WANN-OBE VICTORIA BECKHAM receives her honour
Victoria Beckham has been recognised with an OBE in this years, Queens Honour’s list, after establishing herself as a powerful force in the fashion industry.
Victoria received her “Officer of the Order of the British Empire” (OBE) for her services to fashion and charity work at Buckingham Palace from the Duke of Cambridge on Wednesday, all be it under a cloud of speculation. Her husband David and her mother Jackie Adams watched proudly as Victoria walked up to accept the honour.
Posh came under fire from critics, after they accused her of ‘breaching protocol’ and therefore ‘discrediting the honors system’ by spilling the news, before it was published officially in ‘The London Gazette’.
Posh broke the news to kids Brooklyn (17), Romeo (14), Cruz (11) and Harper (5) whilst on a festive break in the Maldives.
Tory MP Andrew Bridge said: “Nominees are sworn to secrecy, so she has broken the first rule of being offered the honour. It is certainly a betrayal of etiquette, it is just not done. It is just wrong and I don’t understand why anyone would leak something like that. To get an honour is extremely important and it might well be for a very good reason but you just don’t leak it. Full stop.”
Tory Councellor Peter Bone said : “It would appear to be a breach of protocol and perhaps raises questions over her suitability that she has leaked her own nomination. This further discredits our honours system.”
Sources close to the ex-pop star say she is “delighted and humbled for the recognition”.
The 42-year-old rose to fame in the 1990’s girl band “Spice Girls”, and was known for her sophisticated style, earning her the name “Posh Spice”.
Her first solo single after the break-up of the Spice Girls, a duet with Dane Bowers reached number two in the charts in August 2000, and was followed by three more top 10 hits. But Beckham, who later quit music, admitted that her singing career had been a mistake. She realized her true passion was fashion and defied critics as she forged a successful career in the industry.
The designer and entrepreneur made her catwalk debut in 2000 when she appeared as a model for Maria Grachvogel during London Fashion Week.
She went on to become the face of high fashion houses, Dolce & Gabbana, MarcJacobs and Roberto Cavalli.
Beckham launched her first fashion label – denim line dVb Style – in 2006 but her reputation as a designer soared following the release of high-end brand VB two years later. The couture collection debuted at New York Fashion week and won “designer brand of the year” at the British Fashion Awards in 2011. The former pop star launched a secondary label, Victoria by Victoria Beckham in 2012.
Her designs are worn by some of the biggest A-list stars including Cameron Diaz and Miranda Kerr.
She said recently: “I’d like people to think of me as someone that wanted to reach women, young or old. I want to empower women.”
Her honour comes after almost 17 years in the business and 13 years after her husband, former England and Manchester United player David Beckham, was awarded the same title for his services to football.
Victoria is currently a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Aids project. She is also a patron of the Elton John Aids Foundation and supports animal charity Peta and Save the Children.
