David Beckham’s Knighthood dreams dashed by explosive emails and tax scandal

Beckham rants: "Unless it’s a knighthood, f—k off. They’re a bunch of c—s. I expected nothing less."

David Beckham’s ambition to become a knight was thwarted by his own foul-mouthed rants and alleged tax avoidance. 

The soccer legend had been campaigning for an honor from the Queen, which would have given him the title ‘Sir’ and made his wife ‘Lady’ Victoria.

However, private emails in which Beckham called the Honors Committee “unappreciative c***s” surfaced, effectively ending his chances. 

Despite starting charity work as his career wound down in 2013 to catch the committee’s attention, Beckham’s efforts were overshadowed by his controversial comments and financial dealings.

Friends like Olympian Lord Sebastian Coe believed Beckham was a "shoe-in" for a knighthood, as revealed in Tom Bower’s new book “The House of Beckham.” 

To bolster his image, Beckham volunteered in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan, and Victoria tried to present herself as an average mom, sharing a photo of her donation to the victims.

But when the knighthood did not materialize, Beckham was furious. 

He asked Coe, “What have I done wrong?” and later dismissed the possibility of a lesser honor, emailing, “Unless it’s a knighthood, f—k off. They’re a bunch of c—s. I expected nothing less.”

Further damaging his case, Beckham criticized Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins, writing, “Katherine Jenkins OBE [knighthood] for what? Singing at the rugby and going to see the troops plus taking coke. F—ing joke.” 

These emails, hacked and published in 2017, were defended by Beckham's spokesperson as “based on outdated material taken out of context.”

In 2013, the Honors Committee rejected Beckham’s bid after discovering he wasn’t registered as living in the UK while earning $26.8 million playing for LA Galaxy. 

Additionally, his involvement in an “aggressive tax avoidance” scheme and his extravagant lifestyle, including a $40 million house in London, were red flags.

Despite resolving his tax issues and being cleared for a knighthood in 2021, Beckham continues to be overlooked, most recently by King Charles, who excluded him from the 2024 honors list.