David and Victoria Beckham’s Relationship Timeline Will Make You Believe in Love
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Nostalgia for the ’90s is all the rage these days, so it’s only fitting Netflix released a documentary about one of the decades it-couples: the Beckhams. In the four-part series, viewers get an inside look at David Beckham and his family’s world, from the athlete’s beginnings as a soccer player to his life at home alongside his wife, pop star–turned-fashion designer Victoria Beckham.
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In honor of this big drop, we went way back into the Becks and Posh archives to bring you a complete timeline of their relationship, from the cheating scandals and breakup rumors to the couple’s sweetest moments and big milestones. Get ready for plenty of drama, a lot of tattoos, and more “xx” signatures than you can count.
1997:
Although the couple reportedly grew up within 15 minutes of each other in London, they didn’t actually meet until years later, when Victoria was Posh Spice of the Spice Girls and David was playing soccer with Manchester United.
According to David’s accounts on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, “She came to a football match—soccer match—and I said hi from across the room and that was it. I thought I’d missed my chance, and then a week later she turned up at another football match.”
Their second meeting was luckily a lot more robust, per a later interview David had with Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show: “We talked for about an hour in the players’ lounge, and then she actually got the train up that day, so she wrote her number down on her train ticket, which I still have.”
Victoria, for her part, enjoyed David’s family-oriented nature and wrote in a letter to her younger self published by British Vogue, “While the other football players stand at the bar drinking with their mates, you will see David standing aside with his family. (He’s not even in the first team at this stage—you are the famous one.)… And he has such a cute smile. You, too, are close to your family, and you will think how similar he feels to you.”
1998:
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The couple kicked off the new year with some truly exciting news in 1998 thanks to their engagement! They maintained they weren’t planning on actually tying the knot until the summer of 1999. And though the engagement bling was already iconic the first time around, according to a 2020 Elle article, it was one of a whopping 15 that David has given his wife throughout their marriage.
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David Beckham and Victoria Adams announced their engagement on January 25, 1998.
March 4, 1999:
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Brooklyn, the first child of Victoria and David Beckham, attends an event with his parents in September 2019.
The family of two became a family of three when Brooklyn Joseph Beckham was born. Victoria would later come out with a 2001 autobiography, Learning to Fly, that addressed the rumors her firstborn was named after the place he was conceived.
Learning to Fly by Victoria Beckham
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“It was when we were in Marbella [Spain] that we came up with the name Brooklyn. We already knew he was a boy, and so I knew he could end up a footballer, so it had to be a name that was a bit blokey,” the celeb wrote. “I had always liked the name Brooke, and then we suddenly thought about Brooklyn. I’d always liked it as a place—it’s very multi-cultural, very grounded. And it was only afterwards that I realized how appropriate it was because it was in New York that I found out I was pregnant.”
July 4, 1999:
Exactly four months after their son was born, Victoria and David got married at Luttrellstown Castle near Dublin, Ireland, and the vibes were regal. According to the Irish Independent, the star-studded affair was so lavish the couple even had their own thrones to sit on, and Victoria wore a tiara.
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September 1, 2002:
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Romeo Beckham in July 2023
Three years after tying the knot, the Beckham household grew yet again after Victoria and David welcomed son Romeo James.
July 1, 2003:
David transferred to Real Madrid in 2003 after playing exclusively for English soccer teams, which meant he and the family of four made the move to Spain, where they would remain for the next several years.
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David Beckham celebrates receiving his OBE with Victoria Beckham in November 2003.
In April 2004, infidelity rumors swirled after the athlete was spotted leaving a Madrid nightclub with a “mystery woman.” Though the person was later identified as his assistant, Rebecca Loos, Rebecca’s brother John Charles Loos later claimed the cheating rumors were actually true.
“She has confirmed to me she had an affair with David,” he alleged during a 2004 interview with The Daily Mail. David dismissed the allegations as categorically false.
“During the past few months I have become accustomed to reading more and more ludicrous stories about my private life,” the athlete said in a statement. “The simple truth is that I am very happily married. I have a wonderful wife and two very special kids. There is nothing any third party can do to change these facts.”
Even more recently, Victoria opened up about the ordeal in her and David’s new Netflix docuseries, Beckham. “It was the hardest period for us because it felt like the world was against us,” she recalled. “And here’s the thing, we were against each other if I’m being completely honest. You know, up until Madrid, sometimes it felt like us against everybody else, but we were together, we were connected, we had each other. But when we were in Spain, it didn’t really feel like we had each other either. And that’s sad.”
“I can’t even begin to tell you how hard it was and how it affected me,” she added.
February 20, 2005:
The couple welcomed their third son, Cruz David, and the professional athlete told reporters outside of a Madrid hospital, “We’ve got a baby boy. His name is Cruz. He is beautiful. He is in there with his brothers now, and he is very happy.”
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July 2007:
After spending a number of years in Spain, David signed a new contract with L.A. Galaxy, which resulted in the whole family packing up and moving to the United States. And like the royalty they are, the couple received the most incredible welcome when they came stateside by being treated to a “huge” welcome party thrown by none other than Tom Cruise, according to an interview Brooklyn had with Capital FM.
“[The move] will be especially nice for the children,” Victoria told People ahead of the family’s relocation. “To be able to be outdoors so much of the time will be wonderful.”
August 2007:
The Beckhams opened up about their relationship and posed for a series of photos in an intimate W magazine profile, where they took a moment to address overcoming obstacles in their marriage. Namely, David’s rumored affair three years prior.
“I’m not going to lie. It was a really rough time… David and I got through it together,” Victoria told the outlet. “No one said marriage was going to be easy. Yes, there have been bumps along the road. But the fact is we’ve come out of everything we’ve been through stronger and happier. It’s even better now than when we were first married. After all these years, we can just come home and have a laugh together.”
September 2009:
For the couple’s 10-year anniversary, David quite literally put his heart on his sleeve by commemorating his love with some ink. “I had 10 roses around my arms… for the 10 years,” the soccer player dished to Ellen DeGeneres about his new tattoo on her eponymous show (via Us Weekly).
He then pointed out that a love like his and Victoria’s goes far beyond exchanging gifts: “We always try and do things special, you know. It’s not always about buying gifts for each other, of course. We just make sure that we make time together or go for dinner together and do special things. That’s important to us.”
April 29, 2011:
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David and Victoria Beckham arrive at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding on April 29, 2011.
David and Victoria traveled across the pond for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal wedding and were dressed to the nines in a dark Ralph Lauren suit and a navy Victoria Beckham dress, respectively.
July 10, 2011:
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Harper, the youngest of David and Victoria Beckham’s children, attends an event with her parents in October 2023.
Shortly after Kate and Will’s royal wedding, the Beckhams welcomed their daughter, Harper Seven—a name that likely culled inspiration from the fact that David played as No. 7 for Manchester United. “Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz are excited to welcome their new baby sister to the family,” the couple’s spokesperson said at the time.
May 2013:
In May 2013, David announced that he would be retiring from soccer after a whopping 21 years on the field, per The New York Times. The family soon left Los Angeles and returned to London.
July 2014:
The couple celebrated their 15-year wedding anniversary with a number of adorable throwback pics from their big day. “15 beautiful years. We feel so blessed and thankful for your love and support over the years. Such a special day x,” Victoria posted on Twitter (now called X).
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January 30, 2017:
During an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, David revealed he and his wife had tied the knot for a second time—in a far more intimate ceremony than their 1999 nuptials. “It was a lot more private, about six people there in our house,” he shared.
The athlete also laid to rest any speculation that their long-term union was a business decision (a truly wild allegation to begin with): “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 marriages.”
May 2018:
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Victoria and David Beckham were among the guests at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding on May 19, 2018.
The stylish duo attended another royal wedding in May 2018—Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s—in a romantic ceremony at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. “It was such a beautiful, incredible wedding. It was just the best day… They looked so happy, and everybody was just so happy for them,” Victoria gushed to the Evening Standard at the time.
June 2018:
Yet again, the rumor mill was buzzing about a possible breakup, but the couple was quick put the whole ordeal to rest. “There is no impending divorce!” their rep told People. And to further prove the skeptics wrong, Victoria also posted a sweet pic of herself and her daughter Harper, writing that they loved and missed David.
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The following month, the designer addressed the rumors during a conversation with British Vogue in which she said, “People have been making things up about our relationship for 20 years, so David and I are pretty used to ignoring the nonsense and just carrying on as normal. But these things have a wider effect on the people around us, and that’s unfair.”
She also spoke about her and her husband’s unwavering bond, telling the magazine they are stronger as a unit than they are as individuals: “Would either of us be in the position that we are in now had we not met and been together all those years ago? It’s all about the family unit. We respect that family bond, and that is key.”
September 3, 2018:
The chance of landing an entire family cover shoot in British Vogue is low, but never zero—at least, not for the Beckhams, who did just that in 2018:
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October 2018:
David opened up about the secret to his marriage with The Sunday Project’s Lisa Wilkinson and said (per People), “I think marriage is always about hard work. To have been married for the amount of time that we have, you know it’s always hard work, everybody knows that, but you make it work, you make difficult situations, like traveling away, being away from each other, you make it work.”
The soccer star also took a moment to gush about his wife’s many accomplishments: “We recently did a Vogue front cover, which was all about Victoria’s 10 years in fashion. The amount she’s achieved in such a short space of time with four beautiful young children… but obviously her business world, you know, to be on the front cover of Vogue, was a huge thing.”
April 2019:
The duo celebrated Victoria’s 45th birthday surrounded by tons of family, friends, and loved ones. “The most beautiful day with my favorite people in the world xxx I Love u so so so much xxx kisses from a very loved mummy and wife x ❤️,” the Spice Girl captioned this tender pic:
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July 4, 2019:
For their 20th anniversary, the couple exchanged touching tributes to each other on social media. David, for his part, shared several images from his and Victoria’s wedding day and tons of cute moments throughout the years.
“WOW 20 years, look what we created. Love you so much,” he wrote in his post.
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The musician, meanwhile, shared a slideshow of photos from over the years, writing, “20 years today. I love you so much xxxxx Kisses x @davidbeckham.”
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May 2020:
Victoria shared a glimpse into her and her husband’s lives pre-children by posting a throwback pic from their early days as a couple.
“Happy birthday @davidbeckham,” she wrote in the caption. “Remembering our walks with Snoop and Puffy in Manchester all those years ago. Still dog walking together 23 years later. Love you so much x.”
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October 30, 2020:
David and Victoria reportedly signed a deal with Netflix to create a documentary to take viewers behind the scenes of their personal lives.
January 2021:
Mirroring her iconic 2017 letter to her 18-year-old self, Victoria penned another open letter—this time, to her future self—for British Vogue and revealed one of the secrets to her decades-long marriage: the value of a well-executed surprise.
“You’ve said f–– it, and put on a great dress and a smoky eye. You always liked to surprise people—especially David. Preserving that bit of mystique is always helpful after almost 22 years of marriage. (What anniversary are you celebrating now?),” Posh wrote.
April 2021:
Victoria voiced just how proud she was of her husband’s latest business venture as one of the owners of the Inter Miami CF soccer club. “So proud of @davidbeckham⚽️ @intermiamicf,” she captioned a group shot from the arena. “First game of the season and so excited to be here!! Kisses to the Peltz family!! We love you all! X.”
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July 2021:
The couple shared a number of throwback pics in honor of their 22nd wedding anniversary.
“I love you David 💕 Happy Anniversary 💕,” wrote Victoria alongside a sweet video montage of some of the couple’s best behind-the-scenes moments together.
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David, for his part, posted a series of images that showcased the duo’s many matching looks over the years with the caption, “22 years later, still matching outfits 😂 Happy anniversary love u so much and thank you for giving me our amazing kids so we can all wear the same 😂.”
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February 14, 2022:
For Valentine’s Day, the singer posted an image back from the day she and David found out that they were expecting their first child. “1998 in NYC! And still my Valentine 24 years later ❤️ taken on the day we found out I was pregnant with @brooklynbeckham! I love you @davidbeckham ❤️,” Victoria captioned the shot, which showcased a short-haired Posh and a tattoo-less David with their arms wrapped around one another.
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David returned the sentiment with a series of images captioned, “Happy valentines to my girls ❤️❤️ 2 beautiful & strong women . BTW Harper remember daddy will always be your valentine 😂 love you @victoriabeckham ❤️.”
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April 9, 2022:
The couple went to the wedding of their eldest son, Brooklyn, and his wife Nicola Peltz. The proud parents looks stunning, per usual.
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October 13, 2022:
Victoria made the decision to remove a number of her older tattoos because they had faded and turned a “bluey” color—including one of David’s initials located on her wrist.
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“They just didn’t look so nice,” the fashion designer confessed to Hoda Kotb during an appearance on the Today with Hoda & Jenna. “It doesn’t mean anything more than that,” Victoria noted before adding, “I think that the media started to speculate, was I leaving my husband? No, I was just a bit sick of the tattoo. It’s as simple as that.”
December 22, 2022:
During the Business of Fashion’s VOICES 2022 event, Victoria reminisced about her wedding to her husband and mused, “I think the media glamorized the wedding much more than it actually was. Yes, it was in a magazine. Yes, we sat on thrones… But the wedding wasn’t as huge as everybody made out. We know we had the football team there, we had the Spice Girls there, and it was family and friends. It was much more intimate than it looked.”
February 14, 2023:
The longtime couple looked back on their love story on Valentine’s Day and posted more content on their respective Instagram accounts.
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June 26, 2023:
The couple sat front row (and in a row boat, no less!) for the Jacquemus Le Chouchou fashion show at the Palace of Versailles. The pics? Iconic. The setting? Iconic. The outfits? Iconic.
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September 8, 2023:
David proved to be the ultimate Spice Girls fan by getting the word “Posh” tattooed on his left middle finger and shared pics from his ink session on Instagram.
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September 19, 2023
Victoria gushed about David’s new Netflix documentary and penned the following on her Instagram: “I’m so proud of you David Beckham and everything you’ve achieved.. I can’t wait for you all to see BECKHAM on Netflix from October 4! xx.”
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From: Cosmopolitan US
Gretty Garcia
Assistant news editor
Gretty Garcia is the assistant news editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers all things news, entertainment, and pop culture. Before joining Cosmo, Gretty was a social strategist for Mrs. Dow Jones and a features and special projects editor at Editorialist. She holds an MS from the Columbia Journalism School and studied art history at Harvard College.
