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LONDON (AP) — When it came time to receive a knighthood, soccer great David Beckham knew what to do. He bent his knee like, well, Beckham.
King Charles III struck him on the shoulders with a sword blade and “Becks” transformed into Sir David Beckham.
“This is without a doubt my proudest moment,” Beckham said after Tuesday’s ceremony at Windsor Castle. “I’ve obviously been very lucky in my career to have won what I won and done what I did, but to receive an honor like this, from a gentleman, is beyond anything I ever thought I would receive.”
The honor marks the pinnacle of Beckham’s effort to rehabilitate his image following events that at times alienated him from fans during a long and distinguished career.
He has also had a very public persona as a model, husband of Victoria “Posh” Beckham of the Spice Girls, and muse for the film “Bend it Like Beckham.”
Pool via Getty Images
The 50-year-old was knighted for his services to sport and charity, having helped UNICEF, the United Nations children’s fund, for two decades and campaigned with a charity working to eradicate malaria.
He also played a pivotal role in London being awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, author of “The Remains of the Day” and previously knighted, was recognized at Tuesday’s ceremony as a Companion of Honor of literature.
Renowned singer and musical actress Elaine Paige received the title of dame, the female equivalent of the knighthood.
Beckham is the only English footballer to have scored in three different World Cups, and his career included the triple campaign of 1999, when Manchester United won the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League.
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With 115 appearances for England, Beckham is third on the all-time list. He also captained the team 59 times.
After leaving Manchester United in 2003, a move that devastated fans, Beckham played for Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain. He is now co-owner of the Major League Soccer team Inter Miami.
His career hit a low point at the 1998 World Cup in France, where Beckham was widely vilified for his petulant kick on Argentine player Diego Simeone, which led to his expulsion and left the team without a player. Many fans blamed him for England’s exit.
In the 2023 Netflix documentary series “Beckham,” she described the abuse she experienced, which included an effigy of her hanging from a noose outside a London pub.
“I knew it was bad at the time, but going back through all of that was pretty difficult,” he told The News at the time.
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Beckham’s knighthood was announced in June during the king’s birthday honors list. The awards, which are also presented in the New Year, recognize contributions to British life.