David Beckham has bent the knee as the King bestowed the honour of a knighthood in recognition of the soccer great’s decades-long contribution to sport and charitable causes.

One of Britain’s most celebrated football players experienced the “proudest moment” of his life at Windsor Castle, supported by his wife, who is now Lady Victoria, and his parents.

The 50-year-old former England captain was dressed in a suit designed by Victoria, a fashion designer and former member of the Spice Girls pop band.

He and the King shared a brief but warm exchange during the ceremony, with the monarch seen smiling and laughing as they spoke.

Coming out of Tuesday’s ceremony, Sir David said he cried when he first found out he had been awarded a knighthood.

“It’s such a big moment for our family and it’s so special,” he said, joking that he would not mind if his kids called him “sir dad”.

“I’m very proud to have such a special honour given to me. I grew up in a very humble background in the east End of London; always wanted to be a professional footballer; and then I’m stood here at Windsor Castle with the most important monarchy in the world,” he said, adding that “it doesn’t get any better”.

Sir David made his Premier League debut for Manchester United in 1995, two years after he joined as a trainee.

He went on to win six league titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League with the club, before playing for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.

He retired in 2013 with 115 England caps.

Known for his precise free kicks and crossing ability, Sir David also became one of the most commercially successful athletes of his era.

He has worked with brands such as Adidas, luxury brand Armani, high-street retailer H&M and Pepsi and has been a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF since 2005.

According to the 2025 Sunday Times Rich List, Sir David and Lady Beckham have a combined net worth of £500 million ($1 billion).

Sir David has long expressed admiration for the royal family, describing himself as a “huge royalist”.

In 2022, he queued for more than 12 hours to pay his respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II as her body lay in state at London’s Westminster Hall, declining offers to skip the line.

“I grew up in a household of royalists,” he told ITV at the time.

“If my grandparents would have been today, I know that they would have wanted to be here.”

He attended Prince William’s 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton and Prince Harry’s 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle.

Sir David has also developed a personal rapport with the King, sharing a mutual interest in gardening.

Last year, he was appointed an ambassador for the King’s Foundation, which supports education and sustainability initiatives.

Sir David married Victoria Adams, known as “Posh Spice” from the all-women Spice Girls pop group, in 1999. The couple have four children.

They opened up about their relationship in two Netflix documentaries.

The series touched on the pressures of fame, family tensions and the challenges they faced during Sir David’s playing career, including tabloid speculation and time spent apart due to his international transfers.

Sir David has described his family as his “greatest achievement”.

-with AAP