Why David Beckham never received a knighthood despite services to football and charity

David Beckham is one of the most recognisable faces in world football and a proud supporter of the Royal Family. So why has he never received a knighthood?

Earlier this week Beckham was snapped alongside King Charles at an event organised by the British Fashion Council in London.

The former England captain was attending the showcase in his capacity as the Council’s Ambassadorial President, a role he has held since 2018.

Beckham is frequently spotted rubbing shoulders with royalty and has openly expressed an ardent support for the monarchy on his social media.

Moreover, he is one of England’s most recognisable and successful footballers, having represented the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, and has been capped by England some 115 times.

Which raises the question - why hasn’t the 48-year-old received a knighthood?

Why hasn’t Beckham received a knighthood?

Beckham was expected to receive a knighthood back in 2014, after devoting his time to charities such as UNICEF and playing a central role in the London 2012 Olympics.

However, a year earlier he was one of several celebrities caught up in the Ingenious tax avoidance scheme and therefore, the former United star was deemed ineligible for the honour.

Indeed, it took years for Beckham to be given the all-clear over the financial issues.

Individuals with any irregularities in their financial history are given a 'red warning' by those that put together the honours list. They are removed from the nomination process and barred from receiving recognition.

However, it was later reported that Beckham had returned the official recommendations list after outstanding issues with HM Revenue and Customs were resolved. There was no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of Beckham, or any of the individuals that invested in the Ingenious Media scheme.

As of yet however, Beckham has not received a knighthood.

Beckham was snapped alongside King Charles at an event this week (Alamy)

Beckham knighthood claims

In 2017 Football Leaks unveiled alleged leaked emails in which Beckham told his long-time PR man Simon Oliveira that "everything is above board."

He also allegedly made his feelings clear after being left off the 2014 honours list, branding the system "a f**king joke".

It was also claimed Beckham wrote: "I expected nothing less. It's a disgrace, to be honest, and if I was American, I would of got something like this 10 years ago."

At the time, Beckham's representatives insisted the emails had been "doctored".

Speaking to the Daily Mail via the Mirror they said: "This story is based on outdated material taken out of context from hacked and doctored private emails from a third-party server and gives a deliberately inaccurate picture."