The Beckhams’ body language in landmark Vogue shoot

Back in June, the Beckhams were forced to vehemently deny speculation that they were heading for a divorce just weeks before their 19th wedding anniversary.

It later emerged that during this turbulent time Victoria sat down with her four children to reassure them about the state of their parents’ marriage.

At the time of the divorce rumours – which seemed to involve speculation about David’s faithfulness to his wife – Jo Milloy, a spokesman for Victoria, told the Daily Mail the gossip was ‘absolute nonsense’.

Meanwhile, former England football captain David’s spokesman, Simon Oliveira, dubbed the claims ‘embarrassing and laughable’.

‘There is no statement due, no divorce, and a lot of Chinese whispers and fake social media news,’ he said. ‘This is all very bizarre and an embarrassing waste of time.’ 

Game of thrones: David and Victoria began dating in 1997, marrying in 1999. Branded ‘Posh and Becks’ by the media, they welcomed their son Brooklyn in the spring of 1999, a few months prior to their wedding – which was a famously lavish affair at Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland involving crowns, thrones and a purple change of clothes

Behind closed doors: David famously told Sir Michael Parkinson on his chat show that he listened to Victoria’s eponymous solo album in the car – in the same chat that saw Victoria reveal her nickname for her husband was ‘Golden Balls’ (a moniker that stuck)

21 years together: Back in June, the Beckhams were suddenly forced to vehemently deny speculation that they were heading for a divorce [pictured, l, announcing their engagement in 1998 and, R, at the wedding or Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018]

Back on home ground: The family were reported to have spent £31.5 million on a detached home in London’s Holland Park, renovating it in the process, when the moved back to the UK in 2011 [pictured: 2014 in New York City]

Claims the couple were planning to divorce circulated on social media earlier in the summer, prompting high street bookmaker Paddy Power to suspend betting on them separating. Paddy Power’s move came despite there having been no suggestion the couple were having any marriage difficulties. 

The Mail on Sunday revealed that when Victoria saw the social media rumours about her marriage, she jokingly asked husband David, who was away in America at the time: ‘Are you divorcing me?’

The designer was said to be bemused but cracked jokes about it with friends.

A friend of the couple said: ‘Victoria was taken aback, but she found the whole thing very funny. They have had a sense of humour about this because it’s so ridiculous.

Solid: ‘After the latest furore, they once again took the decision to be open and honest with them, reassuring them Daddy is not a cheat,’ a source has said of David and Victoria’s recent chat with their children [pictured last month in Monaco]

Close-knit: David, Victoria and eldest son Brooklyn at the Louis Vuitton Menswear Fall/Winter 2018-2019 show as part of Paris Fashion Week in January

‘They are stunned that so many people have believed it, and also stunned that it so quickly got around. They spoke about it and laughed a lot. They have absolutely no idea where or how it started. It’s quite the mystery.’

Speaking in Vogue this week, Victoria 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.’

Talking about brand Beckham, Victoria added: ‘We both realise that we are stronger together than we 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 are much stronger – the six of us – than we would be if we were individuals. We respect that family bond and that is key.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk