HE is a self-proclaimed royalist and has supported senior royals at a string of high profile events, but David Beckham recently cemented his friendship with the famous family after accepting a dinner invitation from the King.
Last month it was revealed how the ex-England star, 48, had accepted an invitation for talks with Charles on becoming a celebrity ambassador for a royal charity.
David Beckham has cemented himself in the royal family favourite circleCredit: Darren Fletcher
The Princess of Wales is said to have a friendship with Victoria Beckham tooCredit: Getty
David’s history with the royal family goes back yearsCredit: Getty
In particular, Goldenballs is being wooed in the hope he can sprinkle a little stardust on the Prince’s Foundation, which provides skills training to youngsters.
It is a role David is both familiar with and does well, having previously supported Harry with his Invictus Games, and William with both environmental and mental health campaigns.
And according to Sarah Hewson, royal editor of Talk TV, the invitation from the King could be the start of another new royal friendship.
It’s very clear which side the Beckhams are on
Sarah HewsonRoyal Editor, Talk TV
“For instance, like Charles, David is an avid beekeeper and he gifted the King a jar of honey that he had harvested after the coronation.
“I certainly think there’s a lot that can be done by them working together. I think that it’s quite an interesting development in terms of David’s history with the royal family – and it’s very clear which side the Beckhams are on.”
Sarah is referring to the alleged feud between the Beckhams and the Sussexes over leaked stories.
Harry reportedly called David accusing him and wife Victoria of the leaks in an “awkward” conversation which left David “absolutely bloody furious”.
Since then, David and Victoria, 49, have appeared to distance themselves from the couple.
But David and Harry’s relationship was once a solid one.
So much so, Harry, 39, asked David to be an official ambassador for the Invictus Games in 2018, and David joined him and wife Meghan, 42, Down Under for the event.
The Inter Miami team president has also enjoyed a good friendship with Prince William, 40, over the years.
In 2020, the ex England star took part in a group video call with Prince William and other sports stars for the royal’s mental health Heads Up campaign.
That summer David and his son Romeo joined William, president of the FA, in the royal box to watch England vs Germany. More recently, David joined Kate and William at the Earthshot Awards in Boston last year.
David even invited the royal couple to his eldest son Brooklyn’s wedding – though a source at the time said William wished them “a great deal of joy but they are unable to attend.”
There is a real fun side to William and David’s friendship
Denise Palmer-DaviesBorne Media, Director
Talking about his friendship with the brothers in 2012, David said “They’re two people who have grown up in the spotlight and the respect that I have for them, and that people in our country and all over the world have for them, is amazing.
“I have a huge amount of respect for William and Harry because of what they’ve been through from a very young age.
“They’re a credit obviously to their mum and everyone in the Royal Family.”
But while David’s relationship with the brothers appears on the surface to be dictated by work projects, Denise Palmer-Davies, director of celeb PR firm Borne Media, believes David has a genuine friendship with William, and that they have “a real fondness” for each other.
She said: “There is a real fun side to William and David’s friendship.
“There are a lot of in jokes and banter between them – mainly over William supporting Aston Villa which David always likes to make fun of.
“Whenever you look at pictures of them together you can see there is a genuine friendship that runs much deeper than just work.
“There is mutual respect and a real fondness, I think.”
She added: “Their friendship extends out to their wider families too. We’ve seen David and Romeo join William, Kate and George at football matches and I’m sure George has asked David lots about being a footballer.
“As we know, George loves football – we recently saw Kate attending one of his matches and William wants him to be a striker for Aston Villa. George has even had football themed parties at Kensington Palace and we’ve seen the faces he pulls while watching England, so who better to ask about all things football than an England legend.
“Kate also has a behind-the-scenes friendship with Victoria too. We have seen her wear sunglasses from Victoria’s range, and Kate owns one of her Quincy bags. We even saw Kate in a Victoria Beckham midi dress at an event earlier this year.
“They are both incredibly discreet women, but I can imagine they have bonded over their love of fashion and I bet Kate loves Victoria’s wicked sense of humour.”
And as David’s friendship with the King also blossoms, there is talk of how a new partnership might help David achieve his ultimate goal – a knighthood.
Whenever you look at pictures of them together you can see there is a genuine friendship
Denise Palmer-DaviesBorne Media, Director
David was made an OBE for services to football 20 years ago, while his ex-Spice Girl wife Victoria, 49, was given the same honour in 2017 for services to the fashion industry.
But being called ‘Sir David’ is an honour that he is still waiting for.
Sarah said: “Having a nice cosy dinner at Dumfries House with King Charles certainly doesn’t do him any harm, does it?
“But I think there are benefits on both sides because this role [for David] is for the Prince’s Foundation, the charity that Charles founded as the Prince of Wales, but has not been without controversy.
“With the allegations around cash for honours – where it was claimed a Saudi billionaire was promised British citizenship and a knighthood in return for being a donor – the Foundation needs to be rebranded.
“And who better to do that than a star like David Beckham.”
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David recently accepted an invitation for talks with Charles on becoming a celebrity ambassador for a royal charityCredit: AFP
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David has supported Harry with his Invictus GamesCredit: Getty
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The footballer has also supported William with both environmental and mental health campaignsCredit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
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Prince Harry reportedly called David accusing him and wife Victoria of the leaks in an ‘awkward’ conversation which left David ‘absolutely bloody furious’Credit: Splash News
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David recently cemented his friendship with the famous family after accepting a dinner invitation from the KingCredit: PA
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David and Victoria secured a coveted invitation to Harry’s royal wedding in 2018
