Blinging, rare, money-can’t-buy or just a shade bonkers — if you want to Birthday Like Beckham a little imagination is required.
This family — former footballer David, fashion boss Victoria and their children Brooklyn, 21, Romeo, 17, Cruz, 15, and Harper, eight — jointly worth an estimated £320million, like to celebrate each other’s milestones in style.
On Saturday, David got a vintage arcade machine worth around £3,500 for his 45th birthday.
Victoria and David Beckham normally splurge and treat each other, and their children, on big events such as birthdays. They are pictured celebrating David Beckham’s 40th birthday
But then, when you are buying presents for the man, woman or child who has everything, you need to push the boat out.
For instance, Harper has, in the past, been given a Damien Hirst painting worth about £600,000.
Victoria, who recently turned 46, has been on a trip to Paris by Lear jet, while eldest son Brooklyn turned 21 earlier this year in style with a £100,000 party.
Here, ALISON BOSHOFF looks back at big spending on big days.
On Saturday, David got a vintage arcade machine worth around £3,500 for his 45th birthday and Cruz shared a photo of David playing with the new toy on social media
A right royal blow-out, £100,000
2020: The couple spent big on a bash for son Brooklyn’s 21st, hiring Peregrine Armstrong-Jones, who organised the weddings of Princess Eugenie and Peter Phillips.
The party apparently cost £100,000 and featured sandwiches filled with Wagyu beef — the incredibly rich and expensive delicacy favoured by the rich and famous — at £140 each, and a set from the Brit-winning singer Stormzy.
The basketball shirt, £500
2012: David described this signed Magic Johnson basketball shirt, worth around £500, as the ‘best birthday present ever’.
He’s a fan of Johnson — the LA Lakers legend — and has been often spotted watching the Lakers with his children, who sometimes dress in the team shirts.
In 2011, he went to see the Lakers play on his birthday and sat court side with his chef pal, Gordon Ramsay.
Whether it is a big £50,000 birthday party in Morocco or a £500 signed basketball t-shirt, the family have always spoilt David on his birthdays
A golden laptop for golden balls, £10,000
2008: Who would pay £10,000 for a gold laptop?
Well, someone decided it was just what David needed around the time of his 33rd birthday when it emerged he was the proud recipient of this blingiest of merchandise.
David was bought a £10,000 gold laptop for his 33rd birthday, possibly the most bling technology most people have laid eyes on
When messaging his PR Simon Oliveira about his gift, the PR said: ‘will keep that off social media as the idiots will say we’re being showy’
In embarrassing messages, later leaked, David proudly emailed his PR Simon Oliveira with an image of the gift.
The PR replied: ‘Nice, will keep that off social media as the idiots will say we’re being showy.’ Perish the thought!
Wheels for a lucky teen, £33,350
2016: Son Brooklyn (right) got the keys to a brand new Mercedes C-class, worth £33,350, for his 17th birthday and had driving lessons from Dad on the big day. David wrote: ‘The face of a dad that’s almost 41 being driven around by his little boy (not so little).’
The car has a top speed of 140mph. Heaven knows what it cost to insure.
Brooklyn didn’t just get driving lessons for his 17th birthday, but was also gifted a brand new Mercedes C-class by his father David
The Mercedes costs £33,350 and has a top speed of 140mph – slightly faster than most people’s choice of a first car
My first tattoo, £500
2017: Dad David is inked from neck to ankle — so on his 18th birthday, his son Brooklyn visited tattoo artist Mark Mahoney at the Shamrock Social Club on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.
He had a large design of a Native American head on his arm, costing about £500.
Brooklyn got a tattoo of a Native American head on his arm from tattoo artist Mark Mahoney at the Shamrock Social Club in Hollywood for his 18th birthday
Later, the aspiring photographer, who dropped out of college, wrote: ‘Thank you so much Mark x just like dads.’
By another photo he wrote: ‘Honoured to have my first tattoo done by dads friend Mark Mahoney.’
Harper’s royal tea party
2017: Harper spent her sixth birthday having tea at Buckingham Palace, at the invitation of Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
Princess Eugenie joined the group but there was criticism from designer Stella McCartney after her daughter Reiley, who was there, was in photos posted by David on social media.
The cake-free ‘cake’, £30
2018: No prizes for guessing which fashionably thin family member was given this all-fruit birthday cake —without the carbs or calories — for her 44th birthday in 2018.
For Victoria’s 44th birthday she ordered a special cake just for her – an all-fruit (cake-free) birthday cake, without the carbs or calories
The big flashy four-oh, £50,000
2015: Victoria pulled out all the stops with a mini-break in Marrakech, Morocco, to mark David’s 40th in 2015.
Family on both sides attended, as did pals including actress Eva Longoria and two Spice Girls —Mel C and Emma Bunton.
Festivities at the five-star resort were said to have cost £50,000. There were camel rides during the day, illusionist David Blaine performed at the evening party — and it created oh-so-many photo opportunities on social media.
Pink diamond upgrade, £850,000
2004: Victoria has been trading up ever since David presented her with a £65,000 diamond engagement ring — and for her 30th she received yet another almighty bauble, a pink diamond worth nearly £850,000. Luckily she has ten fingers …
Victoria’s rings showed through on her 30th birthday when David gifted her a pink diamond worth nearly £850,000
Masterpiece for a very little Miss, £600,000
2012: The Beckhams added to their family with daughter Harper in July 2011. But what to buy a greatly doted-on one-year-old?
She was gifted a 4ft by 5ft Damien Hirst heart-shaped picture, which is pink and covered in butterflies and apparently was destined to be hung in her bedroom.
It cost a cool £600,000, so let’s hope no sticky fingers ever came near it.
Harper was gifted a 4ft by 5ft Damien Hirst heart-shaped picture, which is pink and covered in butterflies and cost £600,000 and was destined to be hung on her wall
Mummy, daddy, I want a pony, £7,000
2018: How do you top a birthday at Buckingham Palace?
Well, Harper’s heart’s desire for her seventh birthday was a pony.
Harper got a £7,000 pony for her birthday in 2018, which is stabled at the family’s Costwolds home. But David and Victoria told her it was important for her to get stuck into mucking out
Costing about £7,000, it is stabled at the family’s Cotswolds home.
A source said: ‘David and Victoria bought her some riding lessons and now she’s horse-mad. But they impressed upon her that it’s important she cares for it herself and gets stuck into the mucking out.’
Diamonds from a doting wife and son, £20,000
2001: Famed for his crosses on the pitch, David was given Theo Fennell diamond cross-shaped earrings for his 26th birthday from Victoria and Brooklyn.
Famed for his crosses on the pitch, David was given £20,000 diamond cross-shaped earrings (pictured) for his 26th birthday from Victoria and Brooklyn
A gift from Harper’s piggy bank, £4,500
2018: David was given a £4,500 Louis Vuitton wine carrier — a small suitcase for two wine glasses and a bottle of wine — by Harper.
It came with a key fob inscribed: ‘Daddy’s Wine Cellar, Love Harper!’ which is very generous indeed for a seven-year-old.
Harper generously gifted her father a £4,500 wine suitcase for his birthday and it came key fob inscribed: ‘Daddy’s Wine Cellar, Love Harper!’
Posh’s vineyard
2008: The Beckhams had made the great leap West, settling in Los Angeles and making a fresh start with new friends including Tom Cruise and Eva Longoria.
That spring, David apparently arranged a weekend in the Napa Valley and announced he was gifting Posh a stake in a winery for her 34th, though it’s not clear if he ever made good on the promise.
Maybe Victoria decided she preferred drinking wine to growing it — she and David often post pictures of themselves quaffing prize vintages.
David arranged a weekend in the Napa Valley and announced he was gifting Posh a stake in a winery for her 34th birthday, but it’s not clear if he followed through on his promise