David Beckham and Prince William: when two legendary Brits team up, things are bound to get royal AND sporty.
On Tuesday (Oct. 1), the world witnessed a rare sight: a retired soccer superstar and a future king standing side by side, not in a football stadium or palace, but at RAF Northolt in Ruislip, England, to inspect… helicopters. Yes, you read that right. Not Aston Martins, not gold-plated chariots, but shiny, life-saving, whirly-bird machines.
The 49-year-old Beckham, who has swapped scoring goals for modeling underwear and making sure his hair looks like it was sculpted by the gods, teamed up with the 42-year-old Duke of Cambridge, Prince William—whose day job involves, you know, preparing to rule a kingdom or two. Together, they made the helicopter scene look like the hottest spot in town.
They strutted around two brand-spanking-new H135 helicopters like they were checking out the latest designer gadgets, because what’s cooler than a helicopter that saves lives, right? These babies are the crown jewels of the London Air Ambulance Charity, and if helicopters had feelings, they’d definitely feel like royalty just for being in their presence.
The two pals also mingled with the actual heroes—medical and pilot crews—while trying their best not to mess anything up (David might’ve been tempted to kick something into the goal, but he resisted). William, being the humble chap he is, happens to be the patron of this life-saving operation, so he acted like he owned the place. Because, well, he kinda does.
And let’s not forget, this visit was to celebrate the grand finale of the three-year “Up Against Time” campaign, which isn’t some new Netflix thriller, but a fundraising appeal that raked in a casual £16 million to buy these helicopters. These whirling wonders will zip around London, saving the day like flying superheroes—but British and much more polite.
This outing also marked William’s return to royal duties after his well-deserved summer vacay with the ultimate royal squad: his wife Kate and their little heirs. But who wouldn’t want to come back to work when it involves hanging out with Beckham and inspecting helicopters? They were practically an action duo. Move over, Batman and Robin.
David and William: saving lives, inspecting helicopters, and making middle-aged men look cool since forever.
