The former Manchester United star and England captain David Beckham has officially become Sir David Beckham after being knighted Tuesday by King Charles.
The 50-year-old football icon attended the ceremony at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, accompanied by his wife Victoria Beckham and his parents, Sandra and David. The honor recognizes his outstanding contributions to both sport and charitable work.
“I couldn’t be prouder,” Beckham said. “People know how patriotic I am — I love my country. I’ve always said how important the monarchy is to my family. I’m lucky enough to have traveled around the world and all people want to talk to me about is our monarchy. It makes me proud,” per People.
Beckham, who has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005, has long championed initiatives supporting young people and education. Speaking to People, he shared his excitement about working with the King’s Foundation, an educational charity founded by King Charles in 1990.
“I’ve always been keen to help young people to expand their horizons,” he said. “I’m particularly looking forward to supporting the Foundation’s education programs and its efforts to ensure young people have greater access to nature.”
During his career, Beckham won six Premier League titles with Manchester United before moving on to play for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan. He retired in 2013 after earning 115 caps for England, captaining the national team 59 times — with only two players in history having represented England more, according to ESPN.
Since hanging up his cleats, Beckham has continued to shape the sport as president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer and as part-owner of Salford City, a League Two club in England, ESPN detailed.
Off the pitch, Beckham’s influence extends well beyond football. His charitable work and humanitarian advocacy have earned him global respect, serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for humanitarian aid organization UNICEF since 2005.
His fashion sense has earned him a status as a style icon, GQ naming him the most stylish man of the year in 1998.
For his knighthood ceremony, Beckham wore a custom suit designed by his wife Victoria Beckham, inspired by one of King Charles’s looks, according to BBC.
“He’s the most elegantly dressed man that I know,” Beckham said. “So he inspired quite a few of my looks over the years and he definitely inspired this look.”
He continued, “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,” per BBC.