It’s often the sign of a very good party when the birthday girl leaves her own bash by piggyback – just ask Victoria Beckham.
At 2.30am yesterday morning, she was seen being carried by husband David from the upmarket members’ club Oswald’s in London after hosting an opulent dinner for 100 of her friends and family to celebrate turning 50.
Only Victoria wasn’t unsteady on her feet because she overdid her favourite tequila tipple, but because she had been dancing the night away barefoot with Hollywood actor Tom Cruise until the early hours and enjoying a Spice Girls reunion that enthralled those lucky enough to be there.
While she arrived in a pair of gold stilettos, her broken foot meant she was unable to walk in them so kicked them off when it was time to hit the dancefloor.
Ever-elegant Victoria Beckham before her 50th birthday bash began at the weekend
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Jason Statham joined other A-listers at the exclusive event
Mrs Beckham catches a lift on David’s back as she leaves her birthday bonanza at Oswald’s
One guest told the Mail: ‘It was proper old school take your shoes off and have a dance and there was no way Victoria wasn’t going to be joining in.
‘She loves a good boogie and she was not going to let her foot stop that.
‘Loads of the women kicked their shoes off to join her. They all danced for hours. There were lots of giggles and lots of outrageous moves but at the end of the night Victoria was worried about how she was going leave. She couldn’t walk in her heels because of her broken foot – so David decided he would give her a piggyback – much to the kids’ amusement. They thought it was hilarious.’
It was the end to what the former Spice Girl described as the ‘best party ever’.
Starting the night at 7.30pm, Victoria – dressed in her own label – David in Italian brand Loro Piana, their sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz in Dior and daughter Harper in her mum’s range, arrived at the Mayfair haunt.
Soon after, the guests began to arrive and Victoria was thrilled.
There were her best friends Tana and Gordon Ramsay, Eva Longoria, Jason Statham and wife Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Guy Ritchie and wife Jacqui Ainsley. Top Gun star Cruise surprised her with his appearance, Vogue’s Edward Enninful was there, as was David’s best friend, Dave Gardner, who was spotted in a nearby kebab house later in the night. Salma Hayek was there, too, with her fashion tycoon husband, Francois-Henri Pinault.
But what really brought a smile to Victoria’s face was to see all of the Spice Girls make it.
Despite inviting the four of them – Geri Horner, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Melanie Brown – there was some concern that Geri wouldn’t make it because of the humiliation of her husband Christian’s Formula One Red Bull controversy that put their nine-year-marriage under much public scrutiny.
The night got going quickly, with the guests enjoying Italian-inspired platters for starters, followed by steak and sea bass mains. They sipped on champagne and wine, while Victoria stuck to her favourite drink, Don Julio 1942 tequila. ‘Dozens’ of the £170-a-pop bottles were said to have been emptied by the guests come the end of the night.
After dinner, the room burst into a raucous rendition of Happy Birthday and Victoria blew out the candles. Next up were the speeches. David went first. More soppy than funny, he told the room how his wife of almost 25 years inspires him and then went on to say what a great mum she is, and how great she at the ‘role she cherishes most in the world’.
The Beckham clan gather for a pre-party photo. Left-right: Romeo, Cruz, Victoria, Harper, David anf Brooklyn
David Beckham captures the moment the former Spice Girls perform some of the choreography from their pop band days
‘It was very David and very lovely,’ said a guest. ‘He applauded her for being a great mum and a successful businesswoman.’
Then it was over to Victoria who thanked David, 48, and the kids for throwing the party before passing over to their four children. ‘Brooklyn and Romeo said three lines each,’ says a friend. ‘They paid tribute to their mum, Harper read hers off of a phone while the others ad libbed.’
Straight after that, the party really got going, as singer Cruz broke into song with Spice Girls’ hit Mama, on a small stage.
It wasn’t long before Victoria and the other band members joined him to dance along in what one friend said was ‘actually quite emotional and very special’.
Strutting her stuff alongside Sporty, Scary, Ginger and Baby, was a highlight of Victoria’s night. She had asked DJ Hale Zero to play a Spice Girl medley, and it was during their hit Stop that David broke the party’s no-phone rule and videoed them. Both he and Victoria posted it on their Instagram when they got home.
‘The girls were busting out some of their old moves,’ said a guest.
But the star of the dance floor was Tom Cruise, who was described by other guests as being ‘particularly enthusiastic’ with his moves.
One onlooker even claims that, despite his 61 years, at the end of a breakdance routine, he did the splits. ‘He loved a dance, he was great fun,’ said a friend. ‘You forgot he was Tom Cruise, he was just having a jolly good time. He arrived on his own and left on his own at 1.30am. He barely stopped smiling.’
The Beckham family pile into a car to head home at the end of the successful night
The star of the dance floor was Tom Cruise, who was described by other guests as being ‘particularly enthusiastic’ with his moves
At the end of the night guests made sure they did not leave their goodie bag behind. Inside was a bottle of Victoria’s fragrance which sells for £245.
For the Beckhams it was their ‘perfect’ night, and helped very much by their choice of venue. Oswald’s, owned by Robin Birley, is usually frequented by politicians and members of the Royal Family – Liz Truss and Princess Beatrice are regulars.
But a special touch is that David and Victoria are said to be keen on the club because the ground floor where they held the party was inspired by the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles – another of the couple’s favourite places. And five years ago, on their 20th wedding anniversary, they had a private tour.
There was one downside to the proceedings, the absence of Brooklyn’s wife Nicola Peltz. Friends say the actress stayed in the US to be with her grandmother who is unwell, and was ‘sorely missed’.
‘It was a real shame,’ said a source close to the family. ‘Victoria loves hanging out with Nicola and, of course, it is one of those things that can’t be helped.’
But yesterday, despite hangover being the buzzword Chez Beckham, Victoria was in high spirits after her big night.
‘She can’t stop smiling,’ said a friend. ‘She had the best time, everyone did. She feels very, very blessed.’
