It was little over a year ago that David Beckham proudly posed for a photographer from this newspaper with his three sons, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz, at his wife’s 50th birthday party, all four men looking relaxed and happy.
Yet just minutes before, emotions had been rather higher among the Beckhams. For as David and his family had entered smart Mayfair restaurant Oswald’s, with Victoria still on crutches after breaking her foot, waiting freelance paparazzi had caused a chaotic scene.
So much so that the normally publicity-friendly clan refused to stop outside for their pictures to be taken. Romeo, I’m told, was particularly angry.
Not David, though. With notable grace, he beamed happily for our cameras stationed officially inside the venue, giving Mail readers an exclusive peek.
Fast forward 12 months and David’s diplomacy skills will be required again but this time on two fronts – domestic and professional.
Because on Friday it is his own 50th birthday. And there are two things he would desperately love to happen.
First the personal: he desires nothing more than for his first-born Brooklyn and his wife Nicola to join the rest of the family on an idyllic jaunt to celebrate his birthday in a secret European location. More on the delicate negotiations required for this later.
As for the professional, there is one accolade that still eludes one of England’s best-known figures. And that is, of course, his knighthood.
When David Beckham turns 50 this week, he desires nothing more than for his first-born son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola (second and third from right) to join the rest of the family on an idyllic jaunt to celebrate his birthday in a secret European location
Anyone who knows David would agree that a knighthood from King Charles III would be the perfect present
Healing the rift: Beckham is said to be keen to bring his family back together again
Anyone who knows David would agree that this would be the perfect present.
Famously patriotic – who can forget him queuing for hours to see the late Queen lying in state? – to receive his ‘K’ in the year he turned 50 would be thrilling for this proud Englishman.
And it is thanks to David’s considerable diplomatic skills that his coveted knighthood is probably more likely to happen now than ever before.
His quest to become a ‘Sir’ has been a long, and at times turbulent, road for David.
He was turned down in 2013 after issues over his tax arrangements. Four years later, in 2017, any remaining chance of achieving his dream was seemingly left in tatters after leaked emails revealed he had taken aim at the honours committee who had taken him off the list.
David, usually charming and mild-mannered, called government mandarins ‘unappreciative c***s’ and insisted he didn’t ‘care about being knighted’. Now resolved, David is in the clear to be reconsidered.
David appears to have spent the intervening years exerting all his charm and finesse to win over the public – not to mention the bigwigs who control these decisions behind the scenes.
Now, there is a very high chance of him being handed his knighthood this year, either in the King’s Birthday Honours in June or in the New Year Honours announced in December.
Beckham forged a friendship with King Charles after they bonded over their love of making honey when they met at a British fashion awards ceremony in 2023
One associate said: ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it happened this year as David turns 50? How perfect would that be.’
Indeed, David has ticked every box to help his bid – including forging a friendship with King Charles after they bonded over their love of making honey when they met at a British fashion awards ceremony in 2023.
Later, he was made an ambassador for The King’s Foundation and was invited to Highgrove. His Majesty, quite the charmer himself, was apparently bowled over by David.
Sources tell me the King is particularly enthralled by David, keen as he is to honour and acknowledge more people from working-class backgrounds.
One friend of the star tells me: ‘A strong bond has been forged between them. When David handed over the honey [at the awards], the King looked surprised – perhaps he didn’t expect a footballer from east London to be into beekeeping.’
Other public gestures have also aided his cause. Take David’s decision to forego any birthday presents and instead ask friends and loved ones to join him in donating to a new initiative in collaboration with UNICEF, for whom he has long been a Goodwill Ambassador, to help disadvantaged children – particularly girls.
And when ex-England manager Gareth Southgate received his knighthood earlier this year, David was impeccably and vocally magnanimous in his congratulations.
He was, say sources, ‘very happy to wait and see if he gets his turn’.
When ex-England manager Gareth Southgate received his knighthood earlier this year, David was impeccably and vocally magnanimous in his congratulations
‘David is thrilled for him,’ said a friend at the time. ‘David knew it wouldn’t be his time and he is fine with that but you never know what is down the line.’
I’ve witnessed David’s astonishing interpersonal skills up close myself.
In 2021 I revealed he had signed a hugely lucrative deal to become an ambassador for Qatar and its 2022 World Cup.
The partnership was heavily criticised as he was dealing with a country where homosexuality is illegal, and punishable by imprisonment, flogging or even death.
Amnesty lambasted him, gay magazine Attitude took him to task and even holier-than-thou Gary Lineker swiped.
All in all, I’ve since heard I caused David and his team ‘a lot of grief’.
A year earlier I told how Victoria had planned to use the Government’s furlough scheme during the pandemic.
Despite all this, David invited me to the premiere of his Netflix documentary Beckham in 2023.
Beckham’s team have described the rift as ‘silly’ – but notably haven’t denied there are issues
I was terrified he would be cross with me, but instead he walked straight over, with a beaming smile, and gave me a huge hug. It was, he said, wonderful to finally meet me and agreed to having a selfie taken together.
David, ever considerate, even suggested we move away from the light behind us to get a better shot, and he snapped away.
I’m not easily won over – but I was knocked out by his charm. And he smelled amazing, by the way.
What then for David’s chances at soothing the troubled waters at home? As I revealed last week, Brooklyn has told his parents he will be at his father’s birthday, and they are said to be ‘expecting’ Nicola.
However, on Wednesday the couple seemingly took another pop at David and Victoria. The pair shared a photograph of Easter baskets brimming with chocolate and gifts from Nicola’s billionaire parents, Nelson and Claudia Peltz, on Instagram. There was no mention of Brooklyn’s parents or his siblings.
This all follows claims of a fall out between the influencer and his younger brother Romeo, who are said to be at loggerheads over the latter’s new girlfriend, model Kim Turnbull who used to date Brooklyn’s close friend Rocco Ritchie – Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s son.
Brooklyn and his wife didn’t attend David’s first birthday bash at Miami restaurant Cipriani last month, while his three siblings were present.
And neither publicly wished Victoria a happy 51st birthday earlier this month, while David, Romeo and Cruz posted gushing messages.
Will Brooklyn and his wife let bygones be bygones in time to toast David on his special day?
Then, in what some are interpreting as a cheeky swipe back, at a birthday party in Miami Victoria wore the same £1,600 white outfit she had designed and gifted to her daughter-in-law 14 months earlier.
Beckham’s team have described the rift as ‘silly’ – but notably haven’t denied there are issues.
One can only hope that the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree, and that Brooklyn may be able to imitate his father’s diplomacy – and, with his wife, let bygones be bygones in time to toast David on this most special of days.
