Arise, Sir David Beckham. More than two decades after receiving an OBE for services to football – and, if the rumours are to be believed, after almost as long spent lobbying for an upgrade – the former England captain was knighted by the King at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, as his parents and wife Victoria (whose fashion brand made him a bespoke suit for the occasion). “This is without doubt my proudest moment,” he said afterwards.
The knighthood is a crowning glory for Beckham, recognising a long career in sport and extensive charity work, and will surely have been worth the wait for a star who has made no secret of his desire to secure a top title. But it is also the latest stage in a canny reputational reboot that has gone into overdrive in the last few years, burnishing his status as a national treasure (and cleverly smoothing over past controversies).
