Latest news with #TheKing'sFoundation
Leader Live
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
England rugby captain announced as new ambassador for King's charity
The 30-year-old co-founded an artists' residency – for African, Caribbean, Southwest Asian, North African and diaspora creators – that runs at The King's Foundation's headquarters in Scotland. So far, seven Akoje Residency artists have stayed at the Dumfries House site in Ayrshire. The King aims to improve sustainability, traditional crafts and the arts through his charity that was founded in 1990 when he was Prince of Wales. Itoje joins the ranks of fellow ambassadors including footballer David Beckham, actress Sienna Miller and gardener Alan Titchmarsh. His ambassadorship was announced on Friday, and he said in a statement: 'Seeing African art find a home in rural Scotland through the Akoje Residency has been inspiring.' The London-born rugby star added: 'It has been incredibly rewarding to work with The King's Foundation during my artist residency over the past year, and I'm thrilled to build on that relationship by becoming an ambassador for the charity. 'Discovering my passion for art — and the importance of preserving the traditional skills behind it — has been life-changing for me. 'It's been a privilege to witness how the artists have been welcomed and have become part of the local community.' He co-founded the Akoje Gallery with gallery director Khalil Akar in 2023, and it exhibits at different sites across world – but is also accessible online. Its residency programme was set up in 2024, allowing emerging and established artists to stay on-site in Ayrshire and produce work inspired by the surrounding landscape. Kristina Murrin, chief executive of The King's Foundation, said: 'We have been delighted to work with Maro on the Akoje Residency at Dumfries House over the past year, so it's fantastic to formally cement his role as an ambassador for the Foundation. She added: 'I have personally enjoyed meeting the artists taking part in the residencies and seeing how they have enjoyed living and working on site at the Dumfries house estate. 'We look forward to building on this existing partnership and working with Maro to raise awareness of the importance of traditional heritage skills for artists and ensuring they are given a platform to create.' Itoje, who also captains the British and Irish Lions squad and plays as a lock, has represented England 93 times since his first call-up in 2016. He is the first English captain of the British and Irish Lions since Martin Johnson in 2001. The player was named captain of the England team in May ahead of the 2025 Six Nations.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Victoria Beckham Will Soon Become Lady Beckham
After 14 years of waiting, David Beckham is set to receive a knighthood from King Charles in the King's birthday honors list. As a result, the soccer legend's wife, Victoria, will be known as Lady Beckham going forward. Both Beckhams have long had an affinity for the royal family, attending both Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal wedding in 2011 and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding in his growing friendship with King Charles, David Beckham is set to receive a knighthood in the King's latest birthday honors list—thereby making David's wife, Victoria, Lady Beckham. After first being nominated for knighthood in 2011 (according to People), it seems it's all finally happening for the soccer legend. A lifelong royalist, this isn't David's first brush with British honors—as far back as 2003, he was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire). In being granted a knighthood by Charles, David will be awarded for his soccer career and his contribution to British society, according to the BBC. There have been hints of David's impending knighthood over the past year—David was named an ambassador to The King's Foundation in 2024; he and Victoria attended a dinner at Highgrove, the King's country home, back in February of this year; and just last month, he was heard telling the King and Queen Camilla thank you for his 50th birthday gift. 'I'm excited to be working with The King's Foundation and to have the opportunity to help raise awareness of the charity's work,' David said in a statement at the time of his appointment. 'I've always been keen to help young people to expand their horizons, and I'm particularly looking forward to supporting the Foundation's education programs and its efforts to ensure young people have greater access to nature.' David's appointment ends 'years of speculation about whether he would be knighted,' The Telegraph reported. In addition to their other numerous appearances supporting the royal family—including David queuing for hours along with the general public to pay his respects to Queen Elizabeth after her death in 2022—David and Victoria attended a state dinner at Buckingham Palace late last year, and Kate Middleton recently (and poignantly) wore a Victoria Beckham design to an event put on by the British Fashion Council. The Beckhams' royal connections are deep enough that they attended the royal weddings of both Prince William and Kate in 2011 and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. During an interview at the World Economic Forum, David called himself a 'huge royalist' and said (via People), 'I always get emotional talking about anything that I do with our royal family, because I've always been a huge royalist. I was brought up in a household that adored and loved everything that came with the royal family.' Read the original article on InStyle
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
David Beckham reaction to knighthood joke in front of King Charles says it all
David Beckham and his wife Victoria are reportedly set to be given knighthoods in King Charles' Birthday Honours List next week, with Sir Rod Stewart's brutal joke seemingly coming true Sir Rod Stewart's light-hearted prediction about David Beckham's getting a knighthood - made right in front of King Charles - looks to be coming true. Reports have emerged that Beckham is set to receive a knighthood in the King's upcoming Birthday Honours. The former England footballer had previously been considered for the merit several times, but was never included on the final list. In 2017, Beckham's apparent disappointment at being overlooked became public when a trove of contentious emails - allegedly from him - were leaked. Bearing that history in mind, Stewart, who was knighted in 2016 for his contributions to music and philanthropy, made a playful jab at Beckham during an event they attended alongside the British monarch. During the award presentation at a ceremony for 'The King's Foundation', Stewart quipped in front of the King: "I am also wonderfully honoured to be a knight, and David, yours is coming soon." Beckham, amused, was seen smiling and shaking his head, taking the joke in good spirits - even in the King's presence. Now, new reports indicate that Stewart's prediction was accurate. According to The Sun, Beckham will officially become a 'Sir' next week, while Victoria Beckham is expected to be styled as "Lady Beckham". The 50-year-old was named an ambassador to the King's Foundation last year, further solidifying his relationship with the royal family. Recent public moments suggest a friendly rapport between Beckham and the King. At the Chelsea Flower Show last month, the King asked Beckham: "You got it, didn't you?" referring to a birthday gift. Beckham responded: "It was incredible, thank you. It was very kind." Beyond his footballing achievements in England - 115 caps for the Three Lions, plus various trophy-laden stints at Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain - Beckham has made a mark as a football executive, co-founding Inter Miami in MLS, home to Lionel Messi. He has also championed numerous charitable causes, particularly through UNICEF, and was awarded an OBE in 2003. However, it has taken over two decades for that to be elevated to knighthood. His prospects took a hit in 2017 following the publication of controversial emails allegedly written by him. One message reportedly said he "didn't care about being knighted," and another read: "It's a disgrace to be honest and if I was American I would of [sic] got something like this 10 years ago." Beckham later claimed some of the messages had been tampered with. A friend told the Mirror at the time: "To be honest, he does feel that he has given so much to his country... you don't really mean it. "While he was frustrated in those emails, he was over it the moment he sent them. Getting the knighthood is not what his work is about. He doesn't care if he gets a knighthood or not." Typically, honours recipients are notified weeks in advance, so Beckham and his wife may already know of the honour. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
North Wales Chronicle
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
England rugby captain announced as new ambassador for King's charity
The 30-year-old co-founded an artists' residency – for African, Caribbean, Southwest Asian, North African and diaspora creators – that runs at The King's Foundation's headquarters in Scotland. So far, seven Akoje Residency artists have stayed at the Dumfries House site in Ayrshire. The King aims to improve sustainability, traditional crafts and the arts through his charity that was founded in 1990 when he was Prince of Wales. Itoje joins the ranks of fellow ambassadors including footballer David Beckham, actress Sienna Miller and gardener Alan Titchmarsh. His ambassadorship was announced on Friday, and he said in a statement: 'Seeing African art find a home in rural Scotland through the Akoje Residency has been inspiring.' The London-born rugby star added: 'It has been incredibly rewarding to work with The King's Foundation during my artist residency over the past year, and I'm thrilled to build on that relationship by becoming an ambassador for the charity. 'Discovering my passion for art — and the importance of preserving the traditional skills behind it — has been life-changing for me. 'It's been a privilege to witness how the artists have been welcomed and have become part of the local community.' He co-founded the Akoje Gallery with gallery director Khalil Akar in 2023, and it exhibits at different sites across world – but is also accessible online. Its residency programme was set up in 2024, allowing emerging and established artists to stay on-site in Ayrshire and produce work inspired by the surrounding landscape. Kristina Murrin, chief executive of The King's Foundation, said: 'We have been delighted to work with Maro on the Akoje Residency at Dumfries House over the past year, so it's fantastic to formally cement his role as an ambassador for the Foundation. She added: 'I have personally enjoyed meeting the artists taking part in the residencies and seeing how they have enjoyed living and working on site at the Dumfries house estate. 'We look forward to building on this existing partnership and working with Maro to raise awareness of the importance of traditional heritage skills for artists and ensuring they are given a platform to create.' Itoje, who also captains the British and Irish Lions squad and plays as a lock, has represented England 93 times since his first call-up in 2016. He is the first English captain of the British and Irish Lions since Martin Johnson in 2001. The player was named captain of the England team in May ahead of the 2025 Six Nations.
Powys County Times
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
England rugby captain announced as new ambassador for King's charity
England and Saracens rugby captain Maro Itoje has been announced as the new ambassador at the King's charity. The 30-year-old co-founded an artists' residency – for African, Caribbean, Southwest Asian, North African and diaspora creators – that runs at The King's Foundation's headquarters in Scotland. So far, seven Akoje Residency artists have stayed at the Dumfries House site in Ayrshire. The King aims to improve sustainability, traditional crafts and the arts through his charity that was founded in 1990 when he was Prince of Wales. Itoje joins the ranks of fellow ambassadors including footballer David Beckham, actress Sienna Miller and gardener Alan Titchmarsh. His ambassadorship was announced on Friday, and he said in a statement: 'Seeing African art find a home in rural Scotland through the Akoje Residency has been inspiring.' The London-born rugby star added: 'It has been incredibly rewarding to work with The King's Foundation during my artist residency over the past year, and I'm thrilled to build on that relationship by becoming an ambassador for the charity. 'Discovering my passion for art — and the importance of preserving the traditional skills behind it — has been life-changing for me. 'It's been a privilege to witness how the artists have been welcomed and have become part of the local community.' He co-founded the Akoje Gallery with gallery director Khalil Akar in 2023, and it exhibits at different sites across world – but is also accessible online. Its residency programme was set up in 2024, allowing emerging and established artists to stay on-site in Ayrshire and produce work inspired by the surrounding landscape. Kristina Murrin, chief executive of The King's Foundation, said: 'We have been delighted to work with Maro on the Akoje Residency at Dumfries House over the past year, so it's fantastic to formally cement his role as an ambassador for the Foundation. She added: 'I have personally enjoyed meeting the artists taking part in the residencies and seeing how they have enjoyed living and working on site at the Dumfries house estate. 'We look forward to building on this existing partnership and working with Maro to raise awareness of the importance of traditional heritage skills for artists and ensuring they are given a platform to create.' Itoje, who also captains the British and Irish Lions squad and plays as a lock, has represented England 93 times since his first call-up in 2016. He is the first English captain of the British and Irish Lions since Martin Johnson in 2001.
