He is now Sir David Beckham and feels “humbled” by new honour but sadly his life is not completely perfect

King Charles III with Sir David Beckham last month(Image: PA)

Emotional former England football captain David Beckham said it was a “humbling honour” after being knighted in the King’s Birthday Honours.

Sir David, who was made an OBE in 2003 and has been in the running for a knighthood for more than a decade, said in a statement to the Mirror: “Growing up in East London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour. To have played for and captained my country was the greatest privilege of my career and literally a boyhood dream come true. Off the pitch I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to represent Britain around the world and work with incredible organisations that are supporting communities in need and inspiring the next generation.

“I’m so lucky to be able to do the work that I do and I’m grateful to be recognised for work that gives me so much fulfilment. It will take a little while for the news to sink in but I’m immensely proud and it’s such an emotional moment for me to share with my family.”

The mention of his family is a particularly poignant one at the moment. Beckham’s son Brooklyn has not been speaking to him or wife Victoria for some months. Messages of congratulations will follow from family and friends for Beckham, but it remains to be seen if there will be one from the son he calls ‘Buster’.

David Beckham in the queue to see Elizabeth II lying in state.(Image: via REUTERS)

Beckham had been on the verge of receiving a knighthood in the 2014 New Year’s Honours list but HM Revenue and Customs placed a red flag on his nomination due to his involvement in an alleged tax avoidance scheme, according to previous reports.

In 2021 it was reported that his finances had been cleared and he was eligible for a knighthood. The day before Sir David was given the honour, he was seen chatting with the King at a St James’s Palace ceremony for the monarch’s foundation, of which the retired footballer is an ambassador.

He has always be a huge supporter of the royal family and there was no finer example of this as when in September 2022 he queued for 12 hours to see Elizabeth II lying in state and described it as “special to be here”.

He has been made a knight for his services to sport and to charity, having partnered with Unicef and campaigned with Malaria No More, a charity working to eradicate the disease. Sir David, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, was presented with an OBE by the Queen in 2003 for his services to football.

In 2022 he recalled: “To receive my OBE, I took my grandparents with me – who were the ones that really brought me up to be a huge royalist and a fan of the Royal Family – and obviously I had my wife there as well.

“To step up, to get my honour – but then also Her Majesty, to ask questions, to talk. I was so lucky that I was able to have a few moments like that in my life, to be around Her Majesty.

David Beckham has been in a feud with his eldest son, Brooklyn(Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage)

“Because we can all see with the love that has been shown how special she is and how special she was and the legacy that she leaves behind. It’s a sad day, but it’s a day for us to remember the incredible legacy that she’s left.

“Every time that we stood there when we wore those Three Lion shirts and I had my armband and we sang God Save The Queen, that was something that meant so much to us.

“Every time that we did it, it was something special.” Beckham will not have much time to celebrate this weekend as sources close to the star confirmed he would be watching his team Inter Miami play the opening game of the Club World Cup. But at some point he will presumably allow himself a moment to think how far he has come.

Born in Leytonstone, east London, Beckham had a trial at local team Leyton Orient and also attended Tottenham’s school of excellence – but his father Ted, a staunch Manchester United fan, remained determined he would go on to play at Old Trafford.

After coming through the club’s academy as part of the famed ‘Class of 92’, Beckham announced himself to the Premier League on the opening day of the 1996-97 season with a memorable goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon.

While there were plenty of doubters as to what he could go on to achieve, Beckham answered them and more – claiming six Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Sir Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering side as well as a dramatic 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp.

International success, however, proved elusive for Beckham as England’s so-called ‘golden generation’ repeatedly came up short. In a Netflix documentary series, released during October 2023, Beckham revealed he still cannot forgive himself for the abuse his family suffered amid the fallout from his red card at the 1998 World Cup for kicking the back of Diego Simeone’s leg during the last-16 clash against Argentina in Saint-Etienne – which left him a “mess”.

By the time Beckham retired at 38, he was already thinking about life after football, and he became a co-owner of the Inter Miami franchise. The club entered Major League Soccer for the 2020 campaign and now boasts Lionel Messi on the team sheet.

A multi-million-pound lifetime deal with Adidas, signed in 2003, had secured his financial future away from the game. Other lucrative, high-profile endorsements down the years have ranged from fashion designers Calvin Klein, Armani and Hugo Boss to tech giants Samsung, Haig Club whisky and Stella Artois as well as kitchen appliance manufacturer Ninja. Beckham, who was made an OBE for services to football in 2003, has long been involved with children’s charity UNICEF, and is a co-owner of film production company Studio 99.

In 2024, Beckham was appointed Ambassador for The King’s Foundation which works globally to create sustainable communities through placemaking projects and also transform lives through practical education programmes. Following the news, Philip Goodwin, UNICEF UK’s Chief Executive, said of their Goodwill Ambassador: “We’re so thrilled that our UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, David Beckham, has been awarded a knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours.

“David Beckham has done an incredible amount to advocate for children’s rights over the last 20 years. He became a Goodwill Ambassador in 2005 and launched 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund in 2015 – with the goal of helping children around the world, especially girls, break down barriers including bullying, violence, child marriage and missed education. He’s travelled extensively to see UNICEF’s work and used his profile to raise awareness, as well as support our flagship fundraising campaign Soccer Aid for UNICEF and launch global fundraising appeals. We are grateful for all of his support that has done a huge amount to amplify the voices of children around the world.”