David Beckham's 'bitter fallout' with Prince Harry and how he exacted revenge
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David Beckham once enjoyed a good friendship with Prince Harry, but it appears there may have been a rift between them. The two seemed close for a while until an incident caused tensions.
In Tom Bower's book, it's claimed that the fallout between David Beckham and Prince Harry occurred when Meghan Markle made an "exclusion order" at the Invictus Games. Both David and his spouse Victoria were guests at Harry and Meghan's nuptials, among other celebrities like Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey, and George Clooney.
Royal expert Tom Bower suggests in his writing that Meghan issued an "exclusion order" against the Beckhams at the 2018 Games, which came just five months post-wedding, leading to David seeking "revenge" on Prince Harry.
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According to Bower's 'House of Beckham', "Photographs of the two together were forbidden. David Beckham was said to be puzzled as to why Harry wouldn't meet him. The exclusion order, it later transpired, was issued by Meghan. She did not want any competition in the media from Beckham, and especially not from his wife Victoria."
Nonetheless, David shares a positive relationship with Prince William, Harry's brother. His invitation to Boston for the Earthshot Prize during the 2022 World Cup demonstrated this bond, reports the Mirror.
(Image: PA)
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: Getty Images)
Despite the travel demands, David's presence at the event, dedicated to environmental activism, was interpreted as his form of "getting his revenge for the Sydney snub".
"Whenever the Prince of Wales sends me a message and says 'I need you to do this' or 'be there', it's always a 'yes,'" he had said, "Over the years, I've done a lot with the Prince of Wales, and I've always been there whenever he's asked me to get involved with things."
David, who is a staunch royalist and has backed the Royal Family throughout his life, expressed strong sentiments about his involvement with them.
In a heartfelt reflection during a recent interview, he conveyed: "I always get emotional talking about anything that I do with our Royal Family. I was brought up in a household that adored and loved everything that came with the Royal Family."
The appointment as a representative for the King's foundation moved David profoundly, prompting tears from his mother.
"She knows my grandparents would have been proud that I have played such an important role in the Royal Family and the charities that they have. Our King is an incredible man," he proudly stated.
Moreover, David participated alongside Prince William at the conclusion of the London Air Ambulance Charity's 'Up Against Time' campaign, which marked the addition of two new helicopters. Serving as ambassador for the charity, David remarked: "As soon as I was asked to be involved by Prince William it was something I was very honoured to do in all honesty."
He extolled the "incredible work that the pilots and the medics do and the millions of lives they've saved", also mentioning his pride in being part of such an initiative.
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Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Inside David Beckham's 20-year campaign for a knighthood
When David Beckham attended the Chelsea Flower Show last month his conversation with King Charles raised the eyebrows of regular Royal watchers. Beckham, who was wearing a new rose named in the King's honour, had just turned 50 and it seemed His Majesty had bought the former England captain a present. 'You got it, didn't you?' Charles was overheard saying, with Beckham replying 'It was incredible, thank you. It was very kind.' Now it seems that Beckham has received the gift he treasured above all others – a knighthood. Receiving the ultimate accolade from the British establishment has been very much a crusade for Beckham for the past 15 years, one in which he has successfully cultivated friendships within the Royal family alongside a remarkably effective public relations campaign. How much a knighthood means to him is clear from emails written more than a decade ago, before being hacked and leaked in 2017, which show Beckham was clearly furious over his wait to be knighted. 'They r [sic] a bunch of c---s,' Beckham allegedly wrote about the honours committee. 'Unless it's a knighthood, f--- off.' He added: 'Who decides on the honors [sic]?? It's a disgrace to be honest and if I was American I would have got something like this 10 years ago.' Beckham's representatives said the emails, which included one railing against Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins getting an OBE in 2014 after previously admitting taking drugs – had been 'doctored' and 'taken out of context'. But his quest to become 'Sir David' has nevertheless been a long one, and it is one in which the Royals loom large. Loos scandal did little harm to brand It is 22 years since Beckham was made an OBE for services to football, an honour which in itself was quite remarkable considering there had been effigies hung of him just five years previously after his red card at the 1998 World Cup. By that point he had already begun the charity work that has undoubtedly proven crucial to him becoming the youngest former former footballer to be knighted, having supported Unicef while playing for Manchester United. Accusations that he cheated on wife Victoria with Rebecca Loos after quitting United for Real Madrid – which he denied – had a limited impact on Brand Beckham and, by 2005, he had become a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador. That same year he was part of the delegation Britain dispatched to Singapore in a bid to secure the 2012 Olympics for London. The stunning success of that bid is said to have been behind him first being put forward for a knighthood in 2011 before he had even retired from playing. But any plans to award him the honour were vetoed when he was caught up in a tax avoidance scheme. It was a bid for sport's other mega-event that allowed him to cement a close bond with the current Prince of Wales. The two were united as the figureheads of England's unsuccessful bid for the 2018 World Cup, and their close bond was seen last October when they greeted each other like old friends at an official engagement to celebrate the replacement of London's ageing air ambulance helicopters. At that stage, though, it seemed that if Beckham were to be honoured it would be for his charity work, with the midfielder giving away the wages he earned at Paris St-Germain, his final club. There was some cynicism even then, with the leak of Beckham's hacked messages forcing him to deny claims he had used his children's charity work as part of a campaign to win a knighthood. He was also furious that the messages depicted him as demanding money from Unicef – with which he established the '7 Fund' in 2015 – to pay for flights and hotels to visit its projects. Unicef came to the star's defence, describing Beckham 'as generously giving his time, energy and support to help raise awareness and funds for Unicef's work for children'. It added: 'David has given significant funds personally. The 7 Fund supports programmes for children, tackling issues such as malnutrition, violence, AIDS and emergencies.' It would not be the last time Beckham would come under fire for his off-field choices, as in 2021 he was criticised for signing a 10-year, reported £150 million deal to become an ambassador for Qatar in the build-up to the last World Cup. His promotion of a country with a poor human rights record – and where the death penalty can apply to those found to be in same-sex relationships – sparked a major backlash. Comedian Joe Lycett famously shredded what appeared to be £10,000 (it later turned out not to be real cash) along with Beckham's 'status as a gay icon'. Beckham later said he was 'proud' of his role and that the World Cup had been the 'safest' for the LGBTQ community 'for a long time'. Helped by falling out with Harry and Meghan In hindsight, the more significant event of 2021 was the fact he was cleared by the tax authorities to receive an upgrade to his OBE. That opened the path to his knighthood, and it was one Beckham duly followed as his interactions with the Royal family accelerated. He was helped by the fact that, just like Charles and William, he had fallen out with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Beckham had previously been close with both Princes and their wives, and attended their weddings. But when Beckham flew to Australia in October 2018 to help promote Prince Harry's Invictus Games in Sydney, he is said to have been snubbed by the Sussexes, who allegedly went to great lengths to avoid being photographed alongside him. It has since been claimed that Meghan believed Victoria Beckham had leaked stories about her to the press. The suggestion was strongly refuted. When Prince Harry and Meghan became estranged from the Royal family and started giving interviews loaded with private family revelations and allegations, the Beckhams were said to be less than impressed. If sides were being picked, David knew where his loyalties lay. Indeed, Beckham's painful estrangement from eldest son Brooklyn amid a family feud involving daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz has echoes of the breakdown of the King's relationship with Prince Harry since his son and Meghan quit as working royals to live in the United States. There, they have reportedly mixed in the same circles as Brooklyn and Nicola. Arguably, though, nothing helped Beckham's cause more than when he queued up for 13 hours to pay his respects to Queen Elizabeth II following her death in September 2022. While some celebrities infamously jumped the queue, Beckham joined the estimated quarter of a million people who patiently waited their turn. Beckham, who had been awarded his OBE by the late Queen, told the BBC: 'I was so lucky that I was able to have a few moments like that in my life, to be around Her Majesty.' But it is Beckham's remarkable relationship with the King that may well have put the seal on his impending knighthood. What has blossomed into a love-in began in earnest gesture shortly after the coronation, when Beckham, who had discovered a love of beekeeping during the coronavirus crisis, gave the King a jar of home-produced honey – D Bee'z Sticky Stuff – at an awards ceremony in London celebrating British fashion. The gesture landed well. The King, who has long kept bees at his Royal estates and harbours a genuine love for different types of honey, thanked him and said: 'We shall have to do a swap.' Beckham admitted at the time that he was 'excited' to meet the King, describing himself as a lifelong admirer of the Royal family. As a child, he is said to have made an annual pilgrimage to Buckingham Palace with his grandparents, Joseph and Peggy, to watch Trooping the Colour. He spoke of his hitherto unknown passion for nature in 2023's candid Netflix documentary about his life, chatting about the bees he kept on his Cotswolds estate near Great Tew in Oxfordshire. Just a few months later, in June 2024, there he was swapping beekeeping tips with the King. The pair met up privately at the monarch's Highgrove home, some 50 miles from the Beckhams' residence, to discuss plans for him to become an ambassador for the King's Foundation. Pictures released to mark the announcement shortly afterwards showed them laughing together on the King's doorstep, dressed in their smart country attire. 'Having developed a love for the countryside, I'm also on a personal mission to learn more about rural skills which is so central to the foundation's work,' Beckham said at the time. 'It was inspiring to hear from the King about the work of His Majesty's foundation during my recent visit to Highgrove Gardens – and compare beekeeping tips!' It must also be said that the friendship is by no means a one-way street. The King's Foundation has gone to great lengths to attract an array of high-profile personalities to become ambassadors in recent months. From Sienna Miller to rugby star Maro Itoje – the latest recruit, announced on Friday – the charity is keen to reach as wide a demographic as possible in its efforts to promote the synergy between people and planet. Beckham, one of the world's most recognised figures, was a great catch and the invitations then came thick and fast. In December, both David and his wife joined the King and Queen at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, held in honour of the Qatari ruler. In February, the couple were among the King's guests at a black-tie dinner at Highgrove to celebrate Anglo-Italian relations and, the following month, Victoria was invited to Buckingham Palace for a Women of the World event hosted by the Queen. Then, last month, the Princess of Wales wore a Victoria Beckham suit during a visit to the British Fashion Council – not the first time she had been spotted in one of the former Spice Girl's designs. That was followed shortly afterwards by the visit to the Chelsea Flower Show and the King's 'gift' to Beckham. Whether the gift itself was the knighthood few will know, but no one can dispute that Beckham's hard work has finally earned him the one royal seal of approval he has always craved.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
KATIE HIND reveals the REAL reasons David Beckham has waited so long for his knighthood and questions whether Brooklyn will be by his side for the big occasion
Watch as Katie Hind reveals exactly why David Beckham has had to wait so long for his knighthood as he is set to receive the award in King Charles ' Birthday Honours. Click above to watch the video in full.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Mirror Daily Digest: Top stories from Beckham's knighthood to salad warning
In this Friday's Mirror Daily Digest, we've pulled together the biggest stories of the day from the tragic death of a British toddler to the DWP's new state pension warning Welcome to the Mirror's Daily Digest, where we pull together all the best stories of the day from our News, Showbiz, Sport teams and more. This Friday, we're taking a look at everything from Donald Trump and Elon Musk's big falling out, to the UK Health Security Agency's salad warning. BBC Question Time came to dramatic halt as Donald Trump issues threat at Elon Musk Yesterday evening's BBC Question Time was briefly interrupted for 'breaking news' as the public fallout between Donald Trump and Elon Musk rages on. On the panel on Thursday, June 5 Alex Davies-Jones MP, Darren Millar MS, Llinos Medi MP, Annabel Denham and Mark Serwotka appeared alongside host Fiona Bruce. The panel discussed the new 20mph speed limits in Wales and the rise in the number of illegal boat crossings, but their discussion was dramatically halted for "breaking news" as US President Donald Trump issued a scathing threat to Elon Musk. Trump threatened to end Musk's government contracts and it left Question Time viewers fuming. In the "breaking news update" US President Donald Trump addressed his fall-out with Elon Musk saying he is "very disappointed" in the SpaceX founder. David Beckham at risk of losing knighthood before he's even got it after huge blunder Earlier today, our Showbiz team reported that football star David Beckham is set to finally get his wish for a knighthood, after having made his hope for one very clear over the years. Now closer to his dream than ever, there are rumblings that his impending knighthood might be under threat. David, 50, is due to receive the honour in King Charles ' upcoming Birthday Honours List, which is set to be announced this month by The Gazette. It has been claimed David is set to become a Sir while his wife Victoria Beckham will become Lady Beckham, as David will be reportedly named in the Kings Birthday Honours list next week. However, the early announcement of Beckham's reported knighthood could risk him losing the title before its officially awarded, a source has told the Mirror. New State Pension age set to change next year for people born on these dates Ever a subject for discussion, our Politics team today reported that there is to be a further change to state pension age for some Brits. Brits born between two specific dates need to review their pension age due to upcoming changes. The Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP) is urging individuals with particular birthdates to verify their State Pension timing using their online checker. With plans set to incrementally raise the State Pension age from 66 to 67 beginning next year, it's important that everyone takes note of this imminent shift. By 2028, the transition is expected to be implemented nationwide. Brit boy, 2, dies after his family find him floating in the pool at Ibiza holiday home Our World News team have reported the sad news that a two-year-old British boy has died after getting into trouble while swimming in a pool at a private villa in Ibiza. The tragic incident happened shortly bfore 10.40am on Wednesday, June 5 at a holiday home on the northern part of the popular Spanish island. The young boy was found in the pool without a pulse, according to local news outlet Diario de Ibiza. Emergency services rushed to the villa following a report of an unresponsive child just before 11am local time. First to arrive at the holiday home was the basic life support ambulance (BLS). These ambulances are equipped with essential equipment for providing basic life support, such as oxygen, portable devices for respiratory tract care and defibrillators. Health agency issues urgent UK alert to anyone who buys supermarket salad Our Health team have reported a warning from the UK Health Security Agency about potentially dangerous illnesses contracted from bagged supermarket salads. As the weather heats up in summer, people may want to opt for something lighter for lunch, like a salad. But a fresh health alert from UK authorities warns that these foods could make people ill if one very important step is ignored. It may not always be possible to grab fresh food to whip up a refreshing and healthy salad, so many people instead reach for the premade packs available in most supermarkets. However, people who do this have been warned to take one extra step to avoid falling ill. It might seem like common sense, but some people simply tip their bag out and tuck it in. Experts suggest taking one extra precaution to avoid coming into contact with bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria.
