Victoria Beckham watches as David Beckham is knighted by King Charles
Soccer legend David Beckham was knighted by King Charles at Windsor Castle for his work in sport and charity, and his wife Victoria Beckman had his suit tailored.
You can call him Sir Idris Elba.
Dr Elba, honored as Dr Idrissa Acuna Elba, was knighted for services to young people on Monday 29 December for her work in drawing attention to knife crime among young people in the UK.
The 53-year-old ‘Luther’ star is a vocal advocate for young people and has called on the UK government to better tackle youth violence by banning serrated knives and machetes to reduce knife crime.
The Wire actor is a King’s Trust graduate and is involved in the charity’s work supporting young people. Elba also founded the Elba Hope Foundation with his wife, Sabrina Elba, to promote economic and educational opportunities for young people from marginalized and underserved communities, especially Africans and the African Diaspora.
The actor and DJ was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2016.
Meanwhile, ‘Wicked’ star Cynthia Erivo was also awarded an OBE. The Emmy, Grammy, Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated singer and actress has been named a member of the Order of Merit for Service to Music and Theater.
Erivo reflected on the honor on Instagram on Tuesday, December 30th, writing, “Receiving an award like this to celebrate the work in the arts I love, especially music and theater, is an honor I never thought would come my way. I hope it shows that I care deeply about this work and will continue to do so to the best of my ability.”
The classes of the Order, from lowest to lowest, include: Member, Officer, Commander, Knight and Dame Commander, and Knight and Dame Grand Cross. The medal is awarded to recipients who have made significant contributions to the arts, sciences, public service, and philanthropy, a practice that originally began in 1917 for the war effort.
The pair were among hundreds of people named in King Charles’ 2026 New Year Honors list.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement: “This year’s honors list celebrates some of Britain’s best, people who have put the common good above self to strengthen communities and change lives. Their quiet dedication speaks to the decent and caring country we are proud of.”
Contributed by: Reuters
