Former England captain Sir David Beckham received a knighthood at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.
The football star, 50, was honored for his services to sport and charity.
“I couldn't be prouder,” Beckham said. “People know how patriotic I am: I love my country.
“I have always said how important the monarchy is to my family.
“I'm lucky to have traveled all over the world and the only thing people want to talk to me about is our monarchy. That makes me proud.”
Beckham represented England 115 times and captained 59 matches. Only two players have played more for England.
He won six Premier Leagues with Manchester United after going through their academy.
Beckham later played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan before retiring in 2013.
He is currently president and co-owner of Inter Miami in the MLS, where he helped sign Lionel Messi, and is co-owner of Salford City, which plays in League Two.
In addition to his football career, he has supported several charitable causes, including being a goodwill ambassador for the humanitarian aid organization Unicef since 2005.
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Last year, Sir David, who described himself as a “great monarchist”, was appointed as an ambassador for the King's Foundation, an educational charity established by the king in 1990.
He is also known for his stylish clothing choices, and in 1998 he was named GQ magazine's most stylish man of the year and has modeled for brands such as H&M, Armani and Boss.
Sir David married his wife Victoria in 1999 and the couple share four children: Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper. Also among the personalities to be honored on Tuesday are Nobel Prize-winning novelist Sir Kazuo Ishiguro and West End artist Dame Elaine Paige.
The full list of King's birthday honours:
Knighthood
David Beckham – For services to sport and charity.
Billy Boston – For services to rugby league.
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Virginia Wade: former winner of three major tournaments. For services to tennis and charities.
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Alistair Brownlee: Olympic gold medal-winning triathlete. For services to triathlon and to charity.
Deta Hedman: pioneer of darts. For services to darts and charities.
Devon Malcolm: Former England cricketer. For services to cricket and diversity in cricket.
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Rachel Daly: Former England international. For services to association football.
Michael Dunlop – Record holder for wins and podiums at the Isle of Man TT. For services to motorcycle racing.
Luke Humphries: world's number one darts player. For services to darts.
Luke Littler: current world darts champion. For services to darts.
