Alert – The truth about David Beckham and the knighthood he craves: He’s struck up an unlikely friendship with a royal, and that Buckingham Palace appearance with Posh could be a sign of things to come, reveals KATIE HIND

Shoulders back, head held high and grinning, with just a twinkle of disbelief in his eyes, David Beckham looked like a man who had fulfilled all his boyhood dreams as he strode hand-in-hand with wife Victoria through the corridors of Buckingham Palace on Wednesday evening.

His athletic, tattooed, physique – seen more recently half-dressed in jokey Instagram clips posted by his wife – was resplendent in white tie as he joined King Charles and Queen Camilla for a banquet to mark the state visit of the Emir of Qatar, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The former England football captain was, say friends, ‘humbled’ by his invitation and, along with Victoria, ‘very happy’ to be there.

Little wonder. For any East London boy done good, it would be a ‘pinch me’ moment but for Beckham, an avid royalist since he was a schoolboy in Chingford, it really was the stuff of dreams.

And for someone who was widely believed to have ‘blown’ his chance of ever receiving a knighthood, it could be perceived as a creaking open of that particular door.

As a youngster, David would make an annual pilgrimage to Buckingham Palace with his beloved grandparents, Joseph and Peggy, to watch the Trooping the Colour.

In 2003, he was there to receive his OBE from the late Queen, and for a time it seemed as though a knighthood might be within his grasp.

Then, in February 2017, came the slew of leaked emails showing the former footballer had unleashed a barrage of expletives criticising the honours committee that had once again left him off the list for a coveted gong.

Shoulders back, head held high and grinning David Beckham looked like a man who had fulfilled all his boyhood dreams as he strode through the corridors of Buckingham Palace on Wednesday evening

The former England football captain was, say friends, ‘humbled’ by his invitation and, along with Victoria, ‘very happy’ to be there, writes Katie Hind

For years, through their joint love of football, Beckham has been close to princes William and Harry. Pictured: Launching the ‘United for Wildlife’ Campaign in 2014

Usually charming and mild-mannered, Beckham referred to committee members as ‘unappreciative c***s’, and insisted he didn’t ‘care about being knighted’.

This all came after his use of a tax avoidance scheme hit the news. (The matter was resolved in 2021 and is no longer seen as a barrier to any honour.)

Officially, Beckham was on this week’s banquet guest list for his work with Qatar, the Arab country that hosted the World Cup in 2022.

It was a lucrative, multi-million pound role for which Beckham received heavy criticism from some people, who cited the state’s alleged human rights violations involving migrant workers.

But his invite to the banquet inevitably prompted furious chatter that the much desired knighthood is looming ever closer.

Whether that is true remains to be seen but his name will not, I can reveal, be appearing on the forthcoming New Year’s Honours list.That accolade will instead be bestowed upon fellow former England footballer Gareth Southgate.

‘It’s not happening for David this time around,’ says a source.

‘It’s Gareth’s big hurrah and David is thrilled for him. David knew it wouldn’t be his time and he is fine with that but you never know what is down the line.’

Championing British brands, he made a trip to Mayfair’s Savile Row for his suit and emerged with a bespoke three-piece ensemble from tailors Anderson & Sheppard, who, as it happens, have also dressed the King in the past

Victoria, meanwhile, chose a chic, floor-length black gown from her own label on which a tremendous amount of time had been spent to get it just right

If he was disappointed, Beckham masked it magnificently on Wednesday evening.

Championing British brands, he made a trip to Mayfair’s Savile Row for his suit and emerged with a bespoke three-piece ensemble from tailors Anderson & Sheppard, who, as it happens, have also dressed the King in the past. ‘It was important for David to be turned out impeccably,’ says a friend of the star.

Victoria, meanwhile, chose a chic, floor-length black gown from her own label on which a tremendous amount of time had been spent to get it just right.

For a couple once written off as a pair of chavs, more typically dressed in skimpy black frocks (Victoria in her Spice Girls heyday) and even a sarong (Beckham while dining out during the 1988 World Cup in France) it was evidence of how far they have both come, sartorially.

The menu, too, which once might have daunted Beckham (who famously, before they were married, would phone Victoria to ask what he should order from a menu) was something to be savoured, not endured.

An avid foodie, he is said to have ‘enormously enjoyed’ the Windsor Pheasant wrapped in savoy cabbage with roasted celeriac puree, a tartlet of Cornish lobster and quail eggs and Samoan vanilla ice cream and Balmoral plum sorbet that were the dishes served up for the 170 Palace guests.

And Victoria, who is known to love seafood for its claimed collagen-boosting properties, must have enjoyed the lobster.

Onlookers noted that Victoria betrayed a hint of nervousness, reaching for her husband’s hand as they walked along the Palace corridor. But, on the whole, the pair looked to the manor born as they took their places for dinner.

David Beckham attended the weddings of both Princes. But it is first and foremost his unlikely, yet burgeoning, friendship with the King that led to the presence of the Beckhams at a state dinner. Pictured: At Prince William and Kate’s wedding

Along with revealing in interviews that he has always stood for the Queen’s Speech, Beckham’s decision to stand for 12 hours in the famous public ‘queue’ to see the late Queen lying in state in Westminster Hall, could be seen as another pivotal moment in his rehabilitation, writes Kate Hind

Beckham was seated between his close friend, Qatari businessman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and the new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, while Victoria had Labour peer Lord Levy to her left and surgeon Lord Darzi – recognised for his services to medicine – on her right.

So how has this unlikely rehabilitation taken place?

For years, through their joint love of football, Beckham has been close to princes William and Harry. He helped Prince William campaign for England’s World Cup bid in 2010 to host the 2018 or the 2022 tournament.

And he attended the weddings of both Princes. But it is first and foremost his unlikely, yet burgeoning, friendship with the King that led to the presence of the Beckhams at a state dinner.

For the past 18 months, the two men have become close.

When they met at the British Fashion Council awards in May 2023, David gave the monarch a pot of his homemade honey – D Bee’z Sticky Stuff – which he makes at the couple’s Grade II listed barn in Great Tew, Oxfordshire. It was then that they discovered common ground – their mutual love for bees.

The King was surprised by the ex-footballer’s hobby and later invited him to his Highgrove estate where he asked him to join The King’s Foundation, a charity which works globally to create sustainable communities.

‘The King and David have a very strong bond,’ says a source. ‘They both enjoy the outdoors and actually have far more in common than you would think.

‘People can see David’s genuine respect for the [Royal] institution and the individuals within it,’ said a source, who knows the star well, writes Katie Hind

‘They have this shared love for the countryside and nature.

‘They come from very different backgrounds but they have a close relationship, and have a few different points of connection from sport to countryside and charities.

‘The friendship has happened organically. You wouldn’t exactly put a footballer and a King together and expect them to get on so famously but it just works. It’s lovely.’

Family is also important to both men, and Beckham’s devotion to the late Queen, and the fact that he was brought up to respect the Royal Family cannot have gone unnoticed.

Along with revealing in interviews that he has always stood for the Queen’s Speech, Beckham’s decision to stand for 12 hours in the famous public ‘queue’ to see the late Queen lying in state in Westminster Hall, in September 2022, could be seen as another pivotal moment in his rehabilitation.

Notably, he wore a suit for the occasion, a sign of respect, no doubt prompted by his late grandfather’s love for the Queen.

‘David comes from a very working class, East End family, the kind of people who traditionally held the Royal Family, and in particular the Queen, in high esteem,’ says a friend of Beckham.

Prince William with David Beckham in front of one of the new London Air Ambulance Charity helicopters, during a visit to RAF Northolt

‘How proud would his grandad, Joseph, be of him for his trip to Buckingham Palace?’

Indeed, David’s beloved mother, Sandra, said she was ‘super proud’ of her son for his evening with the King, as was his little sister Joanne.

The Beckhams are also motivated by philanthropy.

David, of course, has his work with UNICEF, while Victoria is an international goodwill ambassador with UNAIDS, which raises awareness for women and children with HIV, as well as for Save the Children.

Perhaps there is another connection underpinning their unlikely friendship. It could be argued that the King may see some of his own family’s ‘never explain, never complain’ ethos reflected back at them by the Beckhams.

Some 25 years after their star-studded wedding at the opulent Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland, the Beckhams remain steadfast in their aim of promoting Brand Beckham.

Friends say that both have worked – and are still working – at their businesses which they believe fly the flag for Britain.

Victoria, 50, is said to be proud that she offers opportunities for ambitious employees to work for her eponymous fashion label while, collectively, the Beckhams’ reach is global.

‘David comes from a very working class, East End family, the kind of people who traditionally held the Royal Family, and in particular the Queen, in high esteem,’ says a friend of Beckham

A friend said: ‘They are both on good form, the children are on good paths and the growth in Victoria’s business has been a real boost for both of them.

‘Their trip to the Palace recognises not just David’s but Victoria’s contributions, and also where they are in their careers.

‘They both have global businesses now which are positive for Britain.’

And while it’s no secret there have been rumours that all’s not always been well in their marriage, whispers have died down in recent years.

Gone are the days of Beckham, 49, partying with his best friend, footballer-turned-businessman, David Gardner. Now he is happiest at a fancy restaurant with a nice bottle of fine red wine.

The Beckhams’ social media strategy, where the couple often share their adoration for each, has done much to persuade their detractors that they have found true contentment.

Regular posts about their four children have also contributed to the perception – which I’m told is a true one – that the Beckhams are one big, happy family.

Meanwhile, their much-lauded, four-part Netflix documentary, Beckham, has also won them plaudits for their honesty and openness.

‘They’ve never worked harder and, despite being very, very rich, they are people who have grafted for what they have,’ said a friend.

‘They both come from very little and have achieved a lot through hard work, determination and commitment, which surely makes them excellent role models for Britain.

‘People can see David’s genuine respect for the [Royal] institution and the individuals within it,’ said a source, who knows the star well.

So perhaps it is only a matter of time until David Beckham makes another visit to Savile Row to select an outfit for another trip to Buckingham Palace.

And this time he might leave with the title he covets – Sir David.