David Beckham is now officially Sir David Beckham. The soccer legend has been knighted by King Charles III for his contributions to both sports and charity.
The announcement from Buckingham Palace, NBC News reported Friday, was part of Charles’ birthday honors lists. With Beckham earning the prefix “Sir,” his wife Victoria will now be referred to as Lady Beckham.
The 50-year-old, who had a 20-year professional career, is one of soccer’s best-known faces, having played in three FIFA World Cups for England and appeared in more than 100 games for the national team. Beckham is currently president and co-owner of Inter Miami, the Florida city’s Major League Soccer franchise.
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Since 2005, Beckham has been an ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nations organization that offers global humanitarian aid to children. In 2015, Beckham created the 7 Fund—a reference to his old jersey number—which has recently been working on projects in Nepal, Indonesia, Uganda, and El Salvador.
The prospect of a knighthood for Beckham first drew attention in 2017. That February, leaked emails allegedly showed Beckham criticizing the royal system and how some individuals had been knighted before him. At the time, Beckham’s spokesperson said the emails were “hacked and doctored.”
That controversy now seems to have been forgotten, as Charles last month invited Beckham to London’s Chelsea Flower Show. To some, the move was seen as a rebuff to Prince Harry, who reportedly had been reaching out to Beckham’s son, Brooklyn, and his wife, Nicola Peltz, who are embroiled in their own rumored family drama.
The alleged rift in the Beckham family reportedly began with Peltz and her mother-in-law, who was upset that Peltz did not wear a Victoria Beckham wedding dress for her 2022 nuptials.
“Nicola was painted as a brat for not wearing Victoria Beckham at the wedding,” an unnamed source told People.
Peltz has denied any animosity.
“I was going to [wear Victoria Beckham] and I really wanted to, and then a few months down the line, she realized that her atelier couldn’t do it, so then I had to pick another dress,” Peltz said.
