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.
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.
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.”
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.
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...
