In his 2017 book on wildlife photography, Brooklyn Beckham expressed heartfelt gratitude toward his generous parents for the myriad opportunities they afforded him.

At 26, Brooklyn, who transitioned from photography to culinary arts, launched his book following a course in New York. His career trajectory has since included collaborations with notable brands like Burberry and Pull&Bear.

Brooklyn openly acknowledged his privileged background, expressing deep appreciation for the unwavering support of his family, particularly his parents, Victoria and David Beckham.

However, the picture of the grateful son portrayed in the book starkly contrasts with his current estrangement from his parents, with whom he has no intentions of mending ties.

On Monday evening, Brooklyn unleashed a six-page statement filled with criticisms directed at his parents and siblings, Cruz and Romeo, aged 20 and 22, respectively.

But at the time of the release of his book, Brooklyn was full of admiration for his once close-knit family and the luxuries they had afforded him.

The book is filled with photographs of his parents and siblings, some of which were accompanied by loving captions about the warmth and affection he felt for them.

Alongside a picture of himself wearing his mother’s brand’s sunglasses, he wrote: ‘rocky my VB sunglasses… I’m so proud of my mum’.

He also shared a picture of Victoria taken during a trip away together, and wrote: ‘I love my mum – she looks so beautiful here. This is a photo I took of her when we were on a charity trip together in Kenya.’

Brooklyn also spoke fondly of his ‘hero’ dad David, who he credited for his love of photography and recalled all of the times they would shoot photographs together.

Alongside a shot of David, Brooklyn wrote: ‘My dad: ‘my absolute hero (and he’s pretty photogenic) took this on holiday in California at an amazing breakfast place – we had a full English, obviously. 

‘Dad’s one of my favourite people to hang out with. He always makes me laugh’.

Brooklyn’s family are heavily credited in the acknowledgements for the book, which was released in the same year he met his wife, Nicola Peltz.

Sharing his thanks, Brooklyn wrote: ‘All of my family and friends, for putting up with me constantly taking pictures! But mainly thanks to Mum, Dad, Romeo, Cruz and Harper. i love you. Brooklyn x’.

During the introduction, Brooklyn waxes lyrical about how grateful he is for the opportunities he has had in life.

He says: ‘Thank you for picking up this copy of What I See. I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to create a book of my favourite pictures. I feel very fortunate. 

‘When I was fourteen, I wasn’t doing well at school and I was finding it frustrating. My dad is a big fan of photography, and he bought me my first camera for my birthday.

‘It was fujifilm. I remember it so clearly. We started shooting together, on family holidays and whenever we were hanging out. At first I just found it fun. We were living in LA and it was a great place to take pictures.

‘I enjoyed taking shots of my family and friends, and just wandering off with my camera – never knowing quite what images I’d end up with. I was so lucky to be around professional photoshoots and that was really inspiring for me.

‘I have also been so fortunate to have travelled to so many incredible places and countries where I could take images. 

‘In 2016 I took a photography course in New York and i shot a fragrance campaign for Burberry Brit and a photo diary for pull& bear.

‘I know how lucky I am to have these opportunities, and all I want to do is to try and get better and better. 

‘When I was approached about curating my photos to publish in a book, I was amazed. I didn’t think anyone was watching! But I’ve loved the whole experience.

‘These pictures were all taken before my eighteenth birthday and I think it’s pretty cool that I’ll always have this book to look back at, to remind me of all the good times when I was growing up.

‘Looking at these pictured takes me right back to the moment when I captured them, and now I will always have these memories. Thank you so much for supporting me.’

Despite the fallout, David and Victoria continued to share their love for their eldest son online by sharing old photographs of the family together.

The couple have regularly spoken of the pride they feel for their four children.

In an unearthed clip from his Netflix documentary, David tearfully said he was ‘so proud of his children’.

The tensions come in stark contrast to how David spoke lovingly about all his children in his 2023 BECKHAM docuseries.

One scene saw him get emotional as he says to the camera about his kids: ‘They could be little s**ts but they’re not and that’s why I say I’m so proud of my children.’

‘And I’m so in awe of my children, the way they’ve turned out,’ David added in the emotional scene.

The episode featuring David’s teary confession also included a scene where he was seen cooking with Brooklyn.

Victoria has yet to comment on her son’s statement.

But sources told the Daily Mail that she has been left ‘devastated’ as the gulf that has publicly existed between mother and son widened into a seemingly unbridgeable chasm.

Brooklyn and his wife Nicola have been at the heart of the acrimonious divide that has resulted in them snubbing all significant family celebrations over recent months, including his father Sir David’s milestone 50th birthday and knighthood. 

David and Victoria Beckham’s eldest son claimed in his statement that he has been ‘controlled by a family that values public promotion above all else’ and that since being with Nicola, he has found ‘peace and relief’ after battling crippling anxiety.

Brooklyn concluded: ‘My family values public promotion and endorsements above all else. Brand Beckham comes first.

‘Family “love” is decided by how much you post on social media, or how quickly you drop everything to show up and pose for a family photo op even if it’s at the expense of our professional obligations.

‘The narrative that my wife controls me is completely backwards. I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life.

‘I grew up with overwhelming anxiety. For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared. I wake up every morning grateful for the life I chose, and have found peace and relief.

‘My wife and I do not want a life shaped by image, press, or manipulation. All we want peace, privacy and happiness for us and our future family.’

Whilst Victoria has not been spotted since Brooklyn’s statement, David was heckled yesterday as he faced the media at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

When asked about the feud, he declined to answer any direct questions but he later spoke, somewhat ironically, on the perils and virtues of children using social media.

In an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box, he said that he has tried to ‘educate’ his own children about the dangers of social media apps while also showing them how they can work for ‘good’.

‘I’ve always spoken about social media and the power of social media for the good and for the bad,’ he said on stage.

The former Manchester United star said he’d been able to use his ‘platform’ and his position as a Unicef ambassador to ‘make people aware of what’s going on around the world for children’.

He added: ‘I’ve tried to do the same with my children, to educate them.

‘They make mistakes. Children are allowed to make mistakes. That’s how they learn.’ 

David also filmed a podcast with US popular science author Adam Grant, but emphatically refused to answer any questions relating to Brooklyn.