Former England football captain David Beckham will be knighted on Tuesday at Windsor Castle in recognition of his contributions to sport and charitable causes.
The 50-year-old football icon said he was “immensely proud” to be included in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Beckham, a northeast London native, made his Premier League debut for Manchester United in 1995 and played a pivotal role in the club’s dramatic 1999 Champions League final win over Bayern Munich.
Over his career, he scored 85 goals, won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and retired from professional football in 2013.
Beyond football, Beckham has been active in charitable work, serving as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador since 2005. In 2024, he was appointed an ambassador for the King’s Foundation, an educational charity.
Known for his style, he has modelled for brands like H&M, Armani, and Boss, and was named GQ’s most stylish man in 1998. He and his wife Victoria, married in 1999, have four children: Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper.
Other notable recipients include Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro and West End star Elaine Paige.
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Ishiguro, 70, was made a Companion of Honour for his contributions to literature. Born in Japan and raised in the UK, he is renowned for novels such as The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go.
The Remains of the Day won the Man Booker Prize and was adapted into a film starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, earning eight Academy Award nominations. Ishiguro also wrote 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 prominence playing Eva Peron in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita in 1978, winning the Olivier Award for performance of the year.
Her illustrious career includes starring roles in Cats, Chess, Piaf, and Sunset Boulevard, alongside performances in London Palladium pantomimes.
Paige has released more than 20 solo albums, including the chart-topping single I Know Him So Well, and has received numerous accolades, including BASCA’s Gold Badge of Merit. She actively supports charities such as The Children’s Trust, the Royal Voluntary Service, and serves as president of the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust since 2010.
