Victoria Beckham with two of her four children, Romeo and Cruz Beckham. Photo / Getty
Victoria Beckham with two of her four children, Romeo and Cruz Beckham. Photo / Getty
Not every 11-year-old is tipped to have a Christmas No 1 hit single. Nor does every 17-year-old skateboarding fanatic have a lucrative book deal.
But then, Cruz and Brooklyn Beckham are not exactly normal folk - and neither is their determined mother.
The Mail on Sunday has established that Victoria Beckham has mounted a private but determined campaign to "future-proof" Brand Beckham, mining her contacts book to establish money-spinning ventures for her sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.
Not only is she the driving force behind Cruz's newly released charity single, sources close to the Beckhams reveal she has helped arrange a contract for Brooklyn to release a book of photographs next year with Penguin. He is currently studying photography at a private further education college.
Even her family jokingly call her "The Momager", the same nickname given to Kris Jenner, the matriarch of the American Kardashian clan who is famous for creating multi-million-pound commercial opportunities with her daughters.
Victoria's success with Brooklyn follows an earlier high profile deal she is understood to have brokered for Romeo: he modelled for Burberry when he was just ten thanks to her friendship with the brand's chief executive Christopher Bailey. Romeo, now 14, has since become one of the world's most in-demand young models.
And then there is Cruz, whose charity record, If Every Day Was Christmas, is now tipped for the Christmas No 1 spot.
But not everyone is so supportive of the fledgling Beckham careers, and there is a growing backlash against the former Spice Girl.
First, Mail on Sunday columnist and TV presenter Piers Morgan accused her of "pimping out" her youngest son, and now outspoken X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne has claimed Cruz is "too young" to be releasing a record.
Speaking ahead of tonight's X Factor final, she said: "I think you should wait until you are at least a teenager. It is a cruel industry and at 11 you are too young to handle that," she said.
"He should be singing in his bedroom with a hairbrush or playing for the family with his guitar at Christmas."
Victoria - who also has a seven-year-old daughter, Harper - is even using her long-standing PR, Jo Milloy, to help push her sons' profiles.
But could her transformation from "posh" to "pushy" backfire?
One source who knows the Beckhams well admitted: "It's all coming across a bit desperate - cheesy and tacky. This could easily blow up in her face."
Victoria certainly knows what she is doing when it comes to ambition, building an impressive career as a fashion mogul from unlikely beginnings.
But are her three Beckham boys made of the same tough stuff - and just how has she helped them so far?
(L-R) Brooklyn Beckham, Cruz Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Romeo Beckham, Harper Beckham, David Beckham and editor-in-chief of American Vogue Anna Wintour sit front row at a Burberry show. Photo / Getty
Brooklyn flogs his photos
As the eldest child of Team Beckham, Brooklyn, now 17, was thrust into the public eye as soon as he was born.
The football-mad teenager displayed a natural talent for the game at an early age, and - after being signed for Arsenal's youth team - was tipped to follow in his father's footsteps.
But when he failed to make the cut, his mother stepped in to mastermind his next moves. When he was 14, she took him to the star-studded Glamour awards in London's Mayfair where he was introduced to important players in the fashion world.
He has now signed up to a Hollywood modelling agency, has appeared on the cover of various teen magazines around the world and is currently the face of Spanish clothing giant, Pull&Bear.
His passion, however, appears to be photography. Currently studying the art at a London college, he was able to put his skills into practice when he was chosen to shoot Burberry's 2016 fragrance campaign - thanks to his mother's impeccable contacts at the fashion brand.
Next year his first book, What I See, will be published by Penguin. Featuring 300 photographs, it promises to show readers the world 'through Brooklyn's eyes'.
The publishing giant has previously released books by war photographer Robert Capa and portrait artist Annie Leibovitz.
Brooklyn is said to be close to his mum and often accompanies her to fashion shows. Sources say he is mature for his age, very kind and protective of his siblings.
Victoria was apparently delighted when he began dating American actress Chloë Moretz, guaranteeing the couple (and the Beckhams) considerable press attention. Sadly, the young couple split in August.
Brooklyn is also a hit on social media, with 8.8 million followers on Instagram. Sources estimate he may be worth up to £2 million.
Romeo rakes in £500,000
Like his big brother, Romeo is also on Burberry's payroll - but as a highly successful young model. Romeo, 14, was a shoo-in for the fashion business after inheriting his mother's chiselled cheekbones and his father's rakish good looks.
He was just ten when he starred in the British label's spring/summer 2013 campaign, dressed in a classic Burberry trench coat, left. His image graced billboards across the world as he followed Emma Watson and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as the face of the brand.
He was invited back the following year to star in a four-minute Christmas television advert directed by Burberry's chief executive Christopher Bailey - who is a close friend of his mother. When he again starred in last year's campaign, a thrilled Victoria accompanied him to the premiere. She tweeted her pride to the world, writing: "So proud of Romeo, he looks so handsome in the @burberry festive film. Thank you Christopher Bailey."
Romeo has so far earned an estimated £500,000, reportedly getting £45,000 a day for his work. But because he is known as 'the clever one', touted to go to university, Romeo insists the work must be done in the school holidays to avoid it affecting his studies.
And his talents do not stop at modelling, as the teenager is also a brilliant sportsman, who excels at both tennis and football.
In the summer, he had a friendly game with Andy Murray, and tennis coach John Johnson said: "He has a lot of talent and very good hand-eye co-ordination. I'm going to have a meeting with his mother. I could see how focused he was."
Cruz is cruising up the charts
It was only going to be a matter of time before one of the Beckhams released a festive hit to rival the Spice Girls, who bagged the Christmas No 1 for three years in a row in the 1990s.
Last week, it was Cruz - the Beckham's youngest son - who stepped up to the mark, releasing his debut single If Every Day Was Christmas, pictured above.
David is said to be convinced the project is just intended to be a bit of fun for the 11-year-old - but it seems Victoria has far grander plans.
She is believed to have been plotting his showbiz career ever since Cruz, then just three, stole the spotlight by breakdancing on stage during the Spice Girls' Toronto concert in 2008.
As soon as she realised he could sing in tune - which some would say, perhaps unkindly, was not something he inherited from his mother - she began to pave the way for a record deal.
In April she shared a video of him singing with her 13 million Instagram followers and declared he was being managed by Scooter Braun - the man behind Canadian star Justin Bieber, who also started his career as a young teenager.
Both Braun and Bieber are family friends and last month Brooklyn and Victoria posted a link to audio-sharing site SoundCloud, where Cruz can be heard singing along with Bieber to his hit, Home To Mama.
It is perhaps inevitable that Cruz will be a success - and Victoria is said to be determined he will be as big as Bieber.
Ever aware of the power of social media, Cruz was allowed to join Instagram last week, amassing 30,000 followers in just one hour.
Proceeds from his single will go to the Make Some Noise charity set up by some of the UK's biggest radio stations, and promotion has already included a phone interview with Capital Radio.
