When Charles met Becks: How the King and Golden Balls’ friendship flourished over their shared love of bees

David Beckham has revealed that he traded beekeeping tips with King Charles when they met ahead of the ex-England football captain being named a King’s Foundation ambassador.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star, 48, had a private meeting with Charles at his Highgrove home last month to discuss his new role at the charitable organisation.

He said: “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 added that he was “excited to be working with the King’s Foundation” and was looking forward to raising the profile of the charity’s work.

“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 programmes and its efforts to ensure young people have greater access to nature,” he said.

Beckham’s passion for beekeeping started during lockdown at the family’s home in the Cotswolds. He built a hive in the garden of their home and has posted on social media about his new hobby.

He uploaded an Instagram video on World Bee Day last year showing him working on a beehive and in another post he is pictured next to a hive with the words “Be kind & they will be calm”.

Beckham’s wife Victoria has even filmed her husband while he harvests the honey at the Grade II listed converted farmhouse.

In a video to her millions of TikTok followers while holding a jar of the honey, she said: “So I’ve got the sticky stuff. I’m just going to go and sample it and let you know what David’s sticky stuff tastes like.

“I am going to mark it out of ten and I will let you know.”

In the Netflix documentary Beckham, which documents their lives and careers, the couple have a playful argument about what the freshly produced honey should be called.

Beckham says in the episode: “There’s a bit of an argument in the house at the moment. I think it should be Golden Bees. Victoria likes DBee’z Sticky Stuff.”

The home-produced honey even has the royal seal of approval after Beckham gave Charles a jar of ‘Golden Bees’ last year at an awards ceremony in London celebrating British fashion.

The Royal family’s interest in beekeeping runs through multiple generations and Charles, who has been a strong advocate for organic farming for years, is understood to have kept hives at both Clarence House and Highgrove House.

Beckham’s new role means he joins other foundation ambassadors like The Repair Shop presenter Jay Blades, who represents building crafts, Alan Titchmarsh, horticulture, and Sarah Beeny, buildings and heritage.

The foundation is the custodian of the Highgrove gardens and offers workshops, programmes and short courses focused on heritage and craft skills at its Barley Court education centre on the estate.

Beckham was pictured with the King on the doorstep of Highgrove, Charles’s Gloucestershire retreat, and shown trying out his carpentry skills with foundation students taking part in woodworking courses at the Snowdon School of Furniture.

Alongside its education programmes to protect traditional skills, the foundation, based at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, aims to revitalise communities through urban regeneration and planning, and support sustainable food production and teach rural skills.