A royal commentator has revealed that David Beckham felt nervous before meeting King Charles III at a royal function, making a candid four-word admission about his anxiety.
Beckham's Honest Admission
During the latest episode of the Daily Mail's Palace Confidential, royal experts discussed Sir David Beckham's long-standing relationship with the Royal Family. Daily Mail royal editor Rebecca English recalled speaking with the former England captain before one of the King's early engagements at St James's Palace.
She said: "I remember him coming to one of the early functions at St James's Palace and I was chatting to him beforehand and he was like, 'I'm actually really nervous — what do you say to the King?' and I said, 'Just follow his lead and he'll put out his hand.'"
Rebecca added: "But you could see he was really, really genuinely quite nervous. I think the admiration is there, but yes, it obviously helps with the public image."
Knighthood and Royal Ties
In November last year, the former footballer was awarded a knighthood, becoming Sir David after years of cultivating close ties with senior royals. The Daily Mail's Editor-At-Large Alison Boshoff said Sir David had spent decades "working his way up the food chain" within royal circles.
She explained: "Sir David has been sucking up to the Royal Family for decades, starting in the outer reaches." She pointed to photographs of his daughter Harper celebrating her sixth birthday inside Buckingham Palace's quadrangle, claiming the access came through connections with Sarah Ferguson and the former Duke of York.
"And so then Prince William and Prince Harry, David then became friends with through various Olympic bids and so on. He's kind of been working his way up the food chain, not putting a foot wrong, always saying, 'We've always loved the Queen.' And eventually he's got there. He's got his knighthood. He's got his K."
Is It a True Friendship?
Despite the increasingly close relationship, the panel questioned whether the bond could truly be described as friendship. Alison said: "As to how genuine a friendship this is — is this a friendship like you have friends? No. But is it a friendly relationship? Yes. And is it of benefit to both sides? Yes. So fine, I think on that basis you can take it. But I wouldn't confuse it with what you and I would call a friendship."
Rebecca joked that Sir David was unlikely to be casually invited round by the King "for, you know, a beer in the garden and watching the footy together." But fellow panellist Richard Eden suggested they may have more in common than people think: "I don't know. They both like making honey. You know, they've got gardening. They've got a lot to talk about."
Queue for Queen Elizabeth II
The panel also revisited Beckham's widely praised appearance in the queue to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state following her death in 2022. Rebecca said many people's opinions of the Inter Miami co-owner changed after seeing him wait alongside the public for hours rather than seeking special treatment. She said: "And he, you know, he could have found a way, given who he was, to circumvent that. And he spent, what, seven, eight hours queuing."
Boshoff added: "He had his tub of Pringles and his flat cap. Bless him. I mean, yeah, it did him masses of good and he played it brilliantly because he didn't overstate it."
Impeccable Manners
Boshoff also claimed Beckham's impeccable manners had impressed palace aides at a recent royal event. She said: "Apparently, I've heard that he has immaculate manners. He went to an event recently, which was one of the King's events, and he noticed a woman there didn't have a seat — didn't have a chair — and he actually gave up his seat for her, which was noted by one of the King's aides. So I mean, everyone is a fan of David Beckham."
