Romeo Beckham stepped in for his absent older brother Brooklyn to deliver a heartfelt speech at David Beckham's 50th birthday celebrations over the weekend. The former England captain marked the milestone with a series of events, culminating in a lavish dinner at Core restaurant in London's Notting Hill on Saturday night.
David and Victoria Beckham were joined by their three younger children - Romeo, 22, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 13 - but Brooklyn, 25, and his wife Nicola Peltz, 30, were notably absent from all of the festivities. Despite being invited and reportedly in the UK at the time, the couple chose not to attend.
As the second eldest child, Romeo took on the responsibility of delivering a speech to the gathered friends and family. He was seen clutching cue cards as he arrived at the London venue, having also played a key role at an earlier family gathering at the Cotswolds home, where he carried candlelit cupcakes to the table. According to The Mirror, Romeo praised his father at length, having previously described him as 'the most amazing role model' on social media. He is reported to have told guests: 'Good evening everyone. I would like to start by thanking you all for being here tonight. I know without many of you in here tonight he wouldn't be half of the man he is today. But to the man of the moment...'
The absence of Brooklyn was conspicuous in social media posts from both David and Victoria. Victoria shared photos from the party and tagged her three youngest children but omitted Brooklyn from her caption, despite often writing 'missing you' in previous tributes. David reposted several images, writing 'I love you all, thank you for making my birthday so memorable' without mentioning his eldest son.
The week-long celebration began with an intimate dinner at the family's Cotswolds estate on Wednesday, before moving to London. David wore a sharp black tuxedo for the occasion, while Victoria chose one of her own designs - a floor-length navy slip dress. The couple also posed for photographs on the bonnet of a vintage 1972 Fiat 500. Reports from Mail+ suggested that Brooklyn and Nicola's decision to skip all events had left David and Victoria heartbroken.
