Sir David Beckham received his knighthood at Windsor Castle, with family present except for son Brooklyn. Photo / Instagram, @davidbeckham
On Tuesday, a visibly emotional Sir David Beckham described receiving his knighthood from the King as “a special honour” and “a big moment for our family”.
Beckham’s wife, Victoria, and his parents, Sandra and Ted, watched on proudly as he was knighted during the ceremony at Windsor Castle. The newly ennobled footballer was then photographed at the castle with his smartly dressed wife and children, sons Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 20, and daughter Harper, 14.
However, that beautiful photo is tinged with sadness thanks to the glaring absence of his son, Brooklyn, who seemingly remains locked in a bitter feud with his parents, and who snubbed the entire occasion – the most important of his father’s career.
It is perhaps the clearest sign yet that after four years of rumours about tension, relations between him and his parents have truly hit rock bottom. What should be a picture commemorating a glorious day could instead haunt the Beckham family forever.
Rachel Richardson, who writes the culture and trends newsletter Highly Flammable, describes the current frosty silence between Brooklyn, 26, and his family as their “Cold War phase”. On this week’s evidence, it doesn’t appear as though a truce will be reached any time soon.
On Tuesday night, the Beckham clan celebrated with dinner at their friend Gordon Ramsay’s Michelin-starred London restaurant – again, all but Brooklyn. It was the same story on social media.
Romeo posted that family portrait from Windsor Castle with an affectionate caption – “No one deserves this more than you. Congrats Sir Dad” – which riffed off an interview that Beckham gave earlier, joking that his children were welcome to call him “Sir Dad”. Victoria and Cruz also shared the family photo to their Instagram stories, with a video of Beckham with the King.
But the ever-absent Brooklyn chose not to post anything on his social media – nor even “like” or share one of his siblings’ posts. For such a chronically online individual, it appeared to be a deliberate slight.
Indeed, the Beckhams’ social media accounts are co-ordinated with military precision, observes Richardson. “They seem to model themselves on the royal family in the sense of trying to project consistency. It makes it immediately obvious when someone is out of step with the others.”
Perhaps Brooklyn has chafed against that very co-ordination, adds Richardson. “If he wanted to be more of an individual, and felt overshadowed by his family, he might not have been thrilled about being told what to post on social media.”
Did these no-shows, both physical and online, cast a dark shadow over Beckham’s much-longed-for honour?
“Obviously, this is a huge moment for David, and he surely would have wanted his whole family to be there to support him,” says Richardson. “This is a really proud, significant achievement, something he has wanted for years, and which clearly means a lot to him.”
Indeed, Beckham said in an Instagram post on Tuesday: “All I have ever wanted to do is to make my family proud,” before paying tribute to his “beautiful wife” and “beautiful children”.
Nicola Howson, a long-term member of Beckham’s team, previously told The Telegraph that Beckham is “a very passionate family man”, and that his family “has always been his priority”.
Beckham must surely, then, be feeling especially sad about Brooklyn’s absence from his knighthood celebrations – “just as any of us would if a loved one chose not to be with us”, says public relations expert Mark Borkowski.
He adds: “The knighthood is something David has worked for desperately. He has his family behind him, that’s very important to him, and I’m sure he would have been expecting them all to be with him before this row happened. Sadly, it appears the wounds are just too deep for a rapprochement.”
The feud seemingly dates back to Brooklyn’s wedding to Nicola Peltz (the daughter of American billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz) in 2022, when Nicola allegedly clashed with Victoria over her choice of dress.
But a source close to Brooklyn previously told The Telegraph that he also harboured a long-standing unhappiness over his treatment within the family, and believes he has been made to feel like he is an “idiot” and “stupid”. The source said that he was “breaking generational trauma” in standing up to his parents, with his wife’s “support”.
Brooklyn is currently ensconced in Los Angeles, and has shunned all recent family events, including Beckham’s 50th birthday in May.
In skipping his father’s biggest day, Brooklyn now seems to have delivered a one-two punch.
“A few years ago, Brooklyn not turning up to a big occasion like the knighthood was unthinkable,” says Richardson. “Clearly, things have changed in such a terrible way that he isn’t there for his dad on this monumental day.”
It suggests the family is now experiencing a “really significant rift”, says Richardson. “That’s heartbreaking – it’s just so sad for everybody involved.” This dismal separation seems entrenched now, she adds. “I’m now assuming this is how it’s going to be until we hear differently.”
Still, Beckham and Victoria continue supporting their son from afar by engaging with some of his online posts: last month they “liked” aspiring chef Brooklyn’s Instagram video showing him cooking buttermilk pancakes. But it appears Brooklyn isn’t interested in accepting an olive branch. He certainly didn’t return the favour by congratulating his father.
“That could suggest the frostiness is more on Brooklyn’s side,” notes Richardson.
The apparent feud is more obvious than it would be with other celebrities since the Beckhams’ family life has always been part of their public profile. “When you choose to put your family out there, a rift becomes a major plot line,” says Richardson. “It can’t just be resolved privately.”
The optics are key, because for the Beckhams, business and family life are intrinsically linked, whether through their recent Netflix documentaries or continually showcasing Victoria’s fashion brand. Beckham wore a three-piece suit to Windsor Castle which she designed (inspired by a suit King Charles wore as a young man), marking her first foray into menswear, and Harper wore a custom Victoria Beckham black shift dress.
So, is there anything that could bring about a reconciliation? Richardson thinks the biggest test will be if Brooklyn and Nicola have a child: “That’s going to be a really interesting inflection point. The other thing might be a death in the family or someone getting sick.”
But unfortunately for Beckham, it appears that receiving a prestigious honour from the King, and fulfilling a lifelong dream, isn’t occasion enough to tempt his eldest son back into the Beckham fold. That Windsor Castle portrait with one child missing could well encapsulate the new normal for the divided Beckham family.
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