'Sir David and Lady Posh': Beckham to finally be awarded knighthood by King Charles after monarchy denied him honour for more than a decade

Sky News AU

18 hours ago

David Beckham will finally be awarded a knighthood by King Charles after the monarchy denied him the honour for more than a decade.
The former British football star, 50, is set to be knighted on the King's Birthday Honours list next week, the Sun reported on Thursday.
Beckham will become known as Sir David Beckham, while his wife, former Posh Spice Victoria Beckham, will be referred to as Lady Beckham.
The star is understood to be one of about 1000 Britons who received honours in the King's Birthday list this year.
Charles sends letters inviting recipients to accept the award weeks in advance, and Beckham dropped a major hint he received his last month.
The clue came as the tattoed sportsman was seen chatting with Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, at the Chelsea Flower Show in London.
"Your Majesty, it's so nice to see you," Beckham, who has struck up a friendship with the King over their shared horticulture passion, said.
After warmly shaking Beckham's hand, the King asked the star, who celebrated his 50th in May, if he received his gift.
"You got it, didn't you?" the King asked.
Beckham beamed as he replied: "It was incredible. Thank you, it was very kind."
The telling exchange sparked speculation Charles' mystery gift to Beckham was his sought-after honours letter.
Beckham has reportedly been angling for a knighthood from the King this year after previously being snubbed during Queen Elizabeth II's reign.
However, he once again failed to make it on Charles's New Year Honours list in January.
While the ex-England captain missed out, his showbiz colleague Stephen Fry and old football pal Gareth Southgate were awarded.
In 2017, leaked emails revealed Beckham's seething disappointment at being continually snubbed for a knighthood.
In the emails, which were sent to a member of Beckham's then-publicity team, the sports star hit out at the honours committee and called them "unappreciative c***s" for refusing to grant him the knighthood.
'I expected nothing less (than a knighthood),' Beckham wrote.
'It's a disgrace, to be honest, and if I was American, I would have (sic) got something like this 10 years ago."
The star's repeated failure to be knighted came despite him having been previously awarded an OBE by Elizabeth II in 2003.
However, it was Beckahm's finances abroad and alleged tax avoidance that reportedly hindered his chances of securing the honour.
That and the star's purchase of a seven-bedroom home in London's Holland Park for $40 million and the Beckhams' spendthrift lifestyle reportedly led the Honours Committee to deny him a knighthood.
In 2024, rumours the father-of-four was once again trying to woo the honours committee went into overdrive after he announced two new charitable endeavours with the royal family.
Beckham became an ambassador for The King's Foundation in June, and the following October, he assisted Prince William in raising funds for the London Air Ambulance.
Over the last 18 months, Beckham's friendship with Charles has blossomed, and the sports star gifted the monarch a pot of his homemade honey at the British Fashion Council awards in May 2023.
The celebrity was even said to have cut ties with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to strategically help him receive knighthood.
'The Beckhams have decided this brand is just too toxic for them and they might align themselves with the royal family,' royal reporter Sarah Hewson told TalkTV in 2023.
'Because ultimately, you can't be on both sides in this trans-Atlantic spa.'