David Beckham Knighted by King Charles III in “Proudest Moment” of His Life
(CNN) — David Beckham has been knighted by King Charles III, in what the retired British soccer star described as his “proudest moment.” The former England soccer captain received the knighthood for his services to sport and charity during a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.
Also honored at the event were Japanese-British author and screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro and West End and Broadway star Elaine Paige.
Beckham was named in the King’s Birthday Honours list earlier this year. “I’ve been very obviously lucky in my career to have won what I’ve won and done what I’ve done but to receive an honor like this, of a knight, is beyond anything that I ever thought that I would receive,” Beckham told Britain’s PA Media news agency after the ceremony.
He added, “To be honest, a young boy from the east end of London, born in Leytonstone, and here at Windsor Castle, being honored by His Majesty the King—the most important and the most respected institution in the world—it’s quite a moment.”
Beckham was accompanied by his wife, Victoria Beckham, who designed the suit he wore to accept the award. The father-of-four mentioned that the King had “inspired quite a few” of his looks over the years.
“I looked at old pictures of him when he was quite young in morning suits and I was like, ‘OK, that’s what I want to wear,’ so I gave it to my wife and she did it,” Beckham said. He added that King Charles “was quite impressed” with his suit.
This prestigious honor comes more than two decades after Beckham, now 50, was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. Over his career, Beckham represented England in 115 international games and won league titles in four different countries.
Since retiring from professional soccer in 2013, Beckham has remained active in charitable work and sports. He is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and in 2015 launched the “7” fund to support children at risk from dangers such as the Ebola crisis—a fund named after the number on his Manchester United shirt.
Beckham made a notable return to soccer in 2018 when he was awarded a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami, Florida, leading to the creation of the Inter Miami football club.
He also shares a good working relationship with King Charles, having exchanged “beekeeping tips” in the Cotswolds last year when Beckham became an ambassador for The King’s Foundation.
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