When Victoria Beckham sits down at the table in the opulent London restaurant where she will celebrate her 50th birthday next week in the company of her nearest and dearest, she will do so with a very wide smile on her face.
As a woman who for decades didn’t have the confidence to crack a grin in public, this milestone is one of the most poignant in her life.
Finally, after years of worrying what others thought of her and the global scrutiny she has endured, she simply no longer gives a damn.
Friends of the fashion designer, still affectionately known as Posh Spice, say that she is ‘quietly content’ with her life.
And despite her wealth of around £365million, her favourite present is one money cannot buy – to have all her children in the same room together – something which, say sources close to the family, ‘hardly ever happens any more’.
For that reason alone, next Wednesday, the day of her birthday, is special. She will be joined for a small ‘family’ day by her four children – some of whom are flying in from America to watch her blow out her candles.
Brooklyn Beckham and his actress wife Nicola Peltz celebrate their wedding anniversary with his parents David and Victoria last year
Two years ago they were barely on speaking terms but the Mail can reveal that Nicola genuinely sees Victoria as her second mother
For Victoria there is one guest who it really will warm her heart to see – daughter-in-law Nicola
‘Repairing that fallout is something that Victoria is immensely proud of, and it brings her so much joy that she will be part of these celebrations,’ said a friend
Brooklyn, 25, and his wife Nicola will fly 5,000 miles from Los Angeles to be at her side, as will her youngest son Cruz, 19, who has also moved out there to further his music career. Romeo, 21, has cleared his diary and Harper, 12, their only daughter, will be joining when she finishes the school day.
‘It will be a small, intimate, family gathering, and it is literally the best present that she could have,’ said the friend. ‘It will be close to their London home. David has pulled a few surprises but what Victoria really wants is to be surrounded by her loved ones.
‘The kids are staying for a few days, which Victoria loves, and they will all join her at her posh dinner on Saturday night.’
The family will be joined by a group of close friends for this. While the guest list will be selective, I’m told to expect some ‘well known names’ including her best friend Tana Ramsay and her husband Gordon.
Actress Eva Longoria is also expected to fly in from America and ‘one or two’ of the Spice Girls might make an appearance. But, say sources, it won’t be a ‘circus’.
‘The champagne will be flowing, as will the tequila but it won’t be a big bash,’ said the friend. ‘Despite what people think, Victoria isn’t a showy, flashy person and she doesn’t have crowds of mates, just special ones who she wants to spend her big day with.’
For Victoria, though, there is one guest who it really will warm her heart to see – daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz.
‘Victoria takes the view that she’s 50 and if her husband still loves her bum then she’s delighted,’ I’m told
‘Her birthday will be a small, intimate, family gathering, and it is literally the best present that she could have,’ said a friend
On July 4 Victoria and David will celebrate another huge milestone – their 25th wedding anniversary
Two years ago, the women were not on speaking terms after Brooklyn and Nicola’s wedding in April 2022, and Victoria and David both feared that they could lose Brooklyn over the feud.
Speculation over the cause of the rift was rife, but it appeared that problems began after it emerged that Victoria didn’t have time to make Nicola’s wedding dress.
Instead, the bride wore Valentino – and later gave an interview insisting that her choice of designer was not intended to be a slight against her future mother-in-law.
But today, things couldn’t be more different. In fact, the Mail can reveal that Nicola genuinely sees Victoria as her second mother.
‘Nicola comes from a huge [extended] family and as such her mum has lots of different children to attend to,’ says a friend. ‘Nicola has formed this beautiful bond with Victoria, Nicola is literally like her own daughter.
‘Repairing that fallout is something that Victoria is immensely proud of, and it brings her so much joy that she will be part of these celebrations. To have her there is a wonderful gift.’
As for the birthday girl’s outfit, there’s also good news for Victoria – she will almost certainly be out of her surgical boot.
She broke her foot after taking a tumble in the gym on Valentine’s Day and has since had to wear the unsightly equipment while she recovers. The Mail has been told that the break has been difficult to heal because she is so ‘active’.
As a result, David, 48, hilariously gifted her a £300 KneeRover mobility bike, designed to make sure she keeps pressure off her left leg, giving it the best chance to be ready for her big day.
‘One or two’ of the Spice Girls might make an appearance for the birthday celebrations. But, say sources, it won’t be a ‘circus’
Victoria, known as Posh Spice, and the other Spice Girls meet the Queen after the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium in 1997
Victoria has been spotted limping to and from fashion shows and dinners on crutches wearing one shoe – sometimes high-heeled – with the other in a boot.
While friends say she took her injury ‘very much in her stride’, they also insist she is determined to look her best for her 50th and is willing to do whatever it takes to arrive at her celebrations with both feet in her trademark high heels.
‘It has been a really frustrating time for Victoria and she has been seeing medical experts a lot recently so they can see what progress it is making,’ said a friend.
‘But at the moment she is pretty confident that she will be back in her stilettoes in time for her party. Victoria, and of course David who has been so invested in its fixing too, have literally everything crossed.’
It would be the final piece of her 50th birthday jigsaw. As well as mending her family rift with Brooklyn and Nicola, she is thrilled to have turned a financial corner with her fashion company.
In December she recorded how she has turned a profit for the first time in 15 years – with the help of sales of an £890 clutch bag, a £30 eyeliner and a carefully orchestrated social media strategy which sees her post make-up tutorial videos on TikTok which are watched by millions. It is something she is said to be ‘very proud of.’
On July 4, Victoria and David will celebrate another huge milestone – their 25th wedding anniversary. They first got together when Victoria was in the Spice Girls and David played for Manchester United, and few thought it would last the test of time.
However despite some lows – including David’s alleged fling with personal assistant Rebecca Loos in 2004 while he was playing for Real Madrid – it has become one of the longest lasting marriages in showbusiness and plans are afoot for yet another bash of sorts.
For today, friends say, their marriage is better than ever. As their accumulated 120 million Instagram followers can attest, the couple enjoy their time together, particularly at weekends, at their converted barn in the Cotswolds Village of Great Tew.
Recently, Victoria posted a video of the former England captain changing a lightbulb, zooming in on his bottom as she filmed him. He has done the same to her and, while there were times in the past when she would not have been amused, now she couldn’t love it more.
‘Victoria takes the view that she’s 50 and if her husband still loves her bum then she’s delighted,’ I’m told.
‘It kind of sums up their relationship. They are content and happy, they laugh a lot, which has been one of the keys to making it work. It would not be a lie to say that they are in a better place than ever. And that delights Victoria.’
She also feels blessed to still have both her parents, Tony and Jackie, as well as her in-laws, Ted and Sandra.
In short, say her friends, Victoria has come of age and her life has come together.
‘For so long she has felt so scrutinised and judged. And now it’s not about money for Victoria, but about contentment. She has finally become comfortable in her own skin, she doesn’t really give a **** any more what people think.
‘For years people said she only had a fashion brand because of David but she has proven that is not the case and there is a huge sense of pride.
She has found herself in both her professional and personal lives. Something has really changed with her.’
Speaking on David’s Netflix documentary, Beckham, she told viewers how she now felt ‘at peace’.
‘I feel really content now and I get that sense that you [David] feel content now. When you were younger you were constantly chasing and there’s an element of you’re passing the baton on and you want that for your kids.’
Talking of which, there is another present that money can’t buy which would be the icing on Victoria’s birthday cake – to become a grandmother.
Although she recently joked that she wasn’t quite ready for the next generation of Beckhams, as a hands-on mother of four, there is nothing she and David would love more. So will it happen during her big year?
‘Brooklyn is obsessed with babies,’ said a pal of the family. ‘He was about 11 when Harper was born and has doted on her ever since. He wants to be a young dad. So, watch this space.’
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