EXCLUSIVE: Victoria Beckham 'desperate' over daughter Harper as 'biggest fear' revealed
Harper Beckham is expected to take the fashion and beauty industry by storm, but a source says Victoria hopes to shield her daughter from the negativity she endured in her own career
There are rumours that Harper Beckham could become the “next Kylie Jenner” with a fame to rival her pop star turned fashion mogul mum, and a source claims that Victoria is desperate to protect her. Harper, now 14, has become a famous face, and there’s been recent speculation that she’s about to take a major leap into the beauty industry, just like the Kardashian-Jenner sibling, who became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, at 21.
But after mum Victoria, who joined the Spice Girls at 20, recently revealed she spent much of her career “constantly made to feel not good enough”, our source claims she’s doing everything in her power to ensure Harper’s experience in the public eye is nothing like her own.
“Victoria knows all too well how much pressure being in the spotlight can be. The last thing she wants is for Harper to go through the same things she has, it’s her biggest fear,” they tell OK!. “Victoria knows the pitfalls of fame, so is working hard behind the scenes to protect Harper. She’s extremely conscious and protective of her.”
Designer Victoria, 51, opened up about her early life and career in the new Victoria Beckham Netflix series, which follows husband David’s similarly styled hit show of 2023.
In it, the former theatre school pupil talked about living her life in the media glare, and the damaging and lasting effects it had on her. She revealed, “When people are mean, and you’re hearing things and you’re seeing things, and you’re constantly made to feel you’re not good enough, that really hurts. And I became so self-conscious.”
As well as being heavily criticised for her appearance – her weight, in particular – she also talked about feeling isolated and lonely when the Spice Girls split, and of being dismissed as a solo performer and, later, as a fashion designer.
In episode two, Victoria recalled being “weighed on national television when Brooklyn was six months old”, and explained how deep the criticism cut.
“I really started to doubt myself and not like myself, you know, and because I let it affect me, I didn’t know what I saw when I looked in the mirror,” she said. “You lose all sense of reality. I was just very critical of myself. I didn’t like what I saw. I’ve been everything from porky posh to skinny posh. It’s been a lot, and that’s hard. I had no control over what was being written about me, pictures that were taken.”
As well showcasing just how far Essex-born Victoria has come, viewers also got the biggest glimpse yet at the life of teenager Harper, particularly the bond between her and her mum.
In the first episode, Victoria declared, “The Spice Girls made me feel good enough about being me. And I tell Harper every single day, “You follow your dreams and be who you are.’”
Harper has become a regular red-carpet guest with her famous parents in recent years, often stepping out in her mum’s designer gowns and mingling with A-listers.
Last year, aged 13, she presented her mum with an entrepreneur award at the Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year Awards, joining the likes of Jodie Comer, Maya Jama and Golda Rosheuvel in the presenting line-up.
She also launched her own Instagram page late last month – @harperbeckham – which is set to private and has 50 followers so far, including her mum, dad and big brothers Romeo and Cruz.
If the whispers about beauty business ambitions are to be believed, Harper could well be set to become the most successful of all the Beckham children.
According to Companies House – the UK’s business registry – a company called H7B Ltd was set up in October last year, listing Victoria Beckham as director. The teenager’s full name is Harper Seven Beckham.
And according to documents seen by OK!, earlier this month the company registered two trademark applications for “hiku By Harper”, covering beauty products, skincare, haircare, clothing and more.
If it materialises, our source claims Victoria’s own wobbly start with her fashion line, which saw the business plunge “tens of millions in the red”, has given her all the skills to help guide Harper to success.
“Victoria is supportive and is going to guide her and make sure she has the right people behind her. She’s gently saying, ‘Learn from Mummy’s mistakes.’
“She knows what can go wrong, and how to get it right, so she’s an amazing person to be by Harper’s side as her profile grows.
“Harper loves dressing up, fashion and make-up, so she’s really keen to get stuck in, and making an Instagram account is the first step towards that. It felt like a big leap for Victoria and David to allow her to go on social media, but they also know she is a teenager and they can’t protect her from it forever.
“Harper and Victoria have such a great mother-daughter relationship, so she’s just keen to protect her as much as possible.”
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