‘It haunts me’: The true stories behind David and Victoria’s most iconic photo moments

As a country, we’ve collectively lost it over Netflix’s new Beckham documentary. And, as Victoria and David once again assert themselves as Britain’s most iconic couple, photos of them together from the ’90s and ’00s are going viral on TikTok and Twitter.

Wearing cornrows next to Nelson Mandela, a durag in front of Prince Charles, and matching Gucci leather fits to a Versace party— the stories behind the pictures are almost as good as the iconic images themselves. So, here’s the real context behind all of the Posh and Becks pictures which are all over your timeline right now:

Their huge airport slay which could have been a professional photoshoot

When David and Victoria arrived at New Tokyo International Airport in 2003 after he’d just signed a £24.5million deal with Real Madrid there were so many members of the public and paparazzi there it could have been mistaken for an international incident. Everything about their outfits is iconic: The white stilettos, the matching blazers, her ’00s wrap sunglasses, his boy band top knot?! This could have been a professional campaign for Diesel. But it wasn’t. They’re on the way to baggage claim.

The fever dream image of meeting Prince Charles while wearing a Durag

One of the most Tweeted pictures post the Beckham documentary is this one of David and Victoria meeting King Charles in 2000 at his Party in the Park concert in aid of the Princes Trust Charity, where Victoria was performing. David was spotted in bandanas all throughout the nineties and noughties but has never commented on his decision to wear a durag despite the intense (justified) public interest in the outfit choice.

Giving Nelson Mandela an England shirt while sporting dreadlocks

In May 2003, David presented Nelson Mandela with an England shirt alongside other English and South African football players before an international friendly in Johannesburg. At the time of the meeting, David had cornrows— the one hair style he says he’s ever actually regretted:

“People ask if I have any regrets about my hairstyles and while I don’t regret any of them, I do sort of regret the cornrows,” The Sun reported he said. “I had them put in on the Saturday and on the Monday I flew to South Africa with the England team for a match. I got to meet the great Nelson Mandela. And the picture that I’ve got of Nelson Mandela is me holding his hand with cornrows in my hair. That’s my only regret.”

The matching purple outfits which everyone is roasting them for

Another photo series which has re-emerged since the Beckham doc are the ones from David and Victoria’s wedding photoshoot with Ok! in 1999, which they sold the exclusive rights to for £1million. After Victoria had changed out of her Vera Wang dress with a 18-karat gold tiara and a 20-foot-long train, she and David swapped into these matching purple fits by Antonio Berardi and, honestly – what is going on.

(Baby Brooklyn Beckham was also present in a matching purple suit and bib).

Wearing matching double leather like they’d just been cast in The Matrix

When David and Victoria attended the Versace Party in London in 1999 you might think they’d have worn, you know, Versace. But they opted for a different designer entirely – and to dress identically. “We were wearing Gucci [and] it was a Versace dinner, which is inappropriate in itself,” Victoria told Andy Cohen retrospectively of the outfit choice. “We really thought about it and there was a naïveté to it that was just so sweet,” she said. Although, she admits the decision “haunts” her.

Truly incredible ’00s fashion before all the drama kicked off in Madrid

After David transferred to Real Madrid in July 2003, him and Victoria were serving nothing but iconic British ’00s street style in Spain’s capital. So, the paps were on them all the time. This picture was taken when they’d somewhat settled into their new home in the September and just over half a year before their PA, Rebecca Loos, publicly accused David of having an affair with her, which he denied.

This truly cursed Christmas scene

To end things on a festive note, and on possibly the most iconic Beckham artefact of all time, here’s the unveiling of Madame Tussaud’s Celebrity Nativity in 2004 where David and Victoria are Mary and Joseph, Samuel L Jackson, Hugh Grant and Graham Norton are the shepherds, Tony Blair, Prince Philip and George W Bush are the Three Wise Men and Kylie Minogue (of course) flies above them all as the angel Gabriel.

British culture at its finest.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• It’s David’s Netflix doc but Victoria has always been the most iconic Beckham 

• Did David Beckham have an affair? The marriage ‘difficulties’ in Netflix doc explained

• So, what happened to Rebecca Loos after her alleged ‘affair’ with David Beckham?

Featured image credit via Nikos Vinieratos/Shutterstock