When David Beckham revealed to his 80million Instagram followers that he had taken two of his sons on a fishing trip to the Scottish Highlands, Brooklyn Beckham’s wife Nicola Peltz must have jumped out of her skin.

In a series of photographs with Romeo and Cruz shared on Sunday, former England star David not only emphasised how much he enjoyed his idyllic jaunt last week but also revealed that his eldest boy was not there.

Yet none of this was anticipated by Nicola who, say those who know her, ‘likes to think she’s one step ahead of the game’.

The timing was as poignant as it must have been irritating for the daughter of American billionaire Nelson Peltz.

Just moments earlier she would have been reading a story, briefed by her own associates, claiming that she and Brooklyn hadn’t attended any of football legend David’s five celebrations to mark his milestone 50th birthday because of the presence of Romeo’s girlfriend, London-based DJ Kim Turnbull.

US website TMZ wrote: ‘Sources say Brooklyn and Nicola were told to show up to the main celebrations or they wouldn’t get a chance to see the family... leaving the two saddened because they simply won’t be around Brooklyn’s brother Romeo and his girlfriend, Kim Turnbull.’

David and Victoria's children Romeo, 22, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 13, joined them for a week of celebrations (pictured last Wednesday in the Cotswolds), though Brooklyn was notably absent

The Beckhams have seen rumours swirl in recent weeks about a feud which has pitted Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz on one side, and the rest of the family on the other

Romeo's girlfriend Kim Turnbull has been made the 'scapegoat' in the feud 

‘Sources’ also told the news outlet that Nicola can’t stand to be in Kim’s company as ‘she had a romantic connection with Brooklyn several years ago’ – something I know to be false.

In any case, this line of argument doesn’t add up. Kim wasn’t on the boys’ fishing trip that Brooklyn failed to attend. And, I can reveal, tensions between Nicola and the Beckham family existed long before Kim and Romeo started dating in November last year.

In fact, they stretch back over three years, to Brooklyn and Nicola’s lavish £3million wedding, on Palm Beach, Florida, in April 2022.

‘Some felt that Nicola was absolutely foul in the run up to the wedding and on the day,’ said one source involved in the fall out. ‘And now it seems she is trying to suggest it is all Kim’s fault.

‘She was rude to Victoria, she shunned other members of the Beckham family and now it appears she wants to blame it all on Kim, which is just nasty. It is like they are trying to rewrite history.

‘Nicola and her family organised her and Brooklyn’s big day and they managed to upset so many people who were there. It was terribly upsetting for David, Victoria and other members of their family. It was difficult at the time but it is devastating now.’

Indeed, my source explains that Nicola’s behaviour at the wedding changed David and Victoria’s perception of their new daughter-in-law.

‘That was when the Beckhams realised that it was not going to be easy being part of [Nicola’s] super-rich family. Some people felt that Nicola was vile. The Beckham gang just adore Brooklyn and wanted to be part of it all.

‘Now Nicola is singling Kim out and seems to be making it her fault but she only started dating Romeo last November. Relations have been strained since the wedding and there has been much concern for Brooklyn ever since.’

Nicola, 30, and former Spice Girl Victoria, 51, famously fell out in the run-up to the big day when Nicola wore a Valentino wedding gown, rather than a dress made by designer Victoria. Nicola later gave an interview insisting that ditching Victoria’s offer to create her gown was not intended as a slight against her new mother-in-law.

Nicola, say sources close to the Beckhams, has now decided to hire a Los Angeles-based PR firm in an attempt to see off this family drama.

Photos from the former England captain's fishing trip in the Scottish Highlands were posted on his Instagram account

Nicola idolises her investment titan father, Nelson Peltz

Brooklyn and Nicola pulled out of attending this year's Met Gala (pictured at the event in 2022)

She is now represented by Nicole Perna at Imprint PR. The West Hollywood outfit also represents Brooklyn, who has two separate publicists devoted to upholding his profile and reputation.

It is through this organisation that Nicola and Brooklyn have been briefing media organisations in an attempt to ‘get their truth out there’. And it appears to be very different truth to the one held by the Beckham family.

There was the aforementioned TMZ report. And another, similar story last month, published just days after Brooklyn and Nicola failed to join his parents at a Miami restaurant for an early celebration of David’s birthday. TMZ wrote: ‘Brooklyn and Romeo Beckham are not on speaking terms because Romeo is dating Kim Turnbull.

‘Of course, Brooklyn is happily married to Nicola Peltz now, and our sources say the issue at hand is the couple question whether Kim has the right intentions in dating Romeo.’

I’m told that this information was given to TMZ by someone ‘close’ to Nicola – and that it has irked the Beckhams.

‘It’s silly and it’s rubbish,’ said one source. ‘It’s also deeply unfair to Kim and offensive.’

Nicola and Brooklyn were of course absent from the big family party at the Beckhams’ £10million Cotswolds home last Wednesday night but what perhaps Nicola didn’t realise when she made her excuses for not joining in was that Kim was otherwise engaged that night, DJing at an Adidas event.

Nicola and Brooklyn also shunned the luxurious jaunt two days later to Bordeaux where David, Victoria, Romeo and Kim, Cruz and girlfriend Jackie Apostel, and Harper had lunch at David’s favourite vineyard, Petrus, which produces the fabled red wine.

Next, the Beckhams hopped back on their private jet for dinner in Paris. There, they dined at one of David’s favourite restaurants, Chez L’Ami Louis, before spending the night at La Reserve hotel in the centre of the French capital. They returned to London on Saturday morning.

Finally, Brooklyn and Nicola failed to turn up to the star-studded meal at Notting Hill restaurant Core – owned by David’s friend chef Clare Smyth – on Saturday night, which boasted a star-studded guest list including Tom Cruise, Gordon and Tana Ramsay, Guy Ritchie and his wife Jacqui Ainsley and Eva Longoria. Instead, the couple jetted back to the US to prepare for Monday’s Met Gala ball – which they did not attend after sources suggested Nicola ‘had a hissy’.

Yet those who know Nicola say that she was saved from making the worst PR blunder of her life by attending the ball.

‘Nicola and Brooklyn are trying to make out they are the innocent party in all of this,’ said one friend of the Beckhams.

‘You might get the impression that they are – but in typical Hollywood fashion they are blustering to get themselves out of it by hiring an expensive PR firm.

‘This has been so upsetting for Brooklyn’s parents who have been so loving towards him.’