‘YES, THERE ARE TOUGH TIMES!’
David Beckham on loving Victoria, renewing their vows & his one wedding regret
IT WASN’T exactly subtle. Matching thrones for the bride and groom and a nude sculpture of them atop their three-tier wedding cake. The 230 guests watched a single dove being released as they said their vows in the opulent Irish castle where they wed. She was – by 1999’s standards – a vision in a Vera Wang gown with a 6 m train, an 18-carat gold and diamond tiara designed by one of Princess Diana’s jewellers nestled atop her spiky black hair.
Fast forward 18 years and it’s a rather different situation from the $800 000 (R4,9 million at the time) affair. Only six guests in attendance at their home and no word on who wore what.
Unlike their widely publicised first wedding, David and Victoria Beckham’s ceremony to renew their vows came to light only when Becks recently spoke about it.
Their first wedding was over the top, the father of four admits. “We did throw a lot at it, because it was the thing to do around that time,” he told British radio programme Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4.
And the 41-year-old couldn’t resist taking a dig at himself and his wife for the matching purple outfits by British designer Antonio Berardi they wore. “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. I even had a top hat in purple. Unbelievable.” But how much has changed since then – a remarkable style evolution by many accounts. Victoria (42) is now one of the leading lights in the highend fashion world, with her designs sought after by several Hollywood A-listers.
The rest of the family are also fashion forward – Brooklyn (17) has signed to a modelling agency and brother Romeo (14) has featured in a high-profile campaign for British design house Burberry. Younger brother Cruz (11) was recently spotted in a not-yet-on-the-shelf hoodie from Louis Vuitton, prompting speculation he was given the piece to promote LV’s Supreme brand; and five-year-old Harper has been a fashionista practically since the day she was born.
THE picture-perfect family are fans of Instagram and David and Victoria often post romantic snaps on their social media accounts. They’ve long been dogged by rumours their relationship is on the
rocks, but David is adamant: there’s still plenty of passion between him and the woman he fell for the first time he saw her on TV in 1996. “We’re a strong family unit,” the former footballer says. “We’ve got strong parents too, and they taught us the right values. Of course you make mistakes, and we all know that marriage is difficult at times. It’s about working through it. “We’ve come up against tough times. But we know each other better than anyone else knows us. And we talk.” They know there have been lots of rumours they’re staying together only to protect their fortune, estimated at £500 million (R8,5 billion). “People have talked about, you know, ‘Do we stay together because it’s a brand?’ ” he says. “Of course not. We stay together because we love each other; we stay together because we have four amazing children. “Of course you go through tough times. It’s part of relationships, it’s part of marriages, it’s part of having children, it’s part of having responsibilities.” David lost his heart to Victoria when he saw her in a sexy black catsuit in the Spice Girls’ music video for Say You’ll Be There. “That’s the girl for me and I’m going to get her!” he told soccer team- mate Gary Neville. “She’s my idea of perfection. I knew that if she wanted me, we’d be together forever.”
It was love at first sight for them when their paths crossed for the first time at a match at his soccer club, Manchester United.
Victoria was then a famous pop star known as Posh Spice, while David hadn’t even played for his club’s first team yet.
They spoke 25 minutes later – he still has the flight ticket from London to Manchester on which she scribbled her number during their first meeting.
“Their manager, Simon Fuller, was very protective over the girls; at the time he wanted to keep it quiet,” David said during his radio interview.
“Every time I went on a date with her we’d sit in a car park and talk. This particular time I had this bright blue BMW that I’d spent my whole pay packet on.
“I drove down and picked her up . . . we used to sit in the Harvester [ family restaurant’s] car park and we kissed, of course.”
He popped the question in January 1998 and when Victoria said yes, he slipped a three-carat, marquise-cut diamond ring on her finger. In true Posh and Becks style she also gave him an engagement band, with 96 diamonds. The rings were worth £200 000 (R1,6 million at the time).
Their romance generated one headline after the next: his-and-her outfits and a celebrity godfather in Elton John.
IT WASN’T always plain sailing though. There have been many marital storms and David had to fight for his marriage when it emerged he’d cheated with their personal assistant, Rebecca Loos (39). But Victoria stuck by his side and these days Brand Beckham is stronger than ever. Their business empire, Beckham Brand Holdings Ltd, made £47,2 million (R849 million at the time) in 2015 alone.
They’re more private than they used to be but do give fans a glimpse into their lives. Victoria recently shared a picture in which Romeo, Cruz and Harper give their dad a loving hug while brother Brooklyn stands next to them with their pet dog. The caption read: “I think they love him! We love you @davidbeckham”.
The kids clearly also adore their mom, who’s turning into a role model for teenagers around the globe. “Learn to embrace your imperfections,” she recently wrote in a letter to her teenage self.
“Wear less make-up. (And don’t ever let that make-up artist shave your eyebrows! The effects last forever.)
“And I should probably say, don’t mess with your boobs. All those years I denied it – stupid. A sign of insecurity. Just celebrate what you’ve got.”