King Charles knights Sir David Beckham

On Tuesday, former England captain and now Sir David Beckham was formally knighted for his services to football and British society.

The 50-year-old, named on King Charles’ Birthday Honours list earlier this year, received the knighthood from the king in a ceremony at Windsor Castle. Beckham was joined by his wife Victoria, who designed his suit, and his parents, Sandra and David.

"I cried when I first found out and possibly for a few months after it as well. I grew up in a very humble background in the East End of London, always wanting to be a professional footballer, and now I'm standing here at Windsor Castle with the most important monarchy in the world and getting knighted. It doesn't get much better."

Beckham captained England for six years, earning 115 caps and appearing in three World Cups and two European Championships. He began his career at Manchester United in 1992, spending 11 years before moving to Real Madrid in 2003. He later played for LA Galaxy, with loan spells at AC Milan, and finished his career at Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.

Off the pitch, Beckham has supported UNICEF since 2005, with a fund named in his honour in 2015 to mark a decade-long partnership.

To listen to Primedia Digital Content Editor Barbara Friedman discuss this story with Clarence Ford on CapeTalk's Views and News show, click below: