King Charles III, David Beckham, and Brooklyn Beckham JOHN SIBLEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
David Beckham and King Charles swapped beekeeping tips at the king’s Highgrove home in Gloucestershire, England.
The former footballer, 49, visited Highgrove on Saturday, June 1, where he was named ambassador of The King’s Foundation, an educational charity that aims to put people at the center of designing their communities. It was founded by Charles, 75, in 1990.
“Having developed a love for the countryside I’m also on a personal mission to learn more about rural skills which is so central to the foundation’s work,” Beckham told Hello! Magazine following his appointment. “It was inspiring to hear from the King about the work of His Majesty’s foundation during my recent visit to Highgrove Gardens — and compare beekeeping tips!”
Beckham, who has documented his beekeeping abilities via social media, added that he was “excited to be working with the King’s Foundation” and looking forward to the “opportunity to help raise awareness” about the charity.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images For Buckingham Palace It has been an eventful year since King Charles III was officially blessed and anointed as the monarch of the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth territories. Charles assumed the British throne in September 2022 after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96. “My […]
“I’ve always been keen to help young people to expand their horizons and I’m particularly looking forward to supporting the foundation’s education programs and its efforts to ensure young people have greater access to nature,” Beckham continued.
He previously met with the monarch in May and learned more about the charity and its educational programs and workshops.
As for beekeeping, this is not the first time Beckham and Charles have bonded over their shared hobby. According to Vanity Fair, the soccer star presented the king with a pot of honey he had harvested himself as a gift. (Beckham began keeping bees during the pandemic.)
“I made some honey for you. It comes from my bees in Oxfordshire,” he told the king in May 2023 at a ceremony for the British Fashion Council Foundation following Charles’ coronation earlier that month. The king replied, “Really? Well, I’ll have to swap it with the one that I do.”
Several British royals have been diagnosed with various forms of cancer since the start of their family’s reign. Buckingham Palace announced in February 2024 that King Charles III received a cancer diagnosis one week after he was admitted to The London Clinic to undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate. “During The King’s recent hospital procedure […]
Buckingham Palace announced in February that Charles had started “a schedule of regular treatments” for an undisclosed form of cancer, and was advised by his doctors to step back from his public-facing duties. He resumed his royal responsibilities in April after his medical team was “encouraged by [his] progress” while undergoing cancer treatment and were “positive” about his recovery.
“Forthcoming engagements will be adapted where necessary to minimize any risks to His Majesty’s continued recovery,” the palace wrote in a statement released on April 26. “The pacing of the King’s program will be carefully calibrated as his recovery continues, in close consultation with his medical team.”
