How shameless David Beckham grovelled to the Queen in desperate bid to get a knighthood and said he was a ‘new Audrey Hepburn’ on Instagram
SHAMELESS David Beckham posted a stream of grovelling messages to the Queen in a desperate attempt to win a knighthood.
The star used his hugely popular Instagram page to woo the establishment.
A source said: “It’s incredible to see the lengths he went to.”
The gong-obsessed footballer spent 18 months toadying to the Queen as part of a campaign to woo the Honours Committee.
The England ace, 41, also likened himself to Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn and even intervened in the Scottish independence referendum.
It has emerged his Instagram account, with 37.2million followers, was repeatedly used to help push his claims for a knighthood.
But leaked emails have since revealed he dubbed the Honours Committee “unappreciative c***s” after being overlooked.
A source revealed: “It’s incredible to see the lengths David and his team went to present him in the right light.
“His every public move was being orchestrated to appeal to the committee but now the whole process has been exposed.”
Beckham’s account has pictured the Queen five times in 18 months, more than any other woman besides relatives.
Her photo accompanied two fawning messages last year for each of her birthdays.
On the actual birth date of April 21, Beckham wrote: “Happy birthday your majesty. GB.”
And he gushed on her official celebration of June 11: “Happy Birthday your majesty…So proud to have a queen that does everything for the love of our country GB.”
Beckham has also posted from events at Buckingham Palace, including a picture of him shaking the monarch’s hand at the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards in 2016.
He wrote: “I was so honored (sic) to meet The Queen and some inspiring young people yesterday at Buckingham Palace.”
When she became the longest-serving monarch the previous September, he posted a picture of him sitting next to her while hailing her “truly incredible achievement”.
He added: “She embodies all of what is great about our country and we are fortunate to have her.
“Long may it continue.”
But the ex-England skipper missed out on a gong in last year’s New Year’s honours list.
Undeterred, he posted a string of photos of his charitable activities with Unicef and in December he compared himself to actress and humanitarian Hepburn.
Alongside an image of the late star, he wrote: “Becoming a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador like Audrey Hepburn was one of the proudest moments of my life.”
He also uploaded images for St George’s Day and called on the nation to remain in the EU, the position backed by David Cameron’s government.
That was not his first political attempt to please the establishment.
Emails show he was persuaded by his PR man Simon Olivera to back Scotland’s bid to stay in the UK in 2014.
He wrote to Beckham: “I also think your support will play well with establishment and in turn help your knighthood.”
Beckham replied: “OK let’s do it.”
A statement was then released just days before the referendum which said: “What unites us is greater than what divides us.
“Let’s stay together.”
The Beckileaks controversy began last weekend when damning email exchanges between Beckham and his advisors circulated across major European media outlets.
The emails, dating back to 2013, revealed his fury at not being made a Sir.
He wrote to an aide after the Honours Committee omitted him from their list of knighthoods in 2013: “They’re a bunch of c***s.
“I expected nothing less.”
The emails have suggested Beckham did not have direct control over his Instagram account, with the posts likely written by advisers.
But a source close to the star insisted: “David personally runs his Instagram account.
“You can tell by the way it is written.
“He has not done so in return for a knighthood.
"David is an ambassador for The Queen’s Young Leaders programme.
"Naturally he would be asked by their team to post on his social media about his visit and inspiring young people.
“It helps their worthy cause.
“He along with many people would have posted a Happy Birthday Message for Her Majesty.”
Beckham was pictured in London, while wife Victoria was in New York for a forthcoming catwalk show.
Beckham’s sister Joanne posted a pic of him accompanied by a string of supportive slogans, including “my inspiration”.
Beckham’s reps say the emails are hacked and stolen and give a deliberately inaccurate picture.