David Beckham has been a familiar face at royal events in the past few years, whether it's joining Prince William to celebrate the efforts of a helicopter appeal or dining with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House. As an ambassador for the King's Foundation, Beckham promotes the charity's aim to create sustainable communities, and the former footballer shares numerous interests with The King. It's no secret that keen monarchist Beckham has been gunning for a knighthood for years now, and the buzz in royal circles is that 2025 might be the year.
Like the monarch, Beckham loves gardening and frequently shares his efforts on Instagram, and the duo reunited at the Chelsea Flower Show on May 19. Dressed in a smart beige suit pinned with a pink rose named after King Charles, the soccer legend chatted with The King and Queen Camilla about the "incredible" 50th birthday gift he received from Their Majesties.
Per the Daily Mail, Beckham met the royals at the new Highgrove shop stand at the flower show, stating "Your Majesty, it's so nice to see you." The King wanted to make sure he received the special gift he sent for his recent birthday, asking, "You got it, didn't you?"
"It was incredible," Beckham said. "Thank you, it was very kind." Although he didn't mention what the gift was, Queen Camilla solved the mystery, adding, "Nice to see you again, glad you got the roses."
The duo shared plenty of laughs during their reunion, with body language expert Darren Stanton—speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino—sharing, "Both The King and David were laughing their heads off, almost in a mischievous way. The sides of their eyes are really crinkled up and their faces are completely engaged."
“I also noticed Charles tapped David on his left elbow at one point. It’s not very common for members of the Royal Family to do that," he adds. "It’s an extremely tactile gesture to come from Charles." According to the Guardian, the duo have "swapped beekeeping tips" and Stanton says "Charles seems to feel a strong affinity with David, and he genuinely likes him—and that feeling is clearly mutual."
Numerous media outlets have mused about whether 2025 will be the year for Beckham to finally get his knighthood, and Stanton thinks it just might happen.
"We’re seeing David appear more and more at royal events—it’s clear Charles really respects him and the effort he puts into his work," he said. "From his body language and the way he interacts with David, I wouldn’t be surprised if he receives a knighthood this year. There’s a deep level of connection and trust between them."
However, Beckham's journey to knighthood hasn't been without its drama. In 2017, his emails were hacked, revealing a 2013 rant after he didn't make the cut for a knighthood. According to the New York Times, "the messages, subsequently published by a variety of European newspapers, showed him taking aim at the honours committee, calling them 'unappreciative c***s' and insisting he didn’t 'care about being knighted.'"
The King's Birthday Honours are announced in June and the New Year Honours come out in December, so it's only a matter of time before David finds out if his birthday has come true.
