“I always get emotional talking about anything that I do with our royal family,” Beckham said

(Left) David Beckham at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 20, 2025; (Middle) King Charles attends church on Easter at Windsor on March 31, 2024; (Right) Prince William visits Fistral Beach in Newquay, England on May 9, 2024. Photo: MICHAEL BUHOLZER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock; Samir Hussein/WireImage; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

David Beckham is proud to be a friend of the British royal family.

On Jan. 21, the former England soccer captain spoke about his relationships with King Charles and Prince William in a new interview at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Beckham, 49, hit the stage with CNBC anchor Sara Eisen for a wide-ranging conversation on his work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and philanthropic commitments, which sparked the topic of his royal connections.

“I always get emotional talking about anything that I do with our royal family, because I’ve always been a huge royalist. I was brought up in a household that adored and loved everything that came with the royal family,” Beckham said after Eisen asked him about his role with The King’s Foundation. (Beckham was announced as an ambassador of King Charles’ charity dedicated to sustainability and the next generation in June 2024.)

David Beckham during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 21, 2025.Halil Sagirkaya/Anadolu via Getty

“Over the years, I’ve done a lot with the Prince of Wales,” he continued, referring to Prince William. “I’ve always been there, when he’s asked me to get involved with things. Whether it be veterans, whether it be the London Air Ambulance Service, which we raised funds to get two new helicopters for London. These are the things, when I was a kid, I used to see the helicopters going over, and you knew exactly what they were going to do. They were on their way to an emergency. So to be involved in that, has always been a ‘Yes’ for me.”

“Whenever the Prince of Wales sends me a message and says, ‘I need you to do this’ or ‘Be there’, it’s always a ‘Yes,’ ” Beckham said. (Beckham helped William in the fundraising effort for the London Air Ambulance’s “Up Against Time” campaign, which brought in over $21 million to fund two new H135 helicopters for the emergency service in 2024.)

The Inter Miami FC co-owner said he was “honored” when King Charles asked him to get involved with his foundation and that his mother, Sandra West, “burst into tears” when he relayed the news.

“Because she’s so proud of obviously what I’ve done throughout my career, but she’s also proud. And she knows my grandparents would have been proud that I have played such an important role within the royal family and the charities that they have,” Beckham said.

Prince William and David Beckham visit RAF Northolt to view two new London Air Ambulance Charity helicopters on Oct. 1, 2024. Aaron Chown – WPA Pool/Getty

“So to be involved in The King’s Foundation, our King is an incredible man. But he’s not just been an incredible man for the last five, 10 years, he’s been an incredible man for decades,” the Beckham documentary star went on, pointing to the King’s wider work. “The work that he has done to empower people, the grassroots work, all of the sustainable work. All of these things, all of those lost arts, he’s trying to bring them back.”

According to the athlete, he and the sovereign also share similar interests!

“He’s into bees, I’m into bees. He’s into the countryside, I’m into the countryside, and he’s into empowering young people. So I’m very honored with that role,” Beckham said — but avoided offering comment on The Crown.

“They don’t really go into the philanthropic part in The Crown, so I think many people don’t know that it’s a big part of the monarchy,” said Eisen, alluding to Netflix’s hit fictional show inspired by the British monarchy.

“We’ve all watched The Crown. We all learned a lot from The Crown,” Beckham said.

“Is it accurate?” Eisen interjected.

“I wouldn’t know,” he said with a wry smile, which made the audience laugh.

David Beckham attends a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 21, 2025.FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty

In December 2024, Beckham and his wife Victoria Beckham made a surprise appearance at the Buckingham Palace state banquet celebrating the state visit from the Amir of Qatar.

The glam event was attended by King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William, and the Beckhams’ presence made a splash as their attendance was not announced in advance.

Victoria Beckham and David Beckham at the Buckingham Palace state banquet celebrating the Amir of Qatar’s state visit to the U.K. on Dec. 3, 2024 in London.WPA Pool/Getty

Some speculated at the invitation meant Beckham was tipped for a knighthood in the upcoming 2025 New Year Honors list, given his charity work with the King and William earlier in the year.

Though the retired soccer star wasn’t listed in the contingent, a royal accolade might be on the way — another set of honors recipients is traditionally announced in the King’s Birthday Honors List in June.