Actor Gary Oldman and former football player David Beckham can now call themselves ‘sir’. The men have been knighted by King Charles. The same applies to The Who singer Roger Daltrey.
This is evident from the so-called King’s Birthday Honors, which were published late Friday evening. The people on this honors list are recognized for their exceptional achievements in various disciplines for the United Kingdom.
The fifty-year-old former football player Beckham was already appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2003, a lower distinction in the British honors system. Beckham is pleased with his new title. “Growing up in East London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British, I never imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honor,” he said in a statement to the Press Association.
Beckham’s wife, fashion entrepreneur and former Spice Girls singer Victoria, will also receive an award. She can now call herself ‘lady’.
Actor Oldman, who won an Oscar in 2018 for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the film Darkest Hour, was knighted for his services to drama.
The Who singer Daltrey receives his title in recognition of his services to charity and music. He is, among other things, patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust and has been organizing benefit concerts for years. Daltrey says he is “deeply honored” with the award. “It is a dream come true for me, but it is especially a dream because the charity means so much to me,” he said.
According to the BBC, there are a total of 1200 people on the honors list this year. Nineteen of them are appointed as sir. Twenty-one women receive the title ‘dame’, including singer and actress Elaine Paige and writer Pat Barker. The youngest distinguished person this year is eleven years old, the oldest 106.