun at themselves after Netflix doc viral moment
At The Sun’s Who Cares Wins awards a couple of years ago, I was tasked with chaperoning Sandra. She is a force to be reckoned with — and  utterly brilliant.

Rows and tension

“Give me that bottle,” she quipped, as I offered her a glass of Champagne. “There’s that Piers Morgan,  I could quite happily bottle him. He’s been so mean about my David.  I hate it.” [Sorry, Piers.  I think she was joking].

“Everywhere we go people want a selfie with David,” she sighed. “I don’t know how he copes with it the way he does,  he says yes to everyone, and always with a smile on his face. But he can’t really go out on his own any more. It’s exhausting to watch.”

She’s a matriarch,  and one of the reasons David has been brought up to behave incredibly respectfully to women.

His relationship with Harper — kicking a football with her in the back garden, taking her to school, holding her hand when most pre-teens would rather do anything but be seen in public with their dad — is beautiful.

So what of Goldenballs himself?

Well, he smells AMAZING.

The first time I met him,  in 2012 for the launch of his new pants range (truly), I felt myself fan-girling. It was embarrassing.

He was very sweet and pretended not to notice. I told him he smelt great.

Inexplicably, I went on to ask him if his photoshoot pictures had been touched up to make him look, well, better endowed.

Around four years ago, something shifted inexplicably, and intrinsically

“Erm, I don’t need any help in that department,  I’ve never padded out my underpants,” he replied, politely.

Goldenballs indeed.

A few years later our relationship soured.

With rumours of marriage difficulties, I wrote a few stories David hated. For a while I was Team Victoria.

After one such story, the following day I received a panicked phone call from a member of David’s team.

“David is livid,” the call started. “He’s asked for your number, and you can expect a call in the next hour.”

I was on a train to Bath with intermittent signal. I spent the next two hours in a state of near meltdown, going in and out of tunnels (and signal). I frantically rehearsed my soliloquy, aiming for contrition mixed with standing by my prose.

‘David and Victoria were going through it’

In the end, a call never came. Who knows if it was a tunnel or David calming down.

Either way, things for the next couple of years were tense, and I dreaded bumping into him at an event.

Whatever the truth, in 2018 and 2019, there’s no question in my mind David and Victoria were going through it.

Stories of rows and tension were ramping up, and in public they looked tense. It’s worth noting, however, that not once did their united social-media front wobble. To the outside world, it was business as usual.

But then, around four years ago, something shifted inexplicably, and intrinsically.

Like any loving, determined and in-it-for-the-long-haul couple,  privately they worked through whatever problems they may or may not have been having and weathered the storm.

Suddenly the Instagram posts came thick and fast, and the love, humour and mutual mickey-taking — something only a pairing in a “good place” would ever do — were there for all to see. For the past few years David and Victoria Beckham have fallen ever more in love.

A psychologist might describe the duo as “co-dependent”.

I just think they love the bones off each other. And when they exchanged those OK-sponsored 1999 wedding vows, they meant every word when they pledged to love each other in joy and sorrow, in sickness and in health, and as long as they both shall live.

As for Victoria, she wears her heart on her sleeve.

Despite being one of the most famous women on the planet, she has — until relatively recently — been bafflingly shy on camera.

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Doting parents Tony and Jackie with baby VictoriaCredit: Eroteme

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A young David with parents Ted and SandraCredit: Netflix
Her trademark pout isn’t, as people for years believed, because she’s a stuck-up madam, it’s because she was deeply insecure about her smile. Today she is smiling more than ever.

Their smash Netflix documentary allowed the public to see the other, lighter, deeply witty side of VB. And her Instagram posts — both those promoting her now hugely successful beauty business, and her more personal ones — are filled with humour and a new lightness.

I first met Posh Spice in 2008, when my former showbiz column partner and I were invited down to her Battersea studios in South West London to do an interview for the launch of her fashion brand.

She was friendly and open . . . until, that is, my poor colleague was handed the hospital pass of asking her if rumours she was pregnant were true.  They weren’t. She was visibly furious, from then on directing her answers, tight-lipped, to me.

Our paths memorably crossed three years later at Elton John’s Oscars bash in Los Angeles.

Victoria was on fine form, and drinking Champagne with gusto.

For a couple who once craved the limelight, they no longer do

At one point I heard my name being bellowed. I looked over and saw Posh in the queue for a portaloo.

“Oi, Clemmie!”, she cackled. “Come over here for a selfie!”

I made the poor woman do a “Posh pout” with me, and she duly sent it to her pitball publicist at the time, with the accompanying message.

“I’ve met this lovely girl at Elton’s, and am telling her all about me and David!”

“BACK OFF BIATCH”, came the text message on my phone approximately one nanosecond later. We had a lovely chat, and in the spirit of off-the-record journalism I didn’t print a word.

Three weeks later I saw VB at a high-end fashion awards do, where she was picking up her first ever gong. I galloped over excitedly, THRILLED to be seeing my new BFF again.

Alas, Victoria acted like our touching encounter had never happened and shrugged me off.

Ah, showbiz.

Victoria ‘more aloof with the media’

From here, Victoria became — understandably given the relentless press speculation —  more aloof with the media, more wary and less inclined to engage. Which is fair enough.

She favoured publications such as Vogue and Vanity Fair over the Red Tops as she drove to reinvent herself — brilliantly — as a fashion doyenne.

Today her designs are worn by everyone and anyone (Meghan Markle, Michelle Obama and Jennifer Lopez are all fans of her work and a recent collaboration with Mango  made her accessible to the masses).

At the Netflix premiere, Victoria was back to her brilliant, approachable, hilarious self. “I haven’t seen you for ages, Clemmie!”, she said, warmly hugging me.

I told her I’d become a fan of some of her more obscure beauty treatments,  including the world’s most painful facial, Morpheus 8, which she swears by.

We talked about gym workouts — she trains, hard, at least five times a week — and she was down-to-earth, warm and clearly the happiest she has  ever been.

In 2024, with David turning 50 next year and his glamorous cougar, Victoria, already hitting the milestone  in April, the couple are older, wiser . . . and more nauseatingly in love than ever.

I’m told they are shunning a big celebratory knees-up to mark the anniversary, having a small family dinner at home instead.

For a couple who once craved the limelight, they no longer do. They really do have nothing left to prove.

Here’s to the next 25 years.

Congrats! From James Corden

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James Corden says the couple are incredibly thoughtful and kindCredit: Getty
I FIRST met the Beckhams about 15 years ago, and the best compliment I could pay them is that they’re the same people now as they were then.

They are so consistent – with each other, and really, really consistent with their friendships.

Obviously I know more about the David side on that front,  but they are incredibly thoughtful and kind.

It’s an amazing achievement, particularly in the world in which they live, to be together 25 years. In Hollywood years, that’s about 150.

I’ve nothing but love, respect and admiration for both of them. And I think the best thing that came out of the Netflix documentary being on is that Victoria’s so funny. She’s got such a wicked sense of humour and that’s just so great to be around.

David and Victoria had a pre-Christmas dinner at their house,  with about 20 people,  and it was such a great evening.

Everyone was having such a nice time and I  remember Gordon Ramsay being like, “We should do this again! We should do it tomorrow. Is everyone free tomorrow?”

And we were all like, “Er, yeah!” And he went, “Right, everyone round ours tomorrow.”

It was brilliant. Because what they’re so great at is creating environments for people to feel comfortable in, that’s their greatest skill. They know how people feel when people meet them.

They know how people look and feel in their presence, and they are wonderful at creating environments – whether it’s for friends or strangers – where people feel comfortable. That is a real  7 skill. They are just brilliant.

Congrats! From Gordon & Tana Ramsay

8

Gordon Ramsay and wife Tana have shared holidays and endless dinners with the Beckham familyCredit: Goff
TANA and I have known David and Victoria for over 20 years, our kids have grown up with their kids.

We’ve shared holidays, games nights, road trips, beach walks, campfires and endless dinners as friends and as family.

The real testament to their partnership is  their children – lovely, kind and gracious. We’ve been lucky enough to see them grow up into amazing young people, and David and Victoria should be so proud of everything they are because of their great parenting.

We’ve laughed through the highs and cried through lows in a friendship of more than  two  decades, but mainly we’ve laughed.

There is so much joy in their family, 20 years of making happy memories, oh, and plenty of wine along the way too!

We are blessed to call them dear friends as 7 they celebrate such a milestone anniversary.

Congrats! From Mel B

8

Mel B says David and Victoria Beckham are more lovey-dovey than ever beforeCredit: Reuters
TWENTY-FIFTH  anniversary, wow! Congratulations to them. They are  such a strong couple.

When they first got together we were this really tight girl gang, and any boy coming into that was going to get put through the ringer and get a strict vetting.  But we loved David.

Back in those days they were besotted, but I think they are even more lovey-dovey in how they look at each other nowadays.

The soccer superstar’s stylish wife and kids came out en force to support him at the starry Oct. 3 event

Romeo, Cruz and Brooklyn Beckham at the ‘Beckham’ premiere. PHOTO: MIKE MARSLAND/WIREIMAGE

They brought it like Beckhams.

For the Oct. 3, 2023 premiere of David Beckham’s new documentary series in London, the soccer star was joined by wife Victoria and their four kids Brooklyn, 24, Romeo, 21, Cruz, 18, and Harper, 12, in addition to Brooklyn and Romeo’s partners and some other A-list guests (we see you, Baby Spice!).

Naturally, they were all dressed to the nines, showcasing their collective family style while celebrating the accomplishments of their famous father, whose life and career are followed in the four-part Netflix series, Beckham, streaming now.

Here, a look at the must-see photos from the star-studded premiere.

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Famous Fam

The Beckham family at the ‘Beckham’ premiere.KARWAI TANG/WIREIMAGE

Can you even! David and Victoria Beckham complemented each other in black and white as they were flanked by their loved ones, from left: son Romeo and his girlfriend Mia Regan, son Cruz, daughter Harper and son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz.

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Staying Connected

Cruz, Harper, David and Victoria Beckham at the ‘Beckham’ premiere.GARETH CATTERMOLE/GETTY

Cruz and Harper looked on as Mom and Dad shared a hug on the carpet. Victoria designed the outfits her two youngest children were wearing, in addition to dresses for some A-list friends, she later shared on Instagram.

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Proud Posh

Victoria Beckham at the ‘Beckham’ premiere.KARWAI TANG/WIREIMAGE

Victoria watched in the wings as her husband took a solo moment in the spotlight.

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Mr. & Mrs.

David and Victoria Beckham at the ‘Beckham’ premiere.GARETH CATTERMOLE/GETTY

“I couldn’t be more proud of you and “us” I love you so much @DavidBeckham,” Victoria wrote on Instagram following the premiere.

At the screening, David told the crowd that his wife “inspires me every single day. Who could have known that 26 years on, we would have four amazing children and lived through this journey together and still be standing.”

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Sweet Scene

Harper and David Beckham at the ‘Beckham’ premiere.SAMIR HUSSEIN/WIREIMAGE

David and Harper’s adorable dad-daughter bond was on full display throughout the event.

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Brotherly Bond

Romeo, Cruz and Brooklyn Beckham at the ‘Beckham’ premiere.MIKE MARSLAND/WIREIMAGE

The Beckham boys kept close for their own photo op.

“What can I say other than how proud I am of you @davidbeckham, such an amazing premiere 🤍 love my family so much,” Romeo wrote in a sweet Instagram post, a sentiment echoed by his brothers in their own Instagram shares from the evening.

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Mom and Dad

David Beckham with his parents Sandra and Ted at the ‘Beckham’ premiere.IAN WEST/PA IMAGES VIA GETTY

David’s parents Ted and Sandra were also on hand for the big night, smiling as they met their son on the carpet.

Inside the event, he gave them a heartfelt thank you, recalling how much they sacrificed for his career. “Everything that I’ve done, I owe it to both of you. So thank you very much,” he said.

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Nice Spice

Emma Bunton at the ‘Beckham’ premiere.GARETH CATTERMOLE/GETTY

Though she didn’t pose with Victoria, fellow former Spice Girl Emma Bunton made an appearance on the carpet, giving her Instagram post about the event an appropriate caption: “Now here’s a story from A to Z.”

Their bandmate Mel C commented, “Gorgeous 😍 so sad to have missed it xxx”

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In Vogue

Anna Wintour and David Beckham at the ‘Beckham’ premiere.LIA TOBY/GETTY

Also on hand to celebrate: Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, sporting her signature bob and sunnies.

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It’s a Date

Romeo Beckham and Mia Regan at the ‘Beckham’ premiere.IAN WEST/PA IMAGES VIA GETTY

Though Romeo and girlfriend Mia made their red carpet debut in 2021, the Beckham premiere was an extra-big moment for the pair, who have flown under the radar throughout their relationship.

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The Next Generation

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz at the ‘Beckham’ premiere.SAMIR HUSSEIN/WIREIMAGE

Meanwhile, Brooklyn and wife Nicola have been a staple at family events, often coming out to Fashion Week to support Victoria and her work.

In the first clip, the fashion mogul zoomed in on his bum in a pair of jeans

David Beckham gardening in a video shared by his wife, Victoria. PHOTO: VICTORIA BECKHAM/INSTAGRAM

David Beckham is a jack of all trades and his wife, Victoria Beckham, doesn’t mind showing the world how good he looks flexing his many skills!

The fashion mogul, 50, shared a video to her Instagram Stories of her retired soccer star husband, 49, planting pink roses on one of their properties on Saturday, June 8.

“OK, so it’s just a regular Saturday in the country. David is doing a bit of gardening,” Victoria narrated one of the videos for her 33 million followers.

“You look good!” she tells her husband, hysterically zooming in on David’s butt in a pair of cuffed jeans as he was digging dirt with a shovel. He also wore a hat and a matching olive-colored T-shirt.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

David Beckham gardening.VICTORIA BECKHAM/INSTAGRAM

“That’s love, gardening,” the former Spice Girl continued in the first video, after David thanked her for the compliment.

“Happy weekend!!!!” Victoria wrote in text overlay in the first video.

A second clip featured David taking the roses he’d dug a hole for out of the pot and transferring them into the ground near a fence, all while barefoot.

David Beckham Says Key to 27 Years with Victoria Is Having ‘Each Other to Feed Off’ in ‘Difficult Times’

David Beckham using a shovel.VICTORIA BECKHAM/INSTAGRAM

“Here we go, we have some action,” Victoria said in the second video, as the athlete went about his work, breathing hard from the task. “Oh, it’s crumbling.”

David eventually did successfully transfer the pink rose plant into the ground, packing dirt around it for stability before looking straight into his wife’s camera.

“By the way, that’s impressive,” he praised himself.

David Beckham Reveals Why He ‘Chose’ Wife Victoria Beckham — and His Favorite Spice Girls Song!

David Beckham digging.VICTORIA BECKHAM/INSTAGRAM

“It is impressive,” Victoria agreed. “Very impressive.” The word “Impressive!!” was also written in text overlay on the clip.

“You look good,” she told him one last time, zooming in on his bum again for good measure.

The final piece of footage documenting David’s gardening adventure was a photo of her husband kneeling on the grass next to the roses with a shovel in his hand.

David Beckham posing with roses.VICTORIA BECKHAM/INSTAGRAM

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When he isn’t gardening, the Inter Miami soccer team co-founder has been spending time with their 12-year-old daughter, Harper.

The pair kicked off the month together by watching the Miami team play against St. Louis City SC in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Sunday, June 1.

Victoria and David Beckham in 2023.GARETH CATTERMOLE/GETTY

David and Victoria are also parents to Harper’s older brothers Brooklyn, 25, Romeo, 21, and Cruz, 19.

The King’s Foundation’s inaugural awards ceremony at St. James’ Palace sparked a candid moment from the “Have I Told You Lately” singer

Rod Stewart, King Charles and David Beckham at The Kings’ Foundation Awards at St. James’ Palace on June 11, 2024. PHOTO: KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY

Stars collided when King Charles welcomed Rod Stewart, David Beckham and more to St. James’ Palace for the inaugural awards for The King’s Foundation.

The King, 75, stepped out in London on June 11 to attend the first-ever awards for the charity he established as the Prince of Wales in 1990. The King’s Foundation works to create improved communities where people, places and the planet can harmoniously coexist, and the awards are now set to be held annually to celebrate students, teachers, alumni and partners for their work furthering the organization’s aims across a slew of sectors.

Celebrities at the event included Stewart, Beckham, Sienna Miller, Naomi Campbell and Edward Enninful, who posed for a group photo with the King.

As seen in a video shared to X by Rebecca English of the Daily Mail, Stewart had something playful to say about the former England soccer captain while on stage.

Rod Stewart and King Charles at The Kings’ Foundation Awards at St. James’ Palace on June 11, 2024.KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY

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“Penny and I are so honored to be ambassadors for the King’s Trust,” Stewart began in the clip shared on social media, referring to his wife Penny Lancaster, who interjected to correct him and say, “Foundation,” sparking a laugh from the audience.

“Foundation, my apologies,” the “Forever Young” singer said. “Also, I’m wonderfully honored to be a Knight, and David, yours is coming soon,” he added about Beckham, which prompted even more laughter from the guests.

Stewart was knighted in 2016 for services to music and charity. While Beckham hasn’t been named a knight, he received his OBE for services to soccer in 2003.

King Charles and David Beckham at The Kings’ Foundation Awards at St. James’ Palace on June 11, 2024.KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY

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Both Stewart and Beckham presented prizes at the awards, which fell a week after it was announced that the soccer star signed on as an ambassador. On June 1, The King’s Foundation shared that the retired soccer star was taking on the job and recently visited the monarch at Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire to learn more about the organization and check out some of the charity’s educational programs at workshops. The King’s Foundation offers educational courses for around 15,000 students each year, as well as health and well-being programs for another 2,000 people annually.

Other offerings include regeneration projects across the U.K. and overseas to revitalize communities and historic buildings.

“I’m excited to be working with The King’s Foundation and to have the opportunity to help raise awareness of the charity’s work. I’ve always been keen to help young people to expand their horizons and I’m particularly looking forward to supporting the Foundation’s education programs and its efforts to ensure young people have greater access to nature,” Beckham said in a statement at the time.

King Charles (center) poses with (from third left) Penny Lancaster, Rod Stewart, David Beckham, Sienna Miller (fourth right), Naomi Campbell and Edward Enninful at The King’s Foundation Awards on June 11, 2024.KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY

On June 11, The King’s Foundation Awards included live demonstrations of some of the charity’s educational programs like furniture making, woodworking and embroidery, plus architecture and placemaking work. King Charles spent time speaking to students and ambassadors to learn more about how the foundation has made a difference,

The first cycle of the awards featured nine categories, and the monarch personally presented The King Charles III Harmony Award to Ban Ki-moon, the former United Nations Secretary-General. The special award recognizes an individual’s long-term commitment to the mission of The King’s Foundation.