Becks, Goldenballs and now officially Sir David – football star David Beckham has received his knighthood from the King.
After years in the running following his OBE in 2003, the former England captain and Manchester United star has now been honoured for his services to sport and charity at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
Sir David’s wife Victoria, the Spice Girl turned fashion designer, joined him at the ceremony, and is now known as Lady Beckham. The couple married in 1999 and have four children together – Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper.
Sir David, 50, who has described himself as a “huge royalist”, was last year named an ambassador for the King’s Foundation, an educational charity established by Charles in 1990.
The football star, who grew up in northeast London, earned 115 caps playing for England, with 59 of those as captain, and scored 17 goals for his country. He played in three World Cups, in 1998, 2002 and 2006, and two Euros, in 2000 and 2004.
He made his Premier League debut for Manchester United in 1995 and was part of the team that earned a dramatic Champions League final victory in 1999 – when they beat Bayern Munich with two nail-biting late goals.
It was the year they famously won the treble, also taking home the Premier League and FA Cup silverware.
During his time with the club, Sir David scored 85 goals and collected honours including six Premier League titles and two FA Cups, before going on to play for clubs including Real Madrid, AC Milan, LA Galaxy, and Paris Saint-Germain.
He retired from the sport in 2013.
Alongside his football career, he is also known for his charity work, including serving as a goodwill ambassador for humanitarian aid organisation UNICEF since 2005.
Nobel Prize-winning novelist Sir Kazuo Ishiguro and West End performer Dame Elaine Paige were also among the stars set to be recognised at the event.
