David Beckham made a small but notable mistake when he attended Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding alongside his wife, Victoria, despite making sure his outfit otherwise met royal expectations.
The former England captain was among the high-profile guests invited to Westminster Abbey for the spectacular ceremony in April 2011, with millions watching around the world as William and Kate tied the knot.
Beckham's Lapel Error
According to Alison Boshoff's book Brand Beckham, Beckham accidentally wore his OBE on the wrong side of his morning suit.
"The first dividend came in 2011, when David and Victoria were invited to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey. David mistakenly wore his OBE on his right lapel rather than his left, but his morning suit was immaculate," the book states.
Victoria, meanwhile, was said to have followed royal protocol carefully, choosing a navy dress from her own fashion collection and completing her outfit with a striking hat.
Star-Studded Congregation
The couple were among a star-studded congregation at the historic ceremony, which saw William and Kate marry in front of senior members of the Royal Family and a host of famous faces.
Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish, former England rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward and Rowan Atkinson were also among those inside the abbey. Harry's former girlfriend Chelsy Davy and film director Guy Ritchie were also present.
Then-Prime Minister David Cameron attended with his wife Samantha, while Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and former British Prime Minister Sir John Major were among the political figures invited.
Global Audience and Personal Reflections
Huge crowds gathered along the procession route, where speakers allowed those outside to follow the service. Hundreds of millions of people were estimated to have watched the wedding across the globe.
Reflecting on the occasion the following year, Beckham described how much the invitation had meant to him. "We had to pinch ourselves when we got the invite. I’ve become friends with Prince William and Harry as well. We was brought up to love the Royal Family and when Princess Di was around, the love for her was incredible. The Royal Wedding gave our country a huge lift."
Renewed Attention on Royal Ties
The revelations come amid renewed attention on the Beckhams' relationship with the Royal Family following reports that King Charles was left "seismic with rage" after David and Victoria accepted an invitation from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for their daughter Harper's sixth birthday in 2017.
The invitation was seemingly extended by Andrew's former wife, Sarah Ferguson. David subsequently shared photographs from the celebrations, including images of Harper and her friends in the palace's private quadrangle.
Princess Eugenie was pictured crouching alongside the children, who were dressed as princesses, while Victoria was away on fashion commitments. She later shared a picture of Harper wearing a Princess Elsa costume from Frozen, captioning it: "Our little birthday princess x Kisses."
Former Queen's press secretary Dickie Arbiter criticised the decision to share the photographs, claiming the Beckhams had "no right to be there". He also questioned: "Is it [Buckingham Palace] being opened up as a theme park?"
He added: "It devalues what the place is all about. Why do the Beckhams get special treatment?"
The backlash was reportedly felt within the Royal Family too. A Palace insider claimed the social media posts amounted to a "serious breach of protocol", adding: "Prince Charles is apparently seismic with rage and this will only deepen his feud with Prince Andrew."
The same source claimed: "Photos are absolutely not allowed in the Buckingham Palace quadrangle." The source also alleged: "Prince William will not be amused."
David later appeared to clarify that Buckingham Palace had not been specially opened for Harper's birthday, amid the criticism surrounding the celebrations.
