After David Beckham was accused of visiting the Queen while laying in state only for “exposure,” Dan Walker defended the former England captain.
After Beckham was seen standing in line with hundreds of other people on his way to Westminster Hall, his journey was extensively covered.
Even when an MP gave Becks the option to skip the line, he waited in the crowd for more than 13 hours to pay his respects to the Queen.
The 47-year-old Beckham was afterwards hailed on Twitter by a former BBC Breakfast presenter, who wrote: “Fair credit to David Beckham for joining the #queueforthequeue. 12 hours and more, it appears, to pay his respects.
Walker came out in favour of Beckham after one user used the chance to criticise the athlete.
The user tweeted, “Had to display his face didn’t he, any possibility of exposure.”
Dan, 45, responded in the meantime, saying, “Chris, talk to yourself.” Since this morning at 2 am, he has been there. He goes to the chippy in his pyjamas if he wants headlines.
However, some people supported Beckham on the social networking site and wrote: “Fair play to him.
Nice one, David, and thanks to everyone else who patiently awaited fame.
A different person said: “Well done to David Beckham and to Susannah Reid who both waited for hours to pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen while other so-called ‘celebrities’ skipped the line.”
‘Pity all other so-called celebs didn’t do the same,’ one more user tweeted.
Another person said, ‘Quite correct, since there is no reason why the people should treat celebrities any differently. Congrats, Becks.
Beckham, 47, joined mourners in the “Elizabeth line” at 2am while wearing a suit that concealed his renowned tattoos, a cap, and a Covid mask. For hours, he shuffled his way from Southwark Park to Westminster Hall without being seen by anybody.
Beckham seemed upset as he passed past the casket to pay his respects after waiting in line for 13 hours. At one point, he appeared to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye. He often interacted with the Queen while serving as England’s captain, and in 2003, she bestowed the OBE onto him.
Beckham said he and others around him, who originally assisted in keeping his secret, subsisted on a very unfootballerlike diet of “Pringles, sherbet lemons, sandwiches, coffee, and doughnuts.”
We all want to be present at this time. According to him, “something like this today is supposed to be shared together.” “We all want to participate in an event where we honour the extraordinary life of our Queen,” he told BBC News.
After noon, the former midfielder for Manchester United and Real Madrid eventually had his cover exposed as people started sharing the information on social media.
An MP, who is permitted to bring up to four visitors, had asked Beckham to see Her Majesty’s casket in order to bypass the line.
But he rejected, claiming that the offer would have disappointed his grandpa Joseph West, a devoted royalist whom the player has referred to as his “real-life idol.”
David could have skipped all the lines, but he preferred to blend in with the crowd, a source said. He said that neither he nor his grandfather would have skipped the line. He had been pondering the ideal time to go all week and eventually decided on this morning.
David was raised in an East End household that was a staunch supporter of the monarchy; these people would stand to attention when the national anthem played. Like every other member of the public, he desired to see the Queen.
Additionally, Beckham chose to wear a suit because he said that’s what his 83-year-old grandpa, who passed away in 2009, would have done.
“That was something that meant so much to us every time we stood there while wearing those Three Lion shirts and I had my armband and we sang God preserve our Queen. Beckham told reporters, “Every time we did it, it was something spectacular.
So this day was destined to be challenging. It’s challenging for the country and the entire world because, in my opinion, everyone is feeling it. Our thoughts are with the family and, obviously, with everyone present at this time. Because it’s unique to be here, to celebrate, and to hear everyone’s unique stories. I mistakenly believed that by arriving at two in the morning, it would be a little bit calmer.
“My OBE was probably the most memorable event for me,” she said. My wife was obviously there, too, and I also brought my grandparents, who were really responsible for bringing me up to be a huge royalist and fan of the Royal Family.
“I was so lucky that I was able to have a few moments like that in my life,” the speaker said. “To step up, to get my honour but then also Her Majesty, to ask questions, to talk.
We can all see how unique she was and the legacy she leaves behind thanks to the love that has been shown. Although it is a sad day, it is also a day for us to reflect on the incredible legacy she has left behind.
On his Instagram, he frequently expressed his love for her, and when she passed away last week, he wrote: “I’m truly saddened by Her Majesty, the Queen’s death. What a display of affection and respect for the Platinum Jubilee’s life of service we saw.
“The kind of grief we all feel tonight demonstrates how much she meant to people in our nation and throughout the globe. How much her leadership influenced us. How she helped us cope with difficult circumstances.
He said, “The knees are OK, it’s the back and the feet,” when asked how the standing in line had been on his knees.
Big respect to him, one lady who had been in line with Beckham told BBC News. I find it incredible that he stood with us and showed his respect in the way he desired.
Other famous people who stood in line included Susanna Reid, the host of Good Morning Britain, who waited more than seven hours with her mother to witness the Queen’s casket lying in state.
I just saw a historical moment that was both magnificent and tranquil, the 51-year-old presenter stated on Twitter.