Blog

David Beckham quickly converted his son Romeo’s tennis court into a fully operational football pitch after his kid decided to leave tennis behind and switch back to playing football

David Beckham had his son Romeo’s £30,000 tennis court bulldozed to convert it into a five-a-side football pitch.

The top-of-the-line tennis court was initially created for his now 21-year-old son in 2018.

The project began when his mother, Victoria, hoped that Romeo would follow in the footsteps of tennis star Andy Murray.

During his tennis journey, Romeo enjoyed the privilege of training alongside renowned players like Murray, Grigor Dimitrov, and Caroline Wozniacki, who was ranked No. 2 in the world at the time.

David Beckham disclosed in 2018 that his sons, Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz, had spent some time at Arsenal’s academy.

However, they eventually decided to pursue different career paths, which left David feeling disheartened as he had hoped that at least one of his children would carry on his sporting legacy. His youngest child and only daughter, Harper, has shown a strong interest in the sport, thus keeping the Beckham family tradition alive.

David Beckham expressed his devastation upon discovering that Romeo had quit playing football. Romeo took a pause from the sport for five years after being released from Arsenal’s academy in 2015.

“The other day Romeo turned round to me and said he did not want to play football anymore,” the former Real Madrid star said. “Part of me was devastated, but part of me was relieved, too. He has got other passions, and I like that.”

In 2020, Romeo resumed playing football, so the tennis court was bulldozed and transformed into a five-a-side pitch. He later joined Inter Miami and gained recognition from fans after scoring a free-kick for the second team against Orlando City.

Romero Beckham started training with England’s Brentford B team in October 2022 and officially joined the squad on a six-month loan in January 2023. Four days after his arrival, he debuted as a second-half substitute in a London Senior Cup match against Erith & Belvedere at Park View Road.

Beckham scored his first goal on Feb. 14, during a Middlesex Senior Cup game against Wealdstone, securing a match-winning goal in the 93rd minute of a 3-2 victory. In May 2023, Beckham was part of the Brentford B squad that won the 2022-23 Premier League Cup, although he remained an unused substitute in the Cup final.

Throughout the 2022-23 season, he made 15 appearances for Brentford B. At the end of his loan term, Beckham signed a permanent one-year contract with Brentford B.

Romeo recently attracted media attention when his model girlfriend, Mia Regan, posted a social media photo of them cuddling in bed. Reportedly, they had separated in the summer of 2022 after three years of dating but reconciled later that year.

Mia has a strong and positive relationship with Victoria Beckham and has previously collaborated with her self-named clothing line. Victoria enthusiastically announced the collaborative launch on her personal Instagram account, supporting Mia and his son’s relationship.

Share

Meghan Markle found herself in an embarrassing situation as she was escorted out by security guards, a moment that unfolded when Kevin, an event organizer, exposed her disrespectful behavior towards a Franciscan Friar.

During a recent charity event held at Kevin Conner’s Polo Field in Santa Barbara on May 18th, Meghan and Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, made a surprise appearance. The star-studded gathering included notable figures like Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres. However, despite the impressive guest list, insiders revealed that Meghan and Harry were largely overlooked by the celebrities in attendance.

In an attempt to connect with the crowd, Meghan and Harry approached Katy Perry’s parents and asked for a photo. They also sought out the Franciscan Friar, Father Larry Goslin of St. Barbara Parish, for intimate photos. However, an uncomfortable incident occurred when Meghan tried to kiss Father Goslin on the cheek and stood too close while taking pictures. Catholic priests adhere to celibacy and are only allowed to express affection in a friendly or familial manner, not romantically. Father Goslin had to gently remind Meghan to maintain a respectful distance on both occasions.

Furthermore, Meghan’s invitation to Father Goslin to renew his wedding vows next year was perceived as insulting and disrespectful. Father Larry Goslin is a respected Franciscan who was recently assigned to his Old Mission in Santa Barbara, and it took Kevin Conner considerable effort to invite him to the event.

This incident is not the first time Meghan has faced controversy over her behavior. At the 2023 Invictus Games in Germany, she was criticized for attempting to kiss a female audience member on the cheek without consent. The woman had previously experienced serious injuries, including assault and harassment, which made Meghan’s actions distressing.

Video footage of another awkward moment involving Meghan during Kevin Costner’s event has gone viral online. In the clip, a woman approaches Meghan with a microphone, and Meghan initially assumes it’s for her, reaching for the microphone before realizing it’s not intended for her.

These incidents have intensified the pressure on Harry and Meghan to deliver successful content for their Netflix projects. With 18 months remaining on their contract with the streaming giant and their recent Spotify partnership ending due to Luke Williams’s takeover of Meghan’s “Archewell Audio” podcast, the couple faces growing expectations and scrutiny.

Sharon Bell is accused of stalking David Beckham in the belief that him and wife Victoria Beckham stole her eggs, with it claimed she even turned up at daughter Harper Beckham’s school

David Beckham feared for the “safety of his family” after a woman who mistakenly believes she is the mum of his daughter turned up at her school, a court has heard.

Sharon Bell, 58, is accused of stalking the former Manchester United and England star in the mistaken belief that he and wife Victoria Beckham stole her eggs.

Bell allegedly sent letters to the Beckhams’ homes in Oxford and London before turning up at them last July and September.

She also went to their daughter Harper ‘s school in a bid to speak to her and was there when Victoria arrived to collect her, Westminster magistrates heard.

Bell is said to be under the delusional belief she was in a relationship with David, 47 and that Harper, 10, is her child.

Prosecutor Arizuna Asante said of Beckham: “He felt threatened, he felt frightened for the safety of his family, and he believed this behaviour was targeted and intimidating.

“He says he does not know the defendant and she is not the mother of his children.”

Bell, from Watford, Herts, has previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of stalking and is due to face trial in July.

SECTIONED

She did not attend yesterday’s hearing and the court was told she is currently in hospital, where she has been sectioned.

Her lawyer, Lisa Wilson, said that if her client is not found by the court to be insane, she wants the Beckhams to be called as witnesses in the trial so they can be questioned about her claims.

The court heard this would include putting the suggestion to former Spice Girls singer Victoria, who has four children with her husband, “that she conspired with David Beckham to steal the eggs of Sharon Bell”.

But district judge Michael Snow said the “absolutely bizarre assertion” would add to the Beckham’s distress and their statements should be read instead.

“There is a risk of the family suffering further harassment, alarm or distress because of delusional allegations being put to them,” he said.

The judge extended a civil interim stalking protection order until the end of the proceedings, which he indicated are likely to go down the “psychiatric route”, resulting in a hospital order.

David Beckham has been open about his wish to see Lionel Messi continue to have an impact stateside for years to come but the Argentine superstar’s best friend has made a startling prediction.

Sergio Aguero believes Lionel Messi could rock David Beckham and return to Inter Miami, saying it’s “only a matter of time” before the Argentine icon returns to Barcelona.

The former England captain’s MLS franchise beat off significant competition from suitors including the Saudi Pro League and his old club Barca to secure his signature earlier this year.

For the first time in his club career, he departed European football for a new chapter stateside after finding the lure of Florida too hard to resist.

Thee eight-time Ballon d’Or victor appears to have settled in nicely to life in the US with his young family, while making an immediate impact by delivering silverware in his first half-season.

Despite this, his best friend Aguero is still convinced that he could finish his career with the club where he first made his name.

Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, Aguero admitted that his best friend Messi still has Barcelona very much in his heart following over two years living in Catalonia. Despite the legendary winger’s shock departure two years ago, his compatriot revealed that Messi ‘always said that he loves Barcelona’, adding that he still feels ‘very identified with the club and city’.

Aguero did concede that he has ‘never discussed’ whether his former international teammate will eventually return to Spain following retirement. However, the Argentine legend did give Barcelona fans something to hold on to as he acknowledged that he felt it was ‘a matter of time’ before he moves back to Camp Nou.

Messi left Barca in 2021 after an incredible career in Catalonia, winning 35 pieces of silverware in his time there. The 36-year-old departed Spain following the expiry of his contract, joining Paris Saint-Germain, where he remained for two years.

Aguero’s admission will likely not be music to the ears of Inter Miami co-owner Beckham, who has previously forecast that Messi’s involvement stateside may continue following the conclusion of his playing career. The World Cup winner signed a lucrative two-year deal to effectively become the face of MLS, with commercial tie-ins with the league’s partners Adidas and Apple upon his signing over the summer.

Beckham told The Times: “I see Leo’s involvement in the league a lot longer than his playing time,”. “We are very keen to keep him to help attract players and be involved with the football development of the club and football in the US. I think that will be a lot of fun for him as it’s been for me.”

“I wanted to see him come in, see him go about everything he does so professionally, setting an example to all the young kids here.

Beckham added: “He is a superstar, but the most humble superstar. And I just love to watch him train. Anyone who has seen him live knows he’s different, special.”

Former England captain and Manchester United legend David Beckham was left red-faced and humiliated after a string of embarrassing emails were leaked online in 2017.

David Beckham has made no secret of the fact he’d love a knighthood – both publicly and privately.

In his pursuit of knighthood, David Beckham dedicated himself to royal duties, even waiting 13 hours to view Queen Elizabeth II’s coffins after her September 2022 passing.

But it seems like the MU legend’s past is still haunting him, with the 49-year-old snubbed by King Charles in the 2024 New Year honours- with Sir Rod Stewart recently poking fun at David’s lack of honorary title.

Despite being cleared from the Ingenious tax scheme in 2013 and making a strong comeback in the 2022 recommendations list, David’s knighthood prospects could be affected by leaked emails from 2017.

The leaks exposed his bitterness towards the honours committee where he labelled them as “unappreciative c***s” and expressed his lack of enthusiasm for being knighted by stating:

“I expected nothing less. It’s a disgrace to be honest and if I was American I would of got something like this 10 years ago.” He also appeared disgruntled about the honour bestowed on Welsh crooner Katherine Jenkins in 2014, irately asking: “For what? Singing at the rugby and going to see the troops.”

At the time, David’s pals claimed the fiery messages were issued “in the heat of the moment” as a reaction to him being snubbed for a knighthood – and that some were in fact “doctored”. David, who was honoured with an OBE in 2003, insisted: “I don’t care about being knighted.”

The leaked emails included exchanges with his veteran PR man, Simon Oliveira, after Beckham lost out on the sought-after Sir title in 2013. Having championed charities like children’s charity UNICEF and fronting the London Olympics, he was highly suspected as next in line for the honour. In another explosive revelation from leaked emails, he reportedly refused to donate $1m to a UNICEF event, stating “it’s my f***ing money”.

One of David’s close friends defended him at the time, telling the Mirror “He is very calm at the moment because he knows the great work that he has done for UNICEF. But he is just saddened that people would question all of that work.” The pal also tried to put David’s outburst into context: “Genuinely, he wasn’t as vitriolic as that, but you do say some things in private and in the heat of the moment.”

“To be honest, he does feel that he has given so much to his country. And sometimes you say things in private that anyone would say and you don’t really mean it.” Regarding the contentious email concerning honours, the confidant clarified: “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.”

UNICEF featured prominently in the emails and were damaging to David’s image as a compassionate children’s ambassador. One email leaked by Football Leaks alleged that David demanded UNICEF pay £6,685 for a business class flight to visit children affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines despite his sponsors covering the cost of a private jet.

David’s friend hint back at critics of the leaked email: “The one thing David is very proud of and feels can’t be faulted is his work for UNICEF. He has not only donated his own money, he has raised millions to help vulnerable children around the world. More importantly he has worked with the charity over the last 15 years.”

“The fact that there are these hackers who are selectively in some instances cheekily doctoring some of that information saddens him. He will be going about his daily life with his kids. He has got work commitments coming up and he has constant work with UNICEF. There is always work he is doing with the charity, whether that is dinners or field trips. There are always a lot of things planned.”

“Nothing will deter him or stop him from continuing with UNICEF. He is incredibly proud of what he is doing. The sad thing is he is being vilified when he has done such great work. It’s the first time an ambassador in UN history has his own fund. Why these people want to detract from such great work is unbelievable.”

A statement released by the charity in 2017 said: “UNICEF has become aware of media reports relating to 7: The David Beckham Unicef Fund. Some reports relate to alleged private correspondence between our ambassador and other parties, which we have not seen and cannot comment upon. David Beckham has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005. As well as generously giving his time, energy and support to help raise awareness and funds for UNICEF’s work for children, David has given significant funds personally.”

It’s not just those infamous leaked emails are raining on Golden Balls’ parade to become Sir David Beckham. The former England skipper also faced harsh criticism for his recent decision to accept an ambassador role for Qatar, raking in a whopping £150 million over a span of a decade.

Comedian Joe Lycett even appealed to Becks to rethink this decision, creating a dramatic spectacle by acting like he was shredding £10,000 on stage last year before unveiling that it was a hoaxthat the cash had been donated to LGBTQ+ charities. Josh Cavallo, an Aussie football star and the only openly gay top-tier male player, reacted to his Man of the Year award win at the Attitude awards by playfully shouting “Take that David Beckham”.

The magazine, which put the former Manchester United star on its cover back in 2002, also threw shade David’s way. Editor-in-chief Cliff Joannou reflected: “It’s a reminder that being an advocate for not just LGBTQ+ rights, but women’s rights, immigrant workers’ rights… and any human rights should not be lip service. It’s not a trend to boost a person’s profile.”

“Human rights are not a fashion statement, they are real issues that affect the livelihood of billions of vulnerable people around the country. Joe Lycett’s prank worked to highlight the flippant attitude David Beckham has to human rights. And what price tag he had in order to turn a blind eye to the corruption that awarded Qatar the World Cup by Fifa. It all amounts to making this year’s so-called ‘beautiful game’ a truly ugly moment for sport.”

David later broke his silence on the criticism, telling the Daily Telegraph: “I do a lot of research into partners that I’m going into business with. And I wanted to be involved in another World Cup. I like to see the game grow, and that means it going into territories it hasn’t been in before.

“I knew there’d be questions, I knew there was going to be criticism, but I’ve always been a believer that football is such a powerful tool. I knew that once the World Cup started, not that it would go away, but it was all then about how people were treated, how people weren’t excluded, what an experience the World Cup would be.

“I spent a month out there, and not one person came up to me and said, ‘Oh my God, I’ve been treated like this, oh my God, I wasn’t allowed into this place…’ I was around the LGBTQ community, I spoke to people on the ground. So I was happy with my decision.”

A bombshell new book explores Victoria and David Beckham’s rocky relationship, with author, Tom Bower, unveiling some huge revelations in The House of Beckham: Money, Sex and Power

David Beckham was “disturbed” by his wife Victoria’s relationship with rapper, Damon Dash, writes Tom Bower.

The investigative journalist’s new book The House of Beckham: Money, Sex and Power, which is being serialised by the Mirror before its release on June 20.

It takes a deep dive into the relationship of one of the most influential couples in the world, including their rocky romance.

During David Beckham’s tenure at Real Madrid, Victoria Beckham’s friendship with a wealthy rapper reportedly strained their time in Spain, with promises to revive her pop career post-Spice Girls.

Victoria would, the book claims, frequently spend time in New York with Dash to produce an album which never saw the light of day.

Offering his take on how Dash affected David, Bower writes: “Dash’s interference in the Beckhams’ married life disturbed David. At the end of a Real Madrid press conference in early November, Beckham burst out: ‘All this speculation about my wife not being happy, it can’t carry on – it’s all rubbish. She’s very happy here in Madrid. There are no problems in our marriage.’”

Victoria made a rap album with Dash, which featured hip hop icon Ol’ Dirty B*****d. Back in 2003, the artist formerly known as Posh Spice had plans to release the offering called Come Together, but it ended up being shelved. Dash, the co-founder of a £200 million rap music and fashion empire, was a close friend of Victoria’s and had been working with the former Spice Girl on 12 new tracks.

But her record label, Telstar, which paid £1.5 million to sign her, was said to be nervous about Dash’s image and hard-core sound. Dash’s Roc-A-Fella label included controversial rappers Jay-Z and Ol’ Dirty B*****d – both known for their x-rated lyrics – while Telstar reportedly preferred Victoria to remain true to her pristine pop roots.

However, leaping to her defence, the rapper alleged there was bad blood between the singer and her label, telling Telstar to back off. Dash told the Evening Standard: “Because Victoria’s record company aren’t happy about the fact that she came over to New York to work with me they are putting out stories.

“Before anyone’s even heard the album they were making things up. I heard a story that Victoria was calling herself the female Eminem.” He continued: “That’s just dumb. She never said that. I’m going to open Roc- a- Fella Records in London. I’ll show these Telstar cats how it’s done.”

Tom Bower’s new book The House of Beckham explores David and Victoria Beckham’s marriage and the infamous affair claims by Rebecca Loos that almost tore them apart

It was an allegation that tore the Beckhams apart and was at the heart of their recent Netflix documentary.

Rebecca Loos ’ decision to go public with claims of an affair with David led to Victoria saying the aftermath was the “hardest period” for them both.

Now a new book by author Tom Bower has told for the first time how Loos only spoke out after being outraged by David’s treatment of a waitress.

And he reveals how the seemingly innocuous incident was the catalyst behind the biggest test of the Beckham’s nearly 25-year marriage.

In The House of Beckham, the author writes: “The turning-point for Loos was realising Beckham’s double standards. After a meal for SFX employees at Madrid’s Hard Rock Cafe, Beckham did not leave a tip.

“The following day, the waitress gave Loos a note for Beckham. “Explaining that she survived on the tips, she expressed her anger that someone as famous and rich could be so mean. After reading the note, Beckham was alarmed. “‘Give her this,’ he said handing over a thick wodge of euros. Reflecting in February about how Beckham had played her and lied to her, Loos was angry. “

Loos, who was let go by Beckham’s agency SFX, later sold her story to the New of the World, alleging an affair with the footballer. The Beckham’s’ PR advisors quickly orchestrated a stage-managed show of togetherness on holiday in the Alpine ski resort of Courchevel to try and offset the damage to Brand Beckham..

“In a bravura performance the couple clung to each other – she with an iron grip on his hand. Then they performed a piggy-back and smiled,” Bower writes. But behind closed doors things soon turned ugly. “Once the show was over they disappeared into their chalet….as everyone drifted off, one journalist looked through the Beckhams’ chalet window. Posh was slapping Beckham hard on his face. Beckham, famous for his ‘short fuse’, did not retaliate.”

Victoria delated moving to Spain and her experience there was miserable. “Her life in Madrid was lonely and unhappy. Although she had everything money could buy she was isolated. With few friends, she was unwilling to learn Spanish. Her diet, rigorous exercise and chain-smoking reflected her anxieties.”

Their time in Madrid was also strained by Victoria’s relationship with rapper Damon Dash, who promised to relaunch her pop career. She would frequently spend time in New York with Dash to produce an album which never saw the light of day.. “Dash’s interference in the Beckhams’ married life disturbed David. At the end of a Real Madrid press conference in early November, Beckham burst out: ‘All this speculation about my wife not being happy, it can’t carry on – it’s all rubbish. She’s very happy here in Madrid. There are no problems in our marriage.’”

Fast-forward 14 years and the Beckhams were once again fending off rumours about their marriage. At the centre of increasing speculation they were on the rocks, Victoria and her publicist decided to do a high-profile interview and photoshoot with Vogue magazine.

“That would be an ideal platform to crush rumours of a split,” Bower writes. “The interview would be accompanied with photographs of the Happy Beckham Family. Beckham returned specially to London for the photoshoot….the entire Beckham family was to be photographed sitting as a harmonious group in a wooden rowing boat on a pond, which was to be shot as if it were a lake.”

“But soon there was tension over whether David would appear in the shoot, with the footballer’s publicist adamant that he would not take part. Not mentioned was Beckham’s new opinion that his children should not be exploited for the brand,” Bower claims. “Unspoken was his apparent fury with Victoria’s endless self-promotion campaigns.”

He added: “The wrangling was followed by an outburst between Beckham and Victoria. Beckham relented. Finally, the family was shuffled on to the boat.” But what followed was almost comic. “Unexpectedly, once the six were afloat, Beckham insisted that his cocker spaniel Olive should feature in the shot too. The dog had 71,000 Instagram followers. Gingerly, the boat was pushed from the shore. Suddenly, Olive jumped into the water.

“Beckham was about to follow and rescue his pet. Screaming ‘No’, worried that his clothes would get soaked, several assistants plunged into the water to grab the dog. Victoria’s face turned to thunder. Another argument blew up. A sulk descended. Plans for the family photo were ditched.

“Victoria posed only with the children and the spaniel. In the aftermath, Beckham and Victoria posed as a twosome, separate and looking rather severe. But they were, as ever, consummate actors. No one looking at the perfect images could have imagined the dramas over the preceding hours. The cover photograph would be of Victoria, and only with her four children.”

Later the Vogue editor hosted a fancy dinner at Mark’s Club in Mayfair. Bower writes: “The rival Beckham publicists co-ordinated the separate arrival of Beckham and Victoria. Professional as ever, they posed holding hands with inscrutable smiles and entered the club. Unknown to the photographers, after ten minutes Beckham left through a rear entrance. Victoria remained, drinking red wine until, amid cheers, she stood on a couch to sing the Spice Girls’ big hit ‘Wannabe’.”

The question of whether Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed were engaged was investigated 10 years later during a formal inquest into their deaths

Diana The Princess Of Wales Attends A Gala Reception & Preview Of Her ‘Dresses Auction’ At Christies In London. ; Dodi al Fayed. . Photo: Antony Jones/UK Press/Getty ; Aaron Rapoport/CORBIS OUTLINE/Corbis/Getty

Warning: This post contains spoilers from season 6 of The Crown.

It’s one of the intriguing moments in the early episodes of the latest season of The Crown and was one of the big questions in the years soon after Princess Diana’s death: Was the iconic princess secretly engaged to Dodi Fayed, or had he bought a ring preparing to propose?

In the final season of the Netflix show, the first episodes of which hit the streaming service on Thursday, Dodi proposes to Princess Diana in Paris just hours before their tragic death in a car crash. However, the royal turns him down, saying she’s not ready.

The question of their possible engagement became vitally important even 10 years after the couple’s 1997 fatal crash in Paris when it formed part of the inquest into Princess Diana’s death (along with the question of whether Diana was pregnant — she wasn’t). That’s because Dodi’s bitter father, Mohamed al-Fayed (who died earlier this year), claimed it was one of the reasons behind the establishment plot to kill the couple.

Firstly, were Diana and Dodi, who had only got together earlier in that summer, in love? Richard Kay, a senior Daily Mail journalist who was close to the princess, wrote poignantly of a last call she made to him only hours before the fateful drive away from the Ritz hotel in Paris. In his moving reflections, written a day after her death (and reproduced in the book of tributes Requiem), he said she was “as happy as I have ever known her.”

Princess Diana vacations in St. Tropez in the summer of 1997.Michel Dufour/WireImage

All About Dodi Fayed, Princess Diana’s Love Interest at the Time of Their Deaths

He added, “I cannot say for certain that they would have married, but in my view, it was likely.” (Kay later told the inquest into her death in 2007 that he had changed his mind on that.)

Princess Diana talked excitedly about seeing her sons, Prince William, then 15, and Prince Harry, then 12, who were holidaying in Balmoral with their father, Prince Charles.

“ ‘I’m coming home tomorrow, and the boys will be back from Scotland in the evening,’ “she told him. (Sadly, she would also call her sons that night and they’d talk to her for the last time.)

Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty; Getty

But was she about to agree to marry again? The Crown shows the couple looking around a jewelry store while hiding out from photographers in Monte Carlo, and it is known that Dodi did, indeed, buy a diamond ring at the Repossi shop in Place Vendome, Paris for around $14,000. Was he going to give it to her at his flat, where they were headed on the night of their deaths? If it was an engagement ring, it wasn’t particularly expensive for a man of his means – “something of a let-down for such a big spender,” as Kay would put it 20 years later.

However, Dodi did appear to have been planning something special. Rene Delorm, his butler, said he was asked that evening to have “the champagne on ice when they returned to the apartment,” Lord Justice Scott Baker, conducting the official inquest into the couple’s deaths, summed up in 2007. They never reached it.

Princess Diana with Mohamed Al Fayed attending a charity dinner for the Harefield Heart Unit held at Harrods, London, February 1996.Jayne Fincher/Getty

The inquest into the couple’s deaths was conducted with forensic detail 10 years after the night that shocked the world. Ostensibly tasked with ruling how Diana and Dodi died, it also looked into all the circumstances around the tragedy. One of those was to assess the couple’s relationship, which had become such a bone of contention as Mohamed al-Fayed believed it was the root of the establishment’s —  and the royals’ — reason for wanting the couple dead.

The presiding judge, Lord Justice Scott Baker, called many of Princess Diana’s closest friends, staff and advisers. One, her butler Paul Burrell, said that Diana had told him she’d needed “marriage like a bad rash” (a phrase also echoed by her friend Lady Annabel Goldsmith, who’d asked the princess, ” ‘You are not doing anything silly, are you?’ Diana’s response was that she needed marriage like a rash on her face,” Baker said in his inquest.)

It must be remembered that not only was Dodi coming out of a relationship with American model Kelly Fisher (who claimed that he had proposed to her), Princess Diana had only recently finished an intense relationship with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.

Kelly Fisher during a news conference in which her attorney Gloria Allred announced on July 14 that she filed a breach of contract suit against Dodi Fayed.KIM KULISH/AFP/Getty

Khan was, for many of her friends, Diana’s last true love. But, like so much in the princess’s life, it was complicated and complex.

The Dodi relationship has been described to me several times over the years as a “summer fling.” And yet the signals picked up by close friends were at odds with the princess’s own romantic gesture of giving Dodi her late father’s cufflinks, underlining perhaps how close she’d become to him.

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE‘s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

In the raw, immediate hours after the shocking news from Paris, Kay wrote, “In her two sons — and latterly in Dodi — she saw the only men in her life who had never let her down and never wanted from her anything except her being herself.”

Her planned reunion with Prince William and Prince Harry never took place, of course, and we’ll never know what the future would have held for the couple.

But what is certain: an engagement hadn’t taken place by the time the couple left The Ritz hotel being pursued by paparazzi.

David Beckham among soccer dignitaries attending ex-England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson’s funeral

The Associated Press

TORSBY, Sweden (AP) — David Beckham and former England coach Roy Hodgson were among the soccer dignitaries who attended the funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson on Friday in the Swedish manager’s small hometown of Torsby.

Eriksson’s wooden coffin was covered in white flowers and surrounded by six tall candles and other floral wreaths as the ceremony began inside the 600-seat Fryksande church.

“It is a day of grief but also a day of thankfulness,” the priest, Ingela Älvskog, told those in attendance.

Beckham, who arrived by private jet on Thursday, greeted Eriksson’s 95-year-old father Sven and other family members with hugs inside the church before the funeral started.

Eriksson became England’s first foreign-born coach when he led the national team from 2001-06, and made Beckham his captain.

Eriksson, who also won trophies at club level in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, died on Aug. 26 at the age of 76, eight months after he revealed he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had at most one year to live.

Some 200 seats in the neo-Gothic church from 1898 were reserved for his family, friends and players from his career in the football world, according to his agent. The remaining seats were open for the public, according to Eriksson’s wish, with a big screen set up outside the church where hundreds more gathered to watch the ceremony. The funeral was also broadcast live on some Swedish media websites.

The wooden coffin was wheeled in by pallbearers at the church Friday morning as fog wrapped Torsby — a town of about 4,000 people located about 310 kilometers (193 miles) west of Stockholm. Next to the casket was a photo of Eriksson on a small table. The floral wreaths included ones sent by FIFA and Lazio, the Italian team that Eriksson led to the Serie A title in 2000.

The ceremony began with somber piano and organ music, but later took on a more upbeat note with Swedish singer Charlotta Birgersson performing Elton John’s song “Candle In The Wind” and then “My Way” in a duet with Johan Birgersson, who later intoned the popular Italian song “Volare” after the family had gathered around the casket to lay flowers.

Beckham also visited Eriksson in Sweden in June to say goodbye. Others attending the funeral included the Swedish coach’s longtime partner Nancy Dell’Olio. Eriksson’s agent had said that guests from England, Italy and Spain were expected.

After the funeral, the casket was carried out of the church by eight men to the hearse. The guests then walked in a procession accompanying the coffin to a nearby museum where speeches and eulogies to the coach fondly known as “Svennis” were planned on an outdoor stage. A brass band played during the procession through Torsby, including the tune “You never walk alone” from the musical “Carousel” which has become the anthem of Liverpool, the club Eriksson supported since childhood.

Hodgson, who managed both England and Liverpool after a coaching career that started in Sweden in the 1970s and ’80s — when he came up against Eriksson in the Swedish league — said the funeral was “such a dignified tribute to Sven-Goran.”

“It really reminded us all of the way he lived his life,” Hodgson said. “It was so typical of the way he lived his life, with dignity, with courage, and with the ability to make the childhood dreams come true.”

Eriksson’s adult daughter Lina said in her eulogy that her dad “didn’t want a sad funeral. He wanted to gather people to celebrate his life. Filled with happiness and joy.”

The local soccer club Torsby IF, where Eriksson started his career in the 1960s, wrote on its webpage that “you also showed your greatness by always being yourself, the caring Svennis who talked to everyone and took the time, for big and small, asking how things were and how the football was going. We will miss you.”

NEW YORK — David Beckham’s four-part eponymous Netflix documentary won an Emmy. And he has Academy Award-winner Leonardo DiCaprio to thank for it.

“I was messaging with Leo, and I just asked for his advice,” Beckham, 49, recalls to USA TODAY. At the time he reached out to DiCaprio, Beckham’s Studio 99 was still looking for a documentary director. “(DiCaprio) said, ‘You should meet Fisher (Stevens).’ And the moment I met Fisher, I was like, ‘OK, this is the guy.’ Because I felt that he was going to tell the story in a different way than people expected, and that’s exactly what he did.”

DiCaprio and Stevens worked on the 2016 doc “Before the Flood.” Hearing Stevens’ voice throughout the documentary might also ring a familiar note to “Succession” fans: He played the character Hugo Baker, a senior communications executive, on the HBO drama.

“I actually think one of the members of ‘Succession’ was a Manchester United fan,” Beckham says, noting the professional team he played for from 1991 to 2003. “Fisher had obviously discussed it with them, and they’d said, ‘If you don’t do this, you are stupid.’ So that’s why it all came together.”

David Beckham appears at Stella Artois’ “Let’s Do Dinner” event in New York City. The former soccer star tells USA TODAY he’s busier now than he was during his playing days.

Busy like Beckham: Super Bowl, Lionel Messi and giving back

Beckham retired from soccer in 2013 and says he’s “probably busier” now than he was during his playing days. This year, he starred alongside wife Victoria in a Uber Eats Super Bowl commercial; he co-owns two football clubs, including Inter Miami FC in the MLS, helping to bring all-time great Lionel Messi stateside; and he spent the summer working with Stella Artois on the brand’s “Moments Worth More” campaign.

The soccer star finds himself in New York, specifically Cipriani in the Financial District, for Stella’s “Let’s Do Dinner” event, which combined celebrity and philanthropy for Matt Damon’s nonprofit Water.org, which says its provided access to clean water for over 70 million people in developing countries since 2009.

Beckham “is a galactically-famous human being,” Damon says. “Any help we can get pushing awareness in that direction is helpful and he’s obviously a massive, massive help in that regard.”

(From left) Matt Damon and David Beckham attend Stella Artois’ “Let’s Do Dinner” event in New York City. The dinner raised awareness for Damon’s non-profit Water.org, which has helped 70 million people gain access to clean water.
“I’ve traveled to many different places with UNICEF and seen children around the world that don’t have fresh water,” Beckham says. “(Water is) something we take for granted. I think it’s so important to give back when you can.”

Beckham also happens to be a “massive fan” of Damon’s. The two met a few times prior to Thursday night’s event.

“I’ve always loved (Damon) as an actor, as a person, as a family man,” Beckham says. “I think he comes across incredibly well and he’s got an incredible family.”

What makes David and Victoria Beckham the ‘proudest’

Beckham can certainly relate to public figures who prioritize the care and well-being of their family. The father of four says that he and wife Victoria Beckham are “proudest” of their children. Beckham grew up on the East End of London in what he describes as a “working class background: parents that work very hard, two sisters that also work very hard.” He and Victoria, despite the circumstances surrounding their notoriety, tried to pass that forward to their children.

“They could be different than they are but we are very lucky,” Beckham says of his kids Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper.

‘We were against each other’: Victoria Beckham on tough years with husband David in Netflix doc

Romeo even made a surprise appearance at the dinner alongside his father. “They’re kind, they’re humble, they’re hardworking and they’re just good human beings. That’s the biggest thing that we are proud of.”

Beckham says that he and Victoria are also proud of their respective careers. His wife’s accomplishments will take the spotlight in an upcoming documentary that is currently in production by Beckham’s studio.

“Victoria is an incredibly hard working woman,” he says. “She’s had her fashion business now for almost 18 years, and I’ve seen over that time how hard she’s worked. So when I said to her about doing the documentary, she was excited but nervous.”

Ultimately, Beckham credits the studio’s relationship with Netflix in convincing the former Spice Girl to move forward with the project.

Spice Girls reunion: Watch girl group perform ‘Stop’ at Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party

“I just want to be able to show people how hard she works and how involved she is in every single detail of everything that goes on in her business,” he continues. “It’s a completely different documentary than obviously my life story. But it’s the lead up to (her entertainment career) and also it’s about her business. I think people are gonna love it.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: David Beckham on what he and Victoria are ‘proudest’ of