Inside David Beckham's long-standing friendship with the British royal family
By Kate Kachor|
As Prince William strode across the crowded London hall he mingled with royalty of a different ilk.
The heir to the British throne beamed as Cate Blanchett, the undisputed Queen of Australian cinema, greeted him at his front row seat at the British Academy Film Awards.
After small talk, and a charmingly relatable ?moment where The New Boy star introduced the Prince of Wales to a fellow actor, William's attention was called elsewhere.
Watch the video above.
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"Oh, David," William, who is the BAFTA president, said before standing to shake hands with English sporting icon, David Beckham.
William and the retired footballer? failed to break stride catching up despite video cameras rolling and camera bulbs of the media scrum flashed.
The pair happily chatted like old friends and there's good reason for that จC their unlikely friendship goes back decades.
How did David Beckham meet the British royals?
David first met the British royals in the late 1990s.
While he is best known for starring for Manchester United and England on the pitch, he was introduced to the royals after dating Victoria Adams from the Spice Girls.
Due to the popularity of the girl band, Adams, then known by her nickname 'Posh Spice', was one of the most recognised women in the world.
Following their wedding in 1999, David and Victoria Beckham's public profiles led them to share similar social circles in the UK as some of the royal family.
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Is David Beckham friends with the British royal family?
It's fair to say David and members of the British royal family are on friendly terms.
He has personally known King Charles III and his two sons, William and Prince Harry?, since meeting in the 1990s.
It is understood Beckham and William and Harry bonded over sport while campaigning for London to hold the 2012 FIFA World Cup. ?
William has been president of England's Football Association since 2006 and Harry is patron and founder of the Invictus Games Foundation.
In 2022, the self-confessed royalist famously queued for 13 hours to view the late Queen's coffin as she lay in state at Westminster Hall in London.
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Dressed in a navy suit and flat cap, he waited patiently in the long queue, chatting comfortably with members of the public and obliging in selfies.
"We all want to be here together," he told the BBC.
"We all want to experience something where we celebrate the amazing life of our Queen."
Speaking of his reasons for wanting to pay his respects, the former footballer said his biggest moments on the field involved honouring the Queen.?
"Every time that we stood there when we wore those Three Lion shirts and I had my armband and we sang God Save The Queen, that was something that meant so much to us. Every time that we did it, it was something special," he said.
In May last year, Beckham gifted Charles a jar of homemade honey reportedly as a coronation gift.?
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Are the Beckhams friends with Kate and William?
Given the warm welcome William gave David at this year's BAFTAs, it's safe to say the friendship is going strong.?
"It's a very normal relationship, with Harry as well," Beckham told Esquire in 2012.
"They're very easy to get along with. They love their sport. William loves Aston Villa, unfortunately, which obviously I give him a bit of stick about."
David and Victoria both attended Kate and William's royal wedding in ?2011, and Kate has been seen in public wearing the former singer's designs.
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Is Beckham friends with Prince Harry?
The answer to this question depends on who you believe.
The British and US media would ?have you believe David and Harry are no longer on speaking terms and that they have fallen out.
What happened between Prince Harry and David Beckham?
A source claimed Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, once suspected the Beckhams of leaking information about them.
Royal biographer Tom Bower claimed to The Sun in 2023 that? Meghan's accusations resulted in a tense phone call with the Sussexes and Beckhams.
"Harry's instability fed Meghan's fears that friends were leaking stories to the media. In particular, she suspected Victoria Beckham of indiscretion," Bower claimed.
"Harry called David Beckham to repeat the accusation. Outraged, Beckham's truthful denials damaged their relationship."
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Does David Beckham have a knighthood?
No, David is yet to given the opportunity to be called Sir Beckham.
However, he did met the late Queen Elizabeth II at least twice.
The first time was at the opening of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and in 2003 when Her Majesty awarded him a OBE for services to football.
