Soccer icon David Beckham exchanged beekeeping tips with King Charles, he said, when the pair met ahead of the former England captain being named ambassador for The King’s Foundation.
Beckham met the King at Highgrove Gardens in the Cotswolds, England, where he also met students of the King’s Foundation, who practice skills such as woodworking and embroidery in specialized workshops on site.
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“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 said in a press release from the foundation.
The former soccer star has discussed his passion for beekeeping in public before. The 2023 Netflix documentary series “Beckham” began with him harvesting honey into an old jam jar.
In his work with The King’s Foundation, Beckham will be hoping to spread awareness of the charity’s mission.
The King’s Foundation was originally called The Prince’s Foundation, and came into existence after a number of Charles’ charitable projects merged into one group in 2018.
The foundation “provides holistic solutions to challenges facing the world today,” its website says, and runs education and training programs in subjects such as traditional arts, architecture, design, science, engineering, horticulture, wellbeing and hospitality.
The charity became embroiled in a cash-for-honors scandal over allegations the then-chief executive of Charles’ charity, Michael Fawcett, helped nominate Saudi businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz for an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) title.
A spokesperson for Charles at the time maintained that “the Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honors or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities.”
Last year, London’s Metropolitan Police said no further action would be taken in its investigation.