It has been rumored that David Beckham would not be awarded a knighthood on the New Year's Honours list, even though he has an improbable connection with King Charles.
According to The Mirror, Buckingham Palace played host to Beckham and his wife Victoria on Tuesday for their very first state banquet, which was held in honor of the Emir of Qatar. At the World Cup in Qatar, Becks, who is 49 years old, served as England's ambassador.
Over the previous several years, it is thought that he and King Charles have developed a bond. On the other hand, it is speculated that the legendary player for Manchester United will once again be overlooked for a knighthood. Reports indicate that the honor would instead be conferred to Gareth Southgate, who once served as the manager of England.
"It's not happening for David this time around. It's Gareth's big hurrah and David is thrilled for him. David knew it wouldn't be his time and he is fine with that but you never know what is down the line," a source told the Daily Mail.
Beckham presented the monarch with a pot of his honey, which he calls D Bee'z Sticky Stuff, when they first met at the British Fashion Council awards. Beckham manufactures the honey at the couple's Grade II listed barn in Great Tew, Oxfordshire. And it was at that moment that they found something they had in common: a love for bees that they both shared.
Beckham, who had played for England more than one hundred times, was requested by King Charles to become a member of The King's Foundation, a charitable organization that works worldwide to establish sustainable communities.
Another significant turning point in Beckham's rehabilitation was in September 2022, when he chose to stand in the well-known public "queue" for twelve hours to witness the late Queen laying in state at Westminster Hall.
There have been reports that Beckham has longed for a knighthood, most likely for his contributions to the sporting world and his charitable efforts for UNICEF and other worthy organizations. However, despite his strong relationship with the Royal family, he has not been awarded a knighthood. On Tuesday, he was seen with his shoulders back, head held high, and a smile on his face as he arrived at Buckingham Palace. This was allegedly done to conceal any sadness the most recent supposed setback may have caused.
A conversation took place between Becks and Victoria as they made their way across the East Gallery. Becks was dressed in a dapper white tie and tails. Victoria donned a fitted dark purple floor-length Victoria Beckham evening gown with long-fitting sleeves. She was dressed in one of her creations. A slight giggle could be heard coming from her as they made their way towards the ballroom. Her hair was pulled back into a modern ponytail.
It is said that the former Real Madrid star "enormously enjoyed" the Windsor Pheasant wrapped in Savoy cabbage with roasted celeriac puree, a tartlet of Cornish lobster and quail eggs, Samoan vanilla ice cream, and Balmoral plum sorbet, which were among the dishes served to the 170 guests present at the Palace this week.
There are still rumors circulating that the father of four would be able to obtain the knighthood in the distant future. Even though shattered this time, his expectations appear to be higher than they were in 2017, when a devastating collection of emails was made public. In those emails, Beckham criticized the honors committee for not including him in the list of honorees. Asserting that he did not "care about being knighted" and calling them "unappreciative c***s" were two of his statements.
He was also said to have penned: "I expected nothing less. It's a disgrace to be honest and if I was American I would of [sic] got something like this 10 years ago."
Social media platforms were abuzz with comments to the reports, with netizens polarized regarding Beckham's merit for the distinction.
"David Beckham has done more for England than most. Why does the honor keep slipping away?" one netizen wrote.
"Gareth Southgate deserves his knighthood! But Beckham's time will come, no doubt about it," another commented.
"Victoria Beckham slayed that purple gown! She deserves a fashion knighthood herself!" a fan said.
"How can they overlook Beckham again? He's an icon on and off the pitch," a fourth person wrote.
"Didn't know Beckham was into beekeeping. Maybe he should start a royal honey line," another netizen chimed in.
"Let's be honest-this is politics. Beckham will get his knighthood when it suits them," a critic said.
Business Times has reached out to David Beckham for comments.
