Latest news with #MarkHedges
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
David Beckham is going country, as the rich and famous tend to do
If every picture tells a story, a recent photograph of David Beckham introduces an intriguing new chapter in the gilded epic that is the tale of Posh and Becks. Taken by Victoria Beckham at the couple's Oxfordshire home, the snap shows Sir David – as he will now be known – in rustic brown cords, grass-green jumper and tweed cap, standing amid a flowery meadow and leaning on an antler-topped walking stick in a pose often adopted by the King. Behind him, a landscape of fields and hedges rolls away to the horizon. The image appeared in Country Life magazine, accompanying an announcement that Beckham will guest-edit the October 22nd edition of the publication (which is, apparently, his favourite reading). 'He reads every issue from cover to cover, and it's been a great companion to him as he's developed his own life in the countryside,' said the editor-in-chief, Mark Hedges. The retreat from the glittering prizes of worldly ambition to rustic simplicity has been a theme of authors since Horace and Virgil. But the idylls of pastoral literature are one thing; the reality of country life quite another. Admittedly the pretty landscape around Chipping Norton, where the Beckhams have their country house, has long been transformed into a kind of 'urbs in rure' theme park for celebrities, replete with every comfort the sophisticated urban heart could desire. Yet the question remains, what is it about the countryside that seems irresistible to the rich and famous? I suppose we have William the Conqueror's pragmatic habit of exchanging land and titles for fealty to thank for the enduring conflation of status with rolling acres. But by the mid-20th century, the days of the great country houses seemed all but over. The V&A's 1974 exhibition, The Destruction of the Country House, chronicled the demolition of 1,000 historic piles in the preceding century. Yet even as the Palladian facades fell to the wrecking ball, their Arcadian myth, epitomised in Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited, persisted. In the 1980s Ann Barr and Peter York caught the zeitgeist of the shires with The Sloane Ranger Handbook, which affectionately satirised the Henrys and Carolines of SW3, with their padded gilets, their dogged attachment to the countryside and their unshakeable conviction that staying in town at weekends was social death. The Sloanes are long gone, though their legacy lingers in the form of the homespun fashion choices of the nouveaux rustics. (It is tempting to imagine a portrait – perhaps in the guest-edited issue of Country Life – of the Beckhams as Gainsborough's Mr and Mrs Andrews, he in no-nonsense outdoor garb, she in something billowy with magnificently impractical shoes.) David Beckham's embrace of the rural life and his long-awaited knighthood may even bring us full circle to William the Conqueror and the judicious bestowing of honours. Sir David embodies many of the modern chivalric virtues: he is (as we learnt from the Beckhams' Netflix docu-series) uxorious, funny and exceptionally tidy. At the late Queen Elizabeth's lying-in-state he combined low-key patriotism with a talent for extreme queuing and timely snacks. He seems to cultivate bees, chickens and roses with something of the intensity that he brought to football. And now there is a patch of Albion that he calls his own. Et in Arcadia, Sir David?
BreakingNews.ie
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
David Beckham to guest edit edition of Country Life Magazine
David Beckham will guest edit an edition of Country Life Magazine to mark his 50th birthday year. The former England captain and businessman will join the editorial team for the October 22nd edition of the magazine with the aim of celebrating what the countryside means to him and his family. Advertisement He follows in the footsteps of British royal family members who previously joined the editor-in chief Mark Hedges at the helm, including King Charles, Princess Anne and Queen Camilla. David Beckham and Mark Hedges (Editor-in-Chief of Country Life Magazine) photographed at RHS Chelsea Flower Show (Courtney Hockley/Country Life magazine/PA) Beckham said: 'I am honoured to have been invited to guest edit an edition of a magazine that I have always admired and read. 'I am really looking forward to working with the editorial team to produce an issue that will celebrate what the countryside and the great British landscape means to me and my family.' This comes as Beckham is to be awarded a knighthood in the Charles' Birthday Honours, according to reports by The Sun. Advertisement The football star regularly documents his life in the countryside by posting pictures and videos on his Instagram including him harvesting vegetables, gardening and his flock of chickens. Mark Hedges, Country Life editor-in-chief, said: 'I know he has a deep love of the countryside, which has grown since he retired as a professional footballer, although he is, of course, still extremely busy as a businessman and an ambassador for a host of causes, such as Unicef and The King's Foundation, as well as being co-owner of Inter Miami CF in the US and Salford City Football Club in the UK. David Beckham turns 50 this year (Victoria Jones/PA) 'As someone who is passionate about the countryside, I'm excited to see what his special commemorative issue will bring.' The one-off edition aims to highlight how the countryside has played an important part in Beckham's life. Advertisement It will feature his favourite view, his best-loved recipe and spotlight his rural champions, including the craftsmen and woman who helped shape his home in the Cotswolds. Beckham, who played for his country 115 times, is the only Englishman to score at three different World Cups and his career included the treble-winning campaign of 1998-99, when Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. He earned the third highest number of England caps of all time for the men's team, and was captain on 59 occasions. The former winger married Spice Girl Victoria, also known as Posh Spice, in 1999. Advertisement
Leader Live
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
David Beckham to guest edit edition of Country Life Magazine
The former England captain and businessman will join the editorial team for the October 22 edition of the magazine with the aim of celebrating what the countryside means to him and his family. He follows in the footsteps of Royal Family members who previously joined the editor-in chief Mark Hedges at the helm, including the King, the Princess Royal and the Queen. Beckham said: 'I am honoured to have been invited to guest edit an edition of a magazine that I have always admired and read. 'I am really looking forward to working with the editorial team to produce an issue that will celebrate what the countryside and the great British landscape means to me and my family.' This comes as Beckham is to be awarded a knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours, according to reports by The Sun. The football star regularly documents his life in the countryside by posting pictures and videos on his Instagram including him harvesting vegetables, gardening and his flock of chickens. Mark Hedges, Country Life editor-in-chief, said: 'I know he has a deep love of the countryside, which has grown since he retired as a professional footballer, although he is, of course, still extremely busy as a businessman and an ambassador for a host of causes, such as Unicef and The King's Foundation, as well as being co-owner of Inter Miami CF in the US and Salford City Football Club in the UK. 'As someone who is passionate about the countryside, I'm excited to see what his special commemorative issue will bring.' The one-off edition aims to highlight how the countryside has played an important part in Beckham's life. It will feature his favourite view, his best-loved recipe and spotlight his rural champions, including the craftsmen and woman who helped shape his home in the Cotswolds. Beckham, who played for his country 115 times, is the only Englishman to score at three different World Cups and his career included the treble-winning campaign of 1998-99, when Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. He earned the third highest number of England caps of all time for the men's team, and was captain on 59 occasions. The former winger married Spice Girl Victoria, also known as Posh Spice, in 1999.
South Wales Guardian
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
David Beckham to guest edit edition of Country Life Magazine
The former England captain and businessman will join the editorial team for the October 22 edition of the magazine with the aim of celebrating what the countryside means to him and his family. He follows in the footsteps of Royal Family members who previously joined the editor-in chief Mark Hedges at the helm, including the King, the Princess Royal and the Queen. Beckham said: 'I am honoured to have been invited to guest edit an edition of a magazine that I have always admired and read. 'I am really looking forward to working with the editorial team to produce an issue that will celebrate what the countryside and the great British landscape means to me and my family.' This comes as Beckham is to be awarded a knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours, according to reports by The Sun. The football star regularly documents his life in the countryside by posting pictures and videos on his Instagram including him harvesting vegetables, gardening and his flock of chickens. Mark Hedges, Country Life editor-in-chief, said: 'I know he has a deep love of the countryside, which has grown since he retired as a professional footballer, although he is, of course, still extremely busy as a businessman and an ambassador for a host of causes, such as Unicef and The King's Foundation, as well as being co-owner of Inter Miami CF in the US and Salford City Football Club in the UK. 'As someone who is passionate about the countryside, I'm excited to see what his special commemorative issue will bring.' The one-off edition aims to highlight how the countryside has played an important part in Beckham's life. It will feature his favourite view, his best-loved recipe and spotlight his rural champions, including the craftsmen and woman who helped shape his home in the Cotswolds. Beckham, who played for his country 115 times, is the only Englishman to score at three different World Cups and his career included the treble-winning campaign of 1998-99, when Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. He earned the third highest number of England caps of all time for the men's team, and was captain on 59 occasions. The former winger married Spice Girl Victoria, also known as Posh Spice, in 1999.
Glasgow Times
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
David Beckham to guest edit edition of Country Life Magazine
The former England captain and businessman will join the editorial team for the October 22 edition of the magazine with the aim of celebrating what the countryside means to him and his family. He follows in the footsteps of Royal Family members who previously joined the editor-in chief Mark Hedges at the helm, including the King, the Princess Royal and the Queen. David Beckham and Mark Hedges (Editor-in-Chief of Country Life Magazine) photographed at RHS Chelsea Flower Show (Courtney Hockley/Country Life magazine/PA) Beckham said: 'I am honoured to have been invited to guest edit an edition of a magazine that I have always admired and read. 'I am really looking forward to working with the editorial team to produce an issue that will celebrate what the countryside and the great British landscape means to me and my family.' This comes as Beckham is to be awarded a knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours, according to reports by The Sun. The football star regularly documents his life in the countryside by posting pictures and videos on his Instagram including him harvesting vegetables, gardening and his flock of chickens. Mark Hedges, Country Life editor-in-chief, said: 'I know he has a deep love of the countryside, which has grown since he retired as a professional footballer, although he is, of course, still extremely busy as a businessman and an ambassador for a host of causes, such as Unicef and The King's Foundation, as well as being co-owner of Inter Miami CF in the US and Salford City Football Club in the UK. David Beckham turns 50 this year (Victoria Jones/PA) 'As someone who is passionate about the countryside, I'm excited to see what his special commemorative issue will bring.' The one-off edition aims to highlight how the countryside has played an important part in Beckham's life. It will feature his favourite view, his best-loved recipe and spotlight his rural champions, including the craftsmen and woman who helped shape his home in the Cotswolds. Beckham, who played for his country 115 times, is the only Englishman to score at three different World Cups and his career included the treble-winning campaign of 1998-99, when Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. He earned the third highest number of England caps of all time for the men's team, and was captain on 59 occasions. The former winger married Spice Girl Victoria, also known as Posh Spice, in 1999.
