Which Celebrity Was Queen Elizabeth Thrilled To Meet?
Queen Elizabeth herself is, it's safe to say, one of the most famous people on the entire planet. In the course of a day, she may never even interact with anyone who isn't fairly high profile, at the least. In fact, being the person who delivers the fish to the lowliest of sous-chefs in the palace kitchens still confers a certain cachet, so even without intending to do so, the queen automatically sprinkles a tiny amount of her stardust on anyone who comes into her orbit.
That being said, she also has very frequent meet-and-greets with people who are well known in their own right, whether they be leaders of other nations or personalities from the entertainment or sports world. Over the course of her nearly seven decades on the throne, she's come into contact with just about everyone who's been anyone, including such near-legendary luminaries as Marilyn Monroe, Barbra Streisand, and The Beatles (via Vanity Fair). While she was undoubtedly cordial to all of these stars, as she is to nearly everyone she encounters, there have only been a few times where she's said to have been actually thrilled to meet someone famous. The first such encounter may have occurred in 2017, when, as Hello! shared, Elizabeth was introduced to a baby elephant who shares her name during a royal visit to Bedfordshire's Whipsnade Zoo. The second thrill-inducing encounter, however, took place the following year with a celebrity of the human kind.
Queen Elizabeth seems to like this former footballer more and more as the years go by
A 2018 tweet from InStyle shows a video clip where Queen Elizabeth is seen smiling from ear to ear as she meets with David Beckham. It's not the first time the two had met, as Vanity Fair noted a 2002 meeting where the former soccer star was still sporting his then-signature frosted tips as well as a bizarre white outfit adorned with a sequined Union Jack. Evidently the queen preferred the more mature, suit-wearing Beckham, as the earlier pic just shows her with her standard polite smile.
After that 2002 meeting, People reported that Beckham became somewhat of a regular at royal events. He attended royal weddings, participated in a 2015 charity soccer match attended by royals, and made several appearances at Buckingham Palace in support of the queen's Young Leaders. In fact, a 2016 photo (via People) of a similar event honoring the group Beckham described as "young people that have got really bright futures and aspirations to become great leaders" shows the queen looking pretty pleased to be meeting him on that occasion, as well. It may be that the one-time Manchester United star has been growing on his nation's sovereign over the years. Could there possibly be a "Sir David" in his future?