Top Marx for Posh's genealogy

Victoria Beckham is a descendant of a 19th century German communist who was a close cohort of Karl Marx, according to a German historian.

Beckham, born Victoria Adams, is the great-great-great-granddaughter of revolutionary and artist Carl Heinrich Pfaender, suggests Hans Mueller, a historian from the southwestern city of Heilbronn.

Mueller has researched the life of Heilbronn native Pfaender, who lived from 1819 to 1876 and was a close associate of The Communist Manifesto authors Marx and Friedrich Engels.

Pfaender took part in the failed communist revolution of 1848 and was forced to flee to London where he worked as a miniaturist and painter to make ends meet.

Mueller said: "He certainly didn't get rich doing it - his wife was buried in a pauper's grave."

Like Beckham, Pfaender's brother Wilhelm was a choral singer who was also active in the revolution and emigrated to America in 1848, later becoming state treasurer in Minnesota.

Upon discovering the link between the workers' movement pioneer and the pop star, the historian contacted Beckham's mother, Jacqueline Adams.

He said she had confirmed his findings and promised to tell Victoria, who came to fame as Posh Spice in the Spice Girls.

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