Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Inside David Beckham's close friendship with the royal family - all the best photos

The former footballer is a self-proclaimed 'royalist'


William and Kate at Earthshot Prize with David Beckham
Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
On 7 October 2023
Share this:

David Beckham's admiration for the royal family goes back to his childhood, with the former footballer being a self-proclaimed "royalist".

Throughout his career and his charity work, the 48-year-old sports star has met several members of the royal family.

David and his wife, fashion designer and former Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham, have also attended the royal weddings of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

He's one of the most famous people of the planet but following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, after he queued for 13 hours to see Her Late Majesty lying in state at Westminster Hall – refusing opportunities to skip the line.

After paying his respects to Her Late Majesty, he said: "Anytime throughout my career I've been asked to do anything regarding the royal family, Her Majesty, the princes, our King now, I have always been very willing to do that.

"I grew up in a family that were royalists. Today I think back to my grandparents because if my grandparents were alive they would have been here, so it’s nice to be here to celebrate with everybody the life of Her Majesty and her legacy that she leaves."

David Beckham and the Queen at Queen's Young Leaders programme 2018© Getty
David has long admired the late Queen and the royal family

The father-of-four met the late Queen several times, including at the opening of the 2002 Commonwealth Games and when she awarded him his OBE for his services to football in 2003.

Over the years, he has also been involved in the Queen's Young Leader Award, established in 2014.

In May earlier this year, David attended an awards ceremony where the King celebrated British fashion designers.

The former England football captain surprised Charles with a jar of home-produced honey from his Cotswolds estate. Take a look at the King's reaction in the clip below...

WATCH: King Charles's surprising reaction to David Beckham's gift

David and Victoria have reportedly shared a close friendship with Princes William and Harry over the years.

During her pop star days as Posh Spice, Victoria met Harry, then 13, backstage at the Spice Girls' concert in Johannesburg in 1997.

Prince Harry and Prince Charles with the Spice Girls© Getty
Harry and Charles with the Spice Girls in 1997

Victoria's designs have also been worn by Princess Kate, the Duchess of Sussex and the Duchess of Edinburgh.

In the run-up to the Sussexes' nuptials in May 2018, she was one of the designers tipped to create Meghan's wedding dress, but that honour eventually fell to Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy.

Prince Harry and Meghan attend The Endeavour Fund Awards in March 2020© Getty
Meghan wore a Victoria Beckham dress for one of her final royal engagements

Victoria said she was "honoured and humbled" when she received her OBE for services to fashion from Prince William in 2017.

Meanwhile, David has shown his support for several of William and Harry's charitable initiatives through the years.

The Beckhams at Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018© Getty
The Beckhams at Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018

In 2018, the former midfielder and his second son, Romeo, attended Harry's Invictus Games tournament in Sydney, Australia.

And in 2014, David teamed up with William to support a campaign with United for Wildlife, which aims to protect animals from illegal poaching.

He also joined the Prince and Princess of Wales at William's environmental Earthshot Prize Awards in Boston last November.

See more photographs of David Beckham with the royal family in the gallery below...

David Beckham and Queen Elizabeth II at Commonwealth Games 2005© Getty
Handing over the baton to Queen Elizabeth II at the Commonwealth Games 2005
Prince William, Prince Harry and David Beckham in South Africa© Getty
A royal meet-up before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa
Teaming up with Prince William for the United For Wildlife campaign in 2014© Getty
Teaming up with Prince William for the United For Wildlife campaign in 2014
Prince Charles and David Beckham at Our Planet premiere© Getty
Charles and David at the Our Planet premiere in 2019
William and David Beckham at Euro 2020© Getty
A team talk before England's game against Germany in the Euro 2020 tournament
King Charles III shakes hands with David Beckham© Getty
David gifting the King with a jar of homemade honey at a BFC event in 2023

Listen to HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast and find out which major character Prince Harry inspired in a Hollywood movie

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.