David Beckham is taking on a new royal role with King Charles!
On June 1, the King’s Foundation announced that Beckham, 49, had signed on as an ambassador. King Charles, 75, founded the charity as Prince of Wales in 1990 to create improved communities where people, places and the planet can coexist harmoniously.
Last month, the former England football captain visited King Charles’ Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire to meet the monarch to learn more about the organization and check out some of the charity’s educational programs at on-site workshops. The King’s Foundation offers educational courses to around 15,000 students each year, plus health and wellbeing programs for another 2,000 people a year.
Other initiatives include regeneration projects across the UK and abroad to revitalize communities and historic buildings.
“I’m excited to be working with The King’s Foundation and to have the opportunity to help raise awareness of the charity’s work. I’ve always wanted to help young people broaden their horizons and I’m particularly looking forward to supporting the Foundation’s Education programs and its efforts to ensure young people have better access to nature Beckham said in a statement.
David Beckham.
Photo by Courtney Louise
King Charles has confirmed he will attend the event amid his cancer treatment – a change from last year
“Having developed a love for the countryside, I am also on a personal mission to learn more about the rural skills that are so central to the Foundation’s work,” he continued.
“It was inspiring to hear from the King about the work of His Majesty’s Foundation during my recent visit to Highgrove Gardens — and to compare tips on beekeeping!” he added. The retired soccer star has documented his hobby on social media and shares an interest in beekeeping with Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla.
During his visit to Highgrove Gardens, which is located on the King’s private country estate, Highgrove House, Beckham met with students studying woodworking at the Snowdon School of Furniture through the King’s Foundation, as well as students from the Métiers d’art Embroidery Fellowship coordinated in partnership with CHANEL and Le19M.
Prince William will stand in for King Charles at a special D-Day commemoration in France
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/king-charles-david-beckham-5-060124-4a59f5c9b32f493687514f360210eb10.jpg)
David Beckham.
Photo by Courtney Louise
Beckham previously supported another major campaign with royal ties when he presented the prestigious environmental award founded by Prince William at the Earthshot Awards in Boston in December 2022.
Time first reported that the king and Beckham met about the foundation in May. The meeting reportedly fell days after Prince Harry’s quick trip to the UK for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. A spokesman for the Duke of Sussex, 39, previously confirmed that he would not be meeting his father due to the monarch’s “full” schedule.
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to receive the latest news on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Beckham received an OBE from Queen Elizabeth in 2003 for services to football and has known the royal family for years, having attended the royal weddings of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018 with his wife Victoria Beckham.
Like many Britons, Beckham queued for 12 hours in London to pay his respects to the late Queen Elizabeth when her coffin was laid to rest in Westminster Hall following her death in September 2022.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education