David Beckham was finally knighted at Windsor Castle on Tuesday morning, ending a 20-year wait that began with a near-miss and ended with his family by his side as King Charles placed the sword on his shoulders.
The 50-year-old arrived for the ceremony in a three-piece suit designed by Victoria, a personal touch that didn’t go unnoticed by the King, who remarked on it during their brief exchange afterwards.
Speaking outside Windsor Castle, Beckham said: “I’ve been very lucky in my career to have won what I’ve won and done what I’ve done, but to receive an honour like this is beyond anything I ever thought I’d receive.”
A childhood dream, witnessed by Ted and Sandra Beckham
Standing in the grounds of Windsor Castle, Ted and Sandra Beckham flanked their son and daughter-in-law as photographers captured the moment. Victoria, wearing an elegant black fitted dress from her own fashion house, pressed her hand against David’s back as tears welled in her eyes.
This was the culmination of a dream that started in a Leytonstone back garden, where a young David practised free kicks under Ted’s watchful guidance. “To be honest, a young boy from the east end of London, born in Leytonstone, and here at Windsor Castle, being honoured by His Majesty the King, the most important and the most respected institution in the world, it’s quite a moment,” Beckham reflected.
The former Manchester United star described it as “without doubt my proudest moment,” a statement that carries weight coming from someone who lifted the Champions League trophy, won six Premier League titles and captained England 58 times.
Why Beckham had to wait 20 years for his knighthood
Beckham was on the verge of receiving a knighthood back in 2014, but concerns arose after he was caught up in an alleged tax avoidance scheme. The scheme was later deemed legitimate, but the damage to his knighthood prospects had been done.
In February 2017, leaked emails showed Beckham expressing frustration at being removed from the honours list, leaving his hopes of becoming “Sir David” seemingly shattered. For years, it appeared the honour would never come.
But Beckham continued his charity work regardless. He maintained his role as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, a position he’s held since 2005, and in 2024 became an ambassador for the King’s Foundation, supporting King Charles’ education programmes focused on young people and nature.
It was UNICEF and the British Fashion Council who nominated Beckham for the knighthood earlier this year, citing his two decades of charitable work and his impact on British society beyond football.
Victoria’s special gift and King Charles’ compliment
When the couple learned in June that David would be knighted in the King’s Birthday Honours, Victoria immediately started working on a surprise project. She designed and tailored a three-piece morning suit specifically for the occasion, her first time creating something like this for her husband.
“He was quite impressed with my suit,” Beckham said with a smile. “He’s kind of the most elegantly dressed man that I know, so he inspired quite a few of my looks over the years and he definitely inspired this look.”
Beckham had studied old photographs of a young King Charles in morning suits and asked Victoria to create something similar. The result earned praise from the King himself during their conversation at Windsor Castle.
Victoria burst into tears when David first told her that King Charles had asked him to join the King’s Foundation. “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,” Beckham explained.
The bond between Beckham and King Charles
The relationship between Beckham and King Charles has grown closer in recent years, built on unexpected common ground. They bonded over beekeeping, gardening and their shared love of the countryside.
Beckham met Charles at the British Fashion Council awards in May 2023, where he gifted the then-Prince a pot of his homemade honey called “D Bee’z Sticky Stuff,” which he makes at the couple’s Grade II-listed barn in Oxfordshire. Charles was fascinated to learn about Beckham’s hobby, and their conversation quickly turned to bees.
“We have very similar interests, beekeeping, he’s into bees, I’m into bees, he’s into the countryside, I’m into the countryside, he’s into empowering young people,” Beckham said. The King later invited him to Highgrove and asked him to join his foundation.
“I’ve always been a huge royalist, I was brought up in a family and household that adored and loved everything with the royal family,” Beckham told Town & Country in January. “When the King asked me to part of his foundation, I was very honoured, very privileged, I rang my mum straight away.”
What the knighthood recognises beyond football
While Beckham’s football achievements are legendary, 115 caps for England, six Premier League titles and success across four different countries, the knighthood specifically honours his services to sport and charity.
His work with UNICEF spans 20 years, during which he’s visited children in impoverished areas around the world, raised funds for girls’ education and used his platform to fight for children’s rights. In 2015, UNICEF named a fund in his honour to mark their decade-long partnership.
Beyond UNICEF, Beckham played a role in securing the 2012 Olympics for London and continues his work through the King’s Foundation supporting education programmes and environmental initiatives.
The ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday morning marked the formal recognition of all that work, with King Charles touching Beckham gently on both shoulders with his sword as the footballer knelt before him.
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As Sir David Beckham left Windsor Castle with Victoria and his parents beside him, the 20-year wait was finally over. The boy from Leytonstone who grew up watching Trooping the Colour with his monarchist grandparents had become a knight of the realm, and his family was there to witness every moment.
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