London – When it came time to receive his knighthood, football great David Beckham knew what to do. He he bent his knee like, well, Beckham.
King Charles III he tapped his shoulders with the blade of a sword and “Becks” became Sir David Beckham.
“This is definitely my proudest moment,” Beckham said after Tuesday’s ceremony at Windsor Castle. “I’ve been very fortunate in my career to have earned what I’ve earned and done what I’ve done, but to receive an honor like this, a knighthood, is beyond anything I thought I’d receive.”
The distinction marks the culmination of Beckham’s efforts to rehabilitate his image during a long and illustrious career that at times alienated him from fans. She has also had a very public figure as a fashion model, her husband Victoria “Posh” Beckham of the Spice Girls and “Bend it Like Beckham” movie muse.
Jonathan Brady/AP 
The 50-year-old was knighted for his services to sport and charity, having worked for two decades with UNICEF, the UN’s children’s fund, and campaigned with a charity working to eradicate malaria. He too played a key role in the awards in London 2012 Summer Olympics.
Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, the first knighted author of “The Remains of the Day,” was recognized as an Honorary Companion of Literature at a ceremony on Tuesday. Famous musical singer and actress Elaine Paige was given a dame, the female equivalent of a knight.
Beckham is the only English footballer to have scored in three different World Cups, and his career included a treble in 1999 when Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
With 115 appearances for England, Beckham is third on the all-time list. He was also the captain on 59 occasions.
After leaving Manchester United in 2003 – a move that devastated fans – Beckham played for Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain. He he is now a co-owner Major League Soccer team Inter Miami.
A low point in his career came at the 1998 World Cup in France, where Beckham came under fire for a petulant shot at Argentina’s Diego Simeone, sending him off and leaving the team short. Many fans blamed him for pulling England out of the tournament.
In the 2023 Netflix documentary “Beckham,” he described the abuse he endured, including an image of him hanging from a rope outside a London pub.
“I knew it was bad at the time, but going through all of that was pretty tough,” he told The Associated Press at the time.
Beckham’s knighthood was announced in June in the royal birthday honors list. The awards, which are also presented in the New Year, recognize contributions to British life.