From overcoming affair scandal to fixing THAT feud: How Victoria Beckham had the last laugh as she turns 50
SHE reaches her half-century on Wednesday, and it is little wonder Victoria Beckham’s famous pout has been replaced by an increasingly large grin.
Yes, she may now officially be in her middle years, but life is more fabulous than ever for the icon endearingly known as “Posh”.
The big showbiz party will take place this summer to celebrate the upcoming milestones of her 25-year wedding anniversary on July 4 with husband David, plus their daughter Harper’s 13th birthday on July 10.
There is talk of it being the “godmother of all parties,” which will rival the multimillion-pound extravaganza they helped throw for son Brooklyn’s wedding to heiress Nicola Peltz (only this time, they won’t need to run ideas past the in-laws).
Meanwhile, this month, the celebration for her 50th will be a quieter, classy affair with a lot of laughter and family – just the way she likes it.
She will also hopefully be celebrating being able to dance again, after an accident in the gym left her on crutches.
In typical style, she’s been braving out the injury resplendently, accessorising with a single signature high heel in public and joking on social media about the knee scooter David gave her.
“Think how much wine I can fit in the basket… The best present my husband ever bought me!” she said.
But being unable to live life at her usual pace has been a struggle.
“She can’t wait to get the medical boot off,” says one family friend. “And she is determined to make up for lost time.”
Victoria has never been one for big drama. The broken foot may have been a small reminder of mortality and that age is creeping up on her, but she’s taken her latest metamorphosis – that of Menopause Spice – in her stride.
“Honestly, I’m not obsessed with looking young,” she said recently, when talking about her milestone birthday.
As her inner circle knows only too well, when Victoria sets her mind to something she will succeed, and that includes turning herself into one of the greatest style icons of the decade.
Honestly, I’m not obsessed with looking young
Victoria Beckham
Her daily diet of steamed fish and vegetables, as well as a punishing fitness routine, might see other mortals edging away in horror, but she’s always known that while she might not be the best singer, the most beautiful or the greatest talent, hard work can get you a long, long way.
And that includes the effort she puts into her appearance.
Her beauty routine is a little more relaxed than the efforts she goes to stay in shape, but she takes it just as seriously, with facial peels, daily use of an LED lamp to stimulate collagen production, dermaplaning (a cosmetic procedure that exfoliates the skin), plus face masks specially created by celebrity beautician Melanie Grant.
Then, of course, there are the serum and moisturiser from her own beauty range.
At school, Victoria was bullied for having bad skin and it has taken a long time for her to embrace her imperfections. But now, she’s got there.
“Do I think of myself as beautiful? No, absolutely not. But I make the best of what I have,” she said a couple of years ago.
“I see my imperfections and flaws and I smile; it’s who I am and I’m not going to try to change that.
“It has taken a long time to recognise that actually, I’m alright.
“I work hard, I look OK, I’ve got four children who I’m incredibly proud of, a wonderful husband and I feel content.”
The popularity of her beauty line, Victoria Beckham Beauty, in which she is front and centre of the marketing with her Instagram and TikTok videos, proves that she has a look that many people want to emulate.
I see my imperfections and flaws and I smile; it’s who I am and I’m not going to try to change that
Victoria Beckham
The confidence she gains from that is clear to those around her.
“A lot of women talk about really hitting their stride when they reach 50, and that is certainly Victoria,” says the family friend.
“Her business is going well, her family is happy and she has really come into her own. She’s more confident.
“You see that not only in her smiles – something she was afraid to show in the past because she didn’t like the way she looked – but also in her not being afraid to show her humour.
“Her friends and family have always known her to be the opposite of the cold and obsessively ambitious person she’s often portrayed as.
“She’s the lynchpin of her family, has a close set of friends, and is really enjoying life.”
While she has always played with fashion – from that purple wedding dress to the tiny shorts and vests of the WAG years – the simplicity of her own beautifully tailored suits and dresses shows a different kind of confidence.
“Her brand has changed a lot since the days of the short, spiky and bob hair styles, full-leather ensembles and bodycon dresses,” says stylist Chantelle Znideric.
She’s had an amazing career as a global pop star, demonstrated she’s a super-successful businesswoman in fashion and beauty, and is a caring mum to her wonderful brood. I really see her as a role model
Chantelle Znideric
“No doubt, at the time, there was an expectation for her to dress a certain way to sell records. Now, she portrays elegance in a much more pared-down way.
“She no longer has to prove anything. She’s had an amazing career as a global pop star, demonstrated she’s a super-successful businesswoman in fashion and beauty, and is a caring mum to her wonderful brood. I really see her as a role model,” adds Chantelle.
Part of that is down to the success, finally, of her brand after 15 years of hard slog, which has seen her face ridicule, snobbery and the embarrassment of having to ask her husband for loans.
Accounts released at the end of last year showed her company made a profit of £200k when sales rose 44%.
The success, which came after years of losses racking up £66m, may be precarious – shareholders felt the need to inject a further £7m into the business last year – but for Victoria it feels like the tide has turned.
That it also rides mainly on her phenomenally popular make-up business and her accessories line (including a £850 chain pouch clutch bag), rather than the clothes she pours the most attention into, is perhaps a niggle.
For now, though, she can celebrate finally being in the black.
Her new fragrance range, meanwhile, looks to be just as successful as the beauty line.
It is telling, too, that at this point, she has said goodbye to her pop career for good.
“The Spice Girls were asked to perform at Glastonbury and Victoria was the only one who said no – as far as she’s concerned, she’s retired from the music industry,” says the family friend.
“She was never the best pop star – she was laughed at for her weak voice. Why would she want to go back there?”
The decision to turn her back on the Spice Girls has been compounded by a falling out with Geri Halliwell.
“Geri wanted them all to publicly stand up and show their support for her husband Christian Horner over his recent work scandal.
She was never the best pop star – she was laughed at for her weak voice. Why would she want to go back there
Family friend
“Geri was furious when they all refused to, and it might take some time for her to make up with Victoria.”
It is exactly 20 years since Victoria – around the time of her 30th birthday – was in a similar position to Geri, facing her own husband’s scandal.
Back then, she celebrated her birthday in London while David, now 48, was playing for Real Madrid, where he was alleged to have had an affair with his PA Rebecca Loos.
While it was skirted over in Netflix’s recent Beckham documentary – Rebecca’s name was never mentioned and it was spun as something the newspapers covered – the scandal was catapulted back into the limelight.
But this time, thanks to a reassessment of Noughties culture, Victoria was no longer cast as the baddie.
In fact, Victoria – and what she has had to put up with – came across in a whole new light.
It became clear that David was obsessed mainly with his football career, and his wife and their growing family had to follow him around the world.
For each move, she had to find new houses, new schools and frame her work around his passions.
She has infused her brand with this personal element and huge confidence
Jojo Smith
While his relentless work obsession and OCD surprised fans, her sense of humour won them over.
In one clip, which went viral and is now up for a TV BAFTA Memorable Moment Award next month, he joked about her saying that her family were working class, forcing the admission that her dad drove a Rolls-Royce.
In typical VB style, however, she had the last laugh, launching a sellout range of £120 T-shirts sporting the slogans: “My dad had a Rolls-Royce” and “David’s wife”.
“I think we all saw a different side of Victoria through that documentary,” says brand expert Jojo Smith of CreativSAS.
“We all fell a bit in love with her and realised she’s had such a bad rap for all these years.
“David had this angel persona, while she was seen as the ambitious wife pushing him. But she really came into her own, and we saw how honest and loyal she is.
“I’m a few months younger than Victoria and was a massive Spice Girls fan.
“Watching that documentary made me realise how misunderstood she has been, partly because she was always surrounded by much bigger characters.
“Her sense of humour came through massively and we see the impact of that on her brand, which is cheeky and sassy and utterly her,” adds Jojo.
“She is brave, too, going into fashion from the world of pop was a bold move.
“But she has infused her brand with this personal element and huge confidence.
[Victoria and Nicola] fell out because of the huge stress around the wedding, but are fine now
Family friend
“That passes on the sense of empowerment to her customers – she’s done something really special with her brand.”
The documentary also shone a light on the Beckham marriage, which has been a source of fascination for more than half of Victoria’s life, and illustrated their shared values, including working hard and hands-on parenting.
But, with David spending hours obsessively cleaning, it was also clear that they have different lives.
“David is in Miami during football season while Victoria is in the UK, where Harper is still at school,” says the family friend.
“I would say they are happy, but not in a conventional sense.
“They have to work hard to find time in their diaries to make sure their schedules match.
“But when they are together, they get on very well.”
The problems Victoria had with daughter-in-law Nicola, who married Brooklyn, 25, in May 2022, are now also mended.
“They fell out because of the huge stress around the wedding, but are fine now,” insists the family friend.
“Nicola’s family have the same values of working hard and she knows Brooklyn has found someone he really loves.”
As happy as she is with the success of her business, Victoria is most proud of her children, Brooklyn, Romeo, 21, Cruz, 19, and Harper.
It’s a joy she and David share. They know they could have turned out to be spoilt and entitled, but all the children are respectful and want to succeed on their own terms.
That’s why, when she turns 50 this week, Victoria won’t need the big party and showbiz pizazz that accompanies so much of her life.
She has everything she wants and needs – no wonder she’s grinning.