Britain's most famous family is returning to home shores. Victoria and David Beckham have decided to leave the US behind and make the UK their base, it was revealed this week. After months spent looking for a potential new family home and schools for their four children - Brooklyn, 13, Romeo, ten, Cruz, seven, and 17-month-old Harper - the power couple have decided that everything is in place and now is the right time to return to London.
They have scoured the capital looking for a potential new home including in upmarket areas including Mayfair, Clapham and Holland Park but have opted to rent property for the next 12 months in Kensington rather than buy, until David's next move in his football career is certain. After announcing in November he was leaving LA Galaxy, the 37-year-old sportsman has been linked to clubs in in the UK, France and China, though nothing has been decided yet. One thing's for certain, retirement is out of the question. “I said I wanted to continue playing as long as possible. So we’ll see what age I finish at,” he said in an interview last year. “I love the game, so I want to continue playing it." Back in October, HELLO! exclusively revealed that a move back home could be on the cards for the family, who have been based in Los Angeles since 2007. A source told us at the time: "Victoria feels that her kids are missing out by not having her and David’s extended families around them, especially as they get older, and would love for them to be able to spend more time together." Being in the capital will be beneficial for the 38-year-old pop star-turned fashion designer as she'll be closer to her business – which is based in south-west London.
"She spends hundreds of hours a year jetting back and forth between LA and the UK," the source continued. "It is exhausting for her, especially now that Harper is a toddler who needs to stay on a specific sleep routine. The jet lag is punishing, and she misses her boys terribly when she has to travel without them." Last year, Victoria took part in the GREAT Campaign, which invited the world to take a fresh look at what Britain has to offer, and spoke of her devotion to country of birth: “I love living in America, I embrace living in America, but I am British, David is British, the kids are British, and we're very, very proud of that." There were also clues last summer – when both the couple played key roles in the London Olympics; David helping to transport the Olympic flame up the Thames on a speedboat in the opening ceremony and Victoria reuniting with the Spice Girls to perform a medley of hits at the closing ceremony. It was around this time when David spoke of his homesickness, saying: "I do miss London, and going for pie and mash with my mum and dad and also going to see my nan." It's not entirely impossible that the couple could coincide their move back to the UK with plans to complete their brood. "We've always said we'd love a big family, and five was a number. If we're lucky enough, then we hope to have one more," said David in a recent interview, while his wife has said: "I'd never say never about having another baby." All in all, 2013 is shaping up be the family's most exciting year yet.