Of all the jobs she’s had over the years, from pop star to chief WAG to fashion designer, it’s clear to everyone that the role Victoria Beckham cherishes most is that of mum. A look through her social media proves just that, with gushing posts dedicated to her and husband David’s brood of four. From a distance, at least, the family seems complete with three boys, a girl (plus a daughter-in-law), and a strong bond that keeps them closer than close.
But as heat has previously told you, Posh’s feelings of contentment have been tested as her children have grown. Having been a mum for 24 years, she’s inevitably felt pangs of nostalgia for the baby years, especially since youngest daughter Harper turned 12 in July.
But, at 49, the idea of having more children has, until recently, been less an ambition, and more a pleasant daydream. But last week, as close friend Tana Ramsay, 49, and her husband, Gordon, 57, revealed they’d welcomed their sixth child, sources tell heat that Posh has mixed emotions. While she’s delighted for the Ramsays, their baby news has left her questioning her own decision to stop at four children.
“It’s been bittersweet for Vic seeing her friend welcome another child,” says an insider close to the fashionista, who – alongside David, 48 – counts the Ramsays as part of their inner circle of close friends. “Of course, first and foremost, she’s thrilled for Gordon and Tana, but it’s also been a slightly bitter pill for her, as Vic had long stopped considering having more kids. Seeing Tana have another, with them both being the same age, she can’t help but ask, ‘What if?’ It’s given Vic a tinge of regret that she and David didn’t have just one more child.”
Tana and Gordon surprised a lot of people last week when they announced the arrival of baby boy Jesse James on Instagram. Accompanying the post with a gallery of joyful photos, Tana wrote, “It’s been a nerve-wracking nine months, but we’ve made it and we have been blessed with this little bundle. Ramsay family definitely complete.”While it may be unorthodox to have children at this later stage in life, a recent raft of celebs have demonstrated that it’s no longer beyond the realms of possibility. As well as Tana, Hilary Swank proved as much earlier this year when she welcomed twins at the age of 48, and just last month, broadcaster Victoria Coren Mitchell had her second child at 51. Then, of course, there’s the option of surrogacy, which reportedly enabled Naomi Campbell to have her first child at 50, and her second at 53.
Rules and expectations imposed on women when it comes to when and how to have children no longer apply – just ask mum-of-four Chrissy Teigen, who this year gave birth to their daughter, Esti Maxine, five months before their surrogate welcomed their son, Wren Alexander.
In Victoria’s case, she has followed a more traditional route. As a young mum, she and David welcomed their boys – Brooklyn, 24, Romeo, 21, and Cruz, 18 – in steady succession. But it was Harper’s arrival in 2011 that famously completed the family, with Victoria getting the daughter she’d long hoped for.
At the time, insiders said that having not had the easiest pregnancy, the mum of four was happily drawing a line at having any more kids, especially since her oldest boys still required a lot of looking after – while, at the same time, she was focused on expanding her fashion and beauty business. “When you’re a working mum, you feel torn, you feel guilty,” she said in an interview in 2017. “I just do the best that I can do, and my kids and David will always come first.”
We’re told that, realistically, Posh has long known the ship has sailed in terms of having more kids, and she is instead focused on the future, with her 50th birthday in sight. Yet Tana’s news has held up a mirror to an alternate future, and also made her nostalgic for when her children were little.
Posting on Instagram last week, she uploaded some throwback photos of herself, David and the kids hiking in the Grand Canyon over a decade ago, telling fans she was remembering “special times as a family”. Nostalgia is inherently bittersweet, and we’re told it’s taking Vic a moment to process her conflicting emotions.“Vic has her big milestone birthday next year, and she’s growing more as a person and leaning into things that make her happy,” says our source. “The truth is, she can’t imagine having another baby – it would completely wipe her out and change all her plans. But just seeing Tana’s post-baby glow has made her wonder how it would have been to give Harper a baby sister. It’s a bit of a tough pill to swallow when she thinks about it too much.”
However, all is not lost for Posh, as Brooklyn has expressed hopes of having kids with wife Nicola Peltz sooner rather than later. While rumours of a feud between Victoria and Nicola, 28, have circulated for a while – ever since the latter chose to wear a dress by Valentino, instead of one designed by Vic, at her wedding in 2022 – all parties now seem to be on far better terms.
Indeed Mrs Peltz-Beckham has duly returned to publicly complimenting her mother-in-law online, leaving no doubt as to who is Brand Beckham’s leading lady. With that in mind, it’s only a matter of time before Posh has a very important new job to add to the list. And having been a mum four times over, we’re sure that – just like a straight-from-the-runway VB dress – grandma is a role she’ll wear well.
