David Beckham is besieged by fans as he leads the Centre Court stars for day one of Wimbledon – before joining Katherine Jenkins and her husband Andrew Levitas in the Royal Box following OBE drama

England might be through to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, but former skipper David Beckham had other concerns as he arrived in south-west London on Monday afternoon. 

The former footballer, 49, who amassed 115 England caps during an illustrious playing career, was on hand to watch Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz take on Estonia’s Mark Lajal during day one Wimbledon. 

And ever the doting son, he brought along his mother Sandra to the star-studded event, with the pair landing seats in the prestigious Royal Box on Centre Court for the first round match.

They were joined by plenty of VIPs on the outing, including the likes of Jamie Cullum and Alexander Armstrong, while rubbing shoulders with Katherine Jenkins following his past criticism of her OBE. 

The singer, 44, looked stylish as she joined husband Andrew Levitas in the box, sitting directly behind Beckham.

But the pair were not pictured interacting, seven years after their infamous OBE drama where Beckham was alleged to have slammed the Welsh star in a series of leaked emails, including one to his PR manager.

Published in February 2017, one was alleged to have said: ‘Katherine Jenkins OBE for what? Singing at the rugby and going to see the troops plus taking coke. F****** joke.’

The opera star was awarded an OBE in 2014 for services to various charities and her journeying to war zones to entertain the troops. 

The hacked emails also suggested allegations surrounding Beckham’s stance in the Scottish referendum and investing in loss-making companies to reduce his tax bill.

His representatives dismissed the claims, stating that the emails had been ‘hacked and doctored’ from a private account.

A spokesperson said: ‘This story is based on outdated material taken out of context from hacked and doctored private emails from a third party server and gives a deliberately inaccurate picture.’

In 2018, Jenkins claimed she was still waiting for an apology from the sports star for the shock comments.

She said she has no reason to feel anything but proud of her achievements, saying: ‘You’re just minding your own business and you get caught up in this massive storm. 

‘You just think, ”Aw, I wasn’t doing anything”. To get caught up in that wasn’t pleasant. I don’t know why, again, that was aimed at me.’

‘I also don’t feel the need to defend this, by the way. I know what I’ve done and when I got the OBE it was given to me for music, and for charity’.

When asked whether she was angry with Beckham for his alleged comments, she added: ‘It’s obviously disappointing. I’ve never heard anything from them about it.’

But, while he may have wanted to avoid Jenkins, Beckham was happy to take the opportunity to chat to national treasure David Attenborough, 98, before the pair took to their seats.
The football star was later seen stopping to pose for photos with fans including a thrilled young boy. 
Beckham’s outing comes just weeks after he won official recognition from the King by becoming an ambassador for his charity.

As his appointment was announced, the former England captain said he was ‘excited’ to have been chosen for the prestigious role at the King’s Foundation, following a meeting with the King at his beloved Highgrove Estate.

He is the first ambassador to be named by the charity since Charles was crowned, and the move is certain to increase speculation that Beckham’s long-held dream of a knighthood could finally become reality.

Speaking about his new role, Beckham said: ‘I’m excited to be working with the King’s Foundation and to have the opportunity to help raise awareness of the charity’s work.

‘I’ve always been keen to help young people to expand their horizons and I’m particularly looking forward to supporting the foundation’s education programmes and its efforts to ensure young people have greater access to nature.’

The foundation, established in 1986 when Charles was Prince of Wales, is run from Dumfries House in Scotland. It aims to support ‘sustainable communities’ and spearheads education courses for young people, often with a focus on rural skills. 

As ambassador, Beckham will promote awareness of the charity by supporting campaigns and attending events, including the upcoming King’s Foundation Awards. 

Yet Beckham was more focused on his other passion: sport, as he attended day one of Wimbledon. 

He was seen for the first time wearing a luxury Hugo Boss suit after signing a mega deal to be its global ambassador.

Beckham arrived at the tennis contest dressed in a bespoke Boss beige, full canvas, single-breasted suit which he matched with a blue, cotton shirt.

He accessorised his outfit with a pair of sunglasses from his own DB Eyewear range.

He and Sandra have been invited to sit in the Royal Box where he will watch British star Emma Radacanu play her first game in two years at the tournament when she takes on Russian wildcard Ekaterina Alexandrova. 

Later he will watch Spanish superstar Carlos Alcaraz take on qualifier Mark Lajal, the World 262.

Beckham was joined at the first day of Wimbledon by a slew of other famous faces, including Lucy Boynton, who showed off her bright pink hair.

The actress, 30, recently swapped her blonde locks for a bold new hairdo and looked chic in a floral gold and white mini dress with a stylish black and white bag and sunnies.

While Pixie Lott flashed her abs in a stylish white co-ord as she attended the annual event with husband Oliver Cheshire.

Kicking off day one of the two-week tournament, the singer, 33, displayed her slim frame and toned legs in the chic two-piece with statement silver buttons.

Oliver, 36, looked dapper in a knitted blue sweatshirt and matching linen trousers, teamed with brown shoes.

Lott, who shares a son Albert Charles with her beloved husband, accessorised her outfit with a Aspinal of London handbag.

Poppy Delevingne looked effortlessly chic in an off-white suit as she attended celebrity-filled event with her father Charles.

The socialite, 38, cut a glamorous figure wearing a tailored blazer and balloon trousers, teamed with a low-cut white shirt.

She showcased her ample cleavage in the revealing unbuttoned shirt as she linked arms with her property developer father.

The older sister of Cara Delevingne teamed her look with a chic tan leather handbag and shielded her shoulders with stylish sunglasses.

Also in attendance, Cliff Richard appeared in great spirits as he held up a peace sign inside the courtyards. 

The singer, 83, looked dapper in a multi-blue checkered blazer and navy trousers with a red rose pin. 

Myleene Klass put on a stylish display in a classic white waistcoat, trousers and matching blazer as she struck a pose inside the venue. 

And singer James Blunt, 50, cut a causal display in denim jeans and a pale blue blazer as he was seen inside the event.

The hitmaker joined his gorgeous wife Sofia Wellesley, 40, as they posed for a photo with close pal Kirsty Gallacher, 48, at the tournament. 

James Bay, 33, was all smiles as he roamed around the complex in a dapper ensemble, paired with a purple blazer. 

Giving a royal air to the match, Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark was also in attendance, sitting alongside Delevingne. 

ITV beauties Lorraine Kelly and Alison Hammond looked exceptional as they attended the exciting event together. 

Scottish star Kelly, 64, wore a gorgeous blue floral dress as she posed for a photo with Klass and Steph McGovern while they were hosted by Champagne Lanson.

And This Morning host Hammond, 49, cut a glamorous display in a black and white polka dot dress and shielded her head from the sun with a chic hat.

Former Made In Chelsea star Lucy Watson, 33, looked stylish in brown tailored trousers and a busty white blouse and blazer. 

Her fellow MIC alum Binky Felstead looked effortlessly stylish in a pinstripe tailored blue suit, while elevating her frame with heart shaped heels.

And their co-star Oliver Proudlock and his wife Emma Louise Connolly arrived at the tournament shortly after.

Bridgerton star Golda Rosheuvel put on a vibrant display in a red and white striped dress and slightly elevated her frame with chic mini heels. 

Rosheuvel attended the event with co-star Martins Imhange, who plays Will Mondrich in the steamy Netflix period drama, as guests of American Express. 

A friend of Beckham’s told MailOnline: ‘David and his mum look forward to their days out at Wimbledon, they try to go every year. 

‘It’s such a treat for the first day to see Emma Radacanu who David is a huge fan of, as well as Alcaraz.

‘David is so close to Sandra, they have the most special relationship and he always gets excited about this day but this year it is the first of many celebrations of the week.

‘David and Victoria have got some really touching things lined up for this week, it is going to be one of the most amazing of their lives.’

On Thursday, Beckham and his wife Victoria will mark their 25th anniversary with a series of celebrations – some with their four children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper – while others will be alone.

They wed on July 4 1999 in a star-studded ceremony at 15th-century Luttrellstown Castle near Dublin.

Posh and Becks, as they became known, sat on matching thrones and wore purple outfits at their nuptials.

They had eldest son Brooklyn at their side as he was just six months old and the flower girls were dressed as angels and the cake topped with a nearly nude sculpture of the newlyweds. 

It was announced last month that Beckham had signed the multi-million, multi-year deal with Hugo Boss – his latest in a number of lucrative ambassador deals. 

Earlier this year, he was unveiled as a face of Stella Artois and he is also paid to endorse Nespresso coffee. 

Speaking about his huge deal with fashion house Boss, Beckham said: ‘Over the last few years, I’ve been wanting to invest more time in design and fashion, but wanted to ensure I collaborated with a brand and team that could deliver something truly global and impactful.

‘I’ve really enjoyed the collaboration with BOSS so far and have been impressed by the team’s ambition, creativity, and desire for excellence. 

‘I look forward to sharing what we’ve been working on so far, including the Fall/Winter 2024 campaign as the first step in our long-term partnership.’