Throughout his long career in the spotlight, soccer player David Beckham has been one of the biggest public fans of the British royal family. He has supported the charities of King Charles III and earlier this year, he even posed alongside Prince William inside a helicopter (though the pair did not take flight). His love for one royal in particular is on display in his office. On Monday, Beckham posted a video showing the mess in his office after an Elf on the Shelf took up residence inside. People spotted a subtle homage to the royals in the form of a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II on the wall.
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Though it’s difficult to make out exactly which image of the much-photographed woman Beckham has framed, her blue sash, decorated white dress, and pearl drop tiara, seem to match up with an official Silver Jubilee portrait taken by photographer Peter Grugeon in 1975. One of the photographs that Grugeon took at Windsor Castle that day was reworked into a beloved Andy Warhol portrait, but Beckham has stuck with the original in his house.
Beckham has frequently discussed his affection for the queen, and in September 2022, he spent about 13 hours waiting in line in order to pay respects to her casket in London. During his wait, he told a reporter from Sky News about meeting Queen Elizabeth when he received an OBE medal in 2003. “I took my grandparents with me, who were the ones that really brought me up to be a huge royalist and a fan of the royal family, and obviously I had my wife there as well,” he said. “To step up, to get my honor, but then also Her Majesty, to ask questions, to talk, I was so lucky that I was able to have a few moments like that in my life.”
Last Tuesday, Beckham and his wife, Victoria, were guests at a royal banquet where King Charles and Queen Camilla honored the Emir of Qatar during a state visit. It was the fifth royal event he has attended this year. According to The Times, the couple got a “special invitation” to the event, and a source added that the king and Beckham share a “genuine warmth” because they are “two people from very different backgrounds with shared interests.”
