David Beckham and his wife Victoria are reportedly set to be given knighthoods in King Charles’ Birthday Honours List next week, with Sir Rod Stewart’s brutal joke seemingly coming true
Sir Rod Stewart’s light-hearted prediction about David Beckham’s getting a knighthood – made right in front of King Charles – looks to be coming true. Reports have emerged that Beckham is set to receive a knighthood in the King’s upcoming Birthday Honours.
The former England footballer had previously been considered for the merit several times, but was never included on the final list. In 2017, Beckham’s apparent disappointment at being overlooked became public when a trove of contentious emails – allegedly from him – were leaked.
Bearing that history in mind, Stewart, who was knighted in 2016 for his contributions to music and philanthropy, made a playful jab at Beckham during an event they attended alongside the British monarch.
During the award presentation at a ceremony for ‘The King’s Foundation’, Stewart quipped in front of the King: “I am also wonderfully honoured to be a knight, and David, yours is coming soon.”
Beckham, amused, was seen smiling and shaking his head, taking the joke in good spirits – even in the King’s presence. Now, new reports indicate that Stewart’s prediction was accurate.
According to The Sun, Beckham will officially become a ‘Sir’ next week, while Victoria Beckham is expected to be styled as “Lady Beckham”. The 50-year-old was named an ambassador to the King’s Foundation last year, further solidifying his relationship with the royal family.
Recent public moments suggest a friendly rapport between Beckham and the King. At the Chelsea Flower Show last month, the King asked Beckham: “You got it, didn’t you?” referring to a birthday gift. Beckham responded: “It was incredible, thank you. It was very kind.”
Beyond his footballing achievements in England – 115 caps for the Three Lions, plus various trophy-laden stints at Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain – Beckham has made a mark as a football executive, co-founding Inter Miami in MLS, home to Lionel Messi.
He has also championed numerous charitable causes, particularly through UNICEF, and was awarded an OBE in 2003. However, it has taken over two decades for that to be elevated to knighthood.
His prospects took a hit in 2017 following the publication of controversial emails allegedly written by him. One message reportedly said he “didn’t care about being knighted,” and another read: “It’s a disgrace to be honest and if I was American I would of [sic] got something like this 10 years ago.”
Beckham later claimed some of the messages had been tampered with. A friend told the Mirror at the time: “To be honest, he does feel that he has given so much to his country… you don’t really mean it.
“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.”
Typically, honours recipients are notified weeks in advance, so Beckham and his wife may already know of the honour.
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