David Beckham has finally been bestowed with a knighthood more than two decades after receiving his OBE for services to football in 2003.
The 50-year-old self-described royalist received the highest accolade for his services to sport and charity, following more than 20 years of raising money for UNICEF.
The former footballer described the honour as his 'proudest moment,' and appeared teary-eyed as he spoke to the press after being knighted by King Charles earlier today (4 November).
He was accompanied by wife Victoria and parents Ted and Sandra Beckham.
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"I've been very obviously lucky in my career to have won what I've won and done what I've done but to receive an honour like this, of a knight, is beyond anything that I ever thought that I would receive," Beckham told PA.
"To be honest, a young boy from the east end of London, born in Leytonstone, and here at Windsor Castle, being honoured by His Majesty the King - the most important and the most respected institution in the world - it's quite a moment.
"This is without doubt my proudest moment."
But while the former England captain appeared elated over the knighthood he's longed for for so many years, it was only a few years ago that he seemed to have sabotaged his chances of receiving the honour.
In 2017, Beckham found himself at the centre of knighthood controversy after an email he sent to his PR at the time, Simon Oliveira, in which he had some choice words about being missed off the honours list for another year.
Beckham had been hailed as a 'shoe-in' since 2011, yet went on to receive continuous knock-backs, prompting him to brand the honours committee as 'unappreciative c***s.'
In the furious exchange, Golden Balls claimed he didn't actually 'care about being knighted,' despite going on to call out several of the famous names on the list that year, including singer Katherine Jenkins.
At the time, reports claimed the sports personality had been 'stripped of his knighthood chances' over the embarrassing email leak.
Eight years later, however, all appears to have been forgiven after the football legend was put forward by Unicef and the British Fashion Council.
According to the Mail, both organisations 'canvassed opinion' over whether they should nominate Beckham and were met with very positive feedback.
It comes after the father-of-four struck up a friendship with the King, bonding over their shared love of bees after Beckham gifted the royal with a pot of his homemade honey, 'D Bee'z Sticky Stuff.'
Topics: Royal Family, David Beckham, Sport, Celebrity
Emma Rosemurgey