Former England football captain David Beckham will be knighted on Tuesday at Windsor Castle, receiving recognition for his contributions to sport and charitable causes.
Beckham, 50, expressed that he was “immensely proud” to be named in the King’s Birthday Honours.
The northeast London native made his Premier League debut for Manchester United in 1995 and played a key role in the dramatic 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich, scoring six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and a total of 85 goals before retiring in 2013.
Off the pitch, Beckham has been actively involved in charity work, including serving as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador since 2005.
In 2024, he was also appointed an ambassador for the King’s Foundation, an educational charity founded by the King. Known for his fashion sense, Beckham has modeled for brands such as H&M, Armani, and Boss, and was named GQ’s most stylish man in 1998. He and his wife Victoria, married since 1999, have four children: Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper.
Other notable figures being honoured include Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro and West End performer Elaine Paige.
Ishiguro, 70, was made a Companion of Honour for his contributions to literature.
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Born in Japan and raised in the UK, he is celebrated for novels such as The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go.
The Remains of the Day earned him the Man Booker Prize and was adapted into a film starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, garnering eight Academy Award nominations. Ishiguro also penned the Oscar-nominated screenplay for 2022’s Living, starring Bill Nighy.
Elaine Paige, 77, received a damehood for services to music and charity. Born Elaine Bickerstaff in north London, she rose to fame portraying Eva Peron in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita in 1978, winning the Olivier Award for performance of the year. Her career includes starring roles in Cats, Chess, Piaf, and Sunset Boulevard, alongside more recent performances in London Palladium pantomimes.
Paige has released over 20 solo albums, with one chart-topping single, I Know Him So Well, and received numerous accolades including BASCA’s Gold Badge of Merit. She is also actively involved in charity work, supporting organisations such as The Children’s Trust, the Royal Voluntary Service, and serving as president of the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust since 2010.
Tuesday’s ceremony at Windsor Castle celebrates the achievements of individuals across sport, arts, literature, and charity, marking a high point in the King’s Birthday Honours.
