Beckham has made many recent public appearances with the Royal Family (Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
Despite being one of Britain’s most successful sports stars’ many public appearances alongside the Royal Family in 2024 which hinted that he could finally land an honour of Knighthood – it’s proving far harder to secure than a title or FA Cup winner’s medal., 49, does have an OBE but the knighthood remains as elusive as ever. When 2025’s New Year Honours were announced, his former England teammate became , but the sporting legend missed out.As both a global megastar and national treasure, it’s “high-time” the former England captain was honoured, believes esteemed royal commentator, Richard Fitzwilliams.He told Express.co.uk: “I’m not going to make a Beckingham Palace joke, but Beckham is one of the most famous British people alive.”His achievements on the pitch, his charitable work, it’s all enormous. He’s highly regarded by the Royal Family – particularly by Charles and William.”
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David and Victoria Beckham attended the State Banquet for the Qatari royals (Image: WPA Pool)
The royal commentator further added: “The royals have a whole list of honours, including The Order of the Garter, the Royal Victorian Order, for instance, but none of the other titles appear appropriate for Beckham’s achievements.”
, although there haven’t been as many bestowed as some may think. Beckham’s mentor at , Alex Ferguson, was knighted in 1999. Kenny Dalglish also received a knighthood in 2018 for his “services to football, charity, and the city of Liverpool”.David Beckham, however, is dripping with accolades – six titles, a Champions League, two FA Cups, two MLS Cups in the US, league titles in France and Spain.He has also built a fortune and become a global brand alongside his wife, Victoria Beckham, with their net worth thought to be an estimated £455million. The founder and managing director of London-based sports PR agency , David Alexander, says Beckham has achieved a great deal. He told Express.co.uk: “He has undertaken a huge amount of work for charity, supported the London 2012 Olympic bid and established strong relationships with the Royal Family.
“When you look at some of the sports stars who have been knighted or appointed as a Dame, it’s hard to argue that Beckham does not deserve the same accolade, for his achievements both on and off the field.”
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Prince William and David standing by one of London’s new air ambulances (Image: WPA Pool)
The ex-England captain has been snapped alongside the Royal Family on numerous occasions last year and , the King’s Foundation. He also made a surprise appearance in October 2024 alongside at RAF Northolt in west London to and was a guest star at the state banquet in honour of the Qatari royal family in December 2024.Back in 2003, Beckham was even presented with his OBE by the late for services to football.It has been suggested by some that the one stumbling block Beckham cannot overcome is rumours around his previous tax affairs.
It’s been widely reported that the footballer sought advice to legally minimise paying UK tax. And this dashed hopes of him becoming Sir David after the raised concerns.PR strategist and author Mark Borkowski, said: “Beckham’s alleged involvement in a tax avoidance scheme was a PR nightmare. While the scheme wasn’t illegal, it struck a nerve with both the public and the establishment, especially in an era of heightened scrutiny on wealth inequality.”
A spokeswoman for Beckham previously responded to Tom Bower’s claims about Beckham avoiding tax while he played for Real Madrid. They told the author he was taxed fully on all his income earned in Spain and his income earned elsewhere in the relevant jurisdictions.
Also, suggested the former footballer, who has a picture of the late Queen in his home office, desperately wants a knighthood.
On missing out, he allegedly wrote: “I expected nothing less. It’s a disgrace to be honest and if I was American I would [have] got something like this 10 years ago.”Mr Borkowski told Express.co.uk: “The incident painted him as entitled and transactional – a cardinal sin for the decorum-obsessed Honours Committee. While Beckham has since worked hard to bury this faux pas, it still lingers.”The crisis communications expert also added: “Should he play his cards right, Beckham could achieve the ultimate transformation: from global icon to Sir David, a knight of both Britain’s football pitch and its honour system. “The question isn’t whether he’s capable but whether he’s willing to adapt his PR playbook for the long game.”