
Victoria Beckham and her husband David hid beneath a sheet in the back of a car as she made her way to Buckingham Palace to receive an OBE for her contribution to fashion from the Duke of Cambridge.

The Spice Girl turned fashion designer, who celebrated her 43rd birthday on Monday, received the award on Wednesday - more than 13 years after her husband, former England captain David Beckham, was granted the same title for his services to football.

Victoria was seen being driven through the gates of the palace but in an attempt to make their entrance as inconspicuous as possible, the pair shielded themselves beneath a sheet while her proud mother Jackie and dad Tony followed behind, waving at the crowds.

The couple also declined having official pictures outside after Victoria rec­eived her gong from Prince William.

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David Beckham could be seen hiding beneath a sheet in the back of the car as it arrived at Buckingham Palace

Big honour: Victoria Beckham received her OBE from the Duke of Cambridge at London's Buckingham Palace on Wednesday

Pride: After the event, she stepped out with husband David Beckham, who beamed with pride as she held her coveted award

The former pop star received her honour from the Duke of Cambridge in recognition of her 17-year career in the fashion industry that has seen her become one of the biggest names in the business.

Mrs Beckham wore a floor-length black dress and high purple heels and looked chirpy as she waited to go into the ceremony.

The 43-year-old said afterwards: 'It was an absolute pleasure to be at Buckingham Palace today. I'm proud to be British, honoured and humbled to receive my OBE from the Duke of Cambridge.

'If you dream big and work hard you can accomplish great things. I'm so happy to share this very special occasion with my parents and husband; without their love and support, none of this would be possible.'

Stepping out in style: The former Spice Girl, now a successful fashion designer, looked elegant in a flowing back dress

Special guests: A host of invited guests looked on as the mother-of-four briefly chatted with the second in line to the throne

Delighted: Sources told MailOnline before Christmas that Victoria, 42, was 'delighted and humbled for the recognition'

Proud offspring: While Victoria was not accompanied by her four children - sons Brooklyn, 18, Romeo, 14, and Cruz, 12, along with five-year-old daughter Harper - Romeo shared a sweet message for his mother on Instagram ahead of her big day

It's a beautiful day: After her big day at the Buckingham Palace, Victoria took to Twitter to share a shot of herself posing on the grounds, alongside the caption, 'Wonderful day celebrating with my beautiful family'

While Victoria was not accompanied by her four children - sons Brooklyn, 18, Romeo, 14, and Cruz, 12, along with five-year-old daughter Harper - Romeo shared a sweet message for his mother on Instagram ahead of her big day.

'Mum, I love u so much and hope you have the best day ever!! You are the most amazing mum and you are perfect In every way. I love how you make me laugh every day and whatever happens you always seem to be happy. I love you to the moon and back xx have the best day ever !!' the teen wrote.

Sources close to the family told MailOnline before Christmas that Victoria, 42, was 'delighted and humbled for the recognition'.

Victoria told her family during the festive period, when it is understood that they retreated for a private family break in the Maldives.

Strike a pose: The star was joined by her beaming husband as she posed for a series of official post-ceremony snapshots

Dapper gent: Victoria's husband David was spotted outside Buckingham Palace looking dapper in a tailored grey suit

Lap of luxury: A bodyguard was seen ushering the former Manchester United footballer from a gleaming black Rolls Royce

Modest beginnings: Victoria's fashion line made a modest debut at New York Fashion Week in September 2008, showing 10 dresses which received extremely high praise

The thigh's the limit: While the singer-turned-designer's dress was demure at first sight, it featured a daring thigh-high slit

Accolades: Victoria's fashion line has won many awards, receiving the Best Brand accolade at the British Fashion Awards in both 2011 and 2014

The insider revealed: 'Victoria is incredibly proud of the fashion brand she has built and ever thankful for her amazing team.'

Having transferred her skills from singing to designing, former Spice Girl Victoria is recognised for her work in fashion, most notably her eponymous clothes label and its secondary diffusion line Victoria, Victoria Beckham.

But we're told she is especially pleased to be receiving the 'Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' honour for her humanitarian work.

Elegant: While a number of attendees on the day wore elaborate hats and fascinators, Victoria opted for an elegant chingnon

Stubble: David, meanwhile, wore his hair slicked back, keeping his trademark stubble in check with a neatening trim

Award winner: A nod to her increasing success, Victoria was also nominated for the prestigious Womenswear Designer of the Year gong in 2016

A hit with fellow celebrities: Famous fans of Victoria's fashion brand include Gwyneth Paltrow, Claire Danes, Sienna Miller, Blake Lively, and close personal friend Eva Longoria

Bags of style: The Hertfordshire-rasied star toted a black pillbox style leather handbag as she made her exit from the palace

Heels: The star stood tall in a pair of claret red suede heels as she made her way through the hallowed grounds of the palace

Usher: After the event, she was ushered into a waiting chauffeur-driven car ahead of undoubted celebrations over her honour

The source continued: 'She is especially thrilled that her philanthropic work as a UNAIDS goodwill ambassador, creating a voice and awareness for women with HIV that suffer prejudice and discrimination has been recognised in this way.'

Victoria's fashion line made a modest debut at New York Fashion Week in September 2008, showing 10 dresses which received extremely high praise.

It has won many awards, receiving the Best Brand accolade at the British Fashion Awards in both 2011 and 2014.

A nod to her increasing success, Victoria was also nominated for the prestigious Womenswear Designer of the Year gong in 2016.

Big day: Victoria was seen arriving with her family at Buckingham Palace, ahead of the highly-anticipated ceremony

Proud dad: David was see dressed in a smart white shirt and tie as he joined his wife at her ceremony, 13 years after receiving his own OBE for services to football

Family's here: Victoria's mum Jackie Adams was seen arriving at the palace with her famous daughter, dressed in a smart black dress

Drawing a crowd: Fans and tourists were waiting at the gates as the Beckhams' fleet of cars arrived

Making memories: The fashion designer's dad Tony captured the drive on his phone as crowds turned out to catch a glimpse of Victoria and her famous family

Grand occasion: Fans tried to get a glimpse of the family as they pulled inside the famous palace gates

Famous fans of the label include Gwyneth Paltrow, Claire Danes, Sienna Miller, Blake Lively, and not forgetting close personal friend Eva Longoria.

The fashion brand expanded tremendously in 2014, doubling the work force - to what stands at around 150, now - and reportedly taking home £34million turnover.

Victoria opened her flagship store in London that year, on Dover Street, and followed it up with a store in Hong Kong in 2016.

The star has focused her career on fashion since splitting with the Spice Girls in 2000. Then Victoria Adams, the fashion designer was one fifth of the best-selling female pop group of all time in the nineties.

Big moment: Jessica Ennis-Hill was also at Buckingham Palace, where she was made a Dame Commander by the Duke

Beaming with pride: After receiving her CBE at the investiture ceremony, she posed with her doting husband Andy Hill

Decorated: The heptathlete won gold at the 2012 London Olympics and silver at the Rio de Janeiro games before retiring

Bundle of joy: The retired Olympian announced in March that she and her husband are expecting their second child

The group was formed in 1994 with Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice), Melanie Brown (Scary Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) and Geri Horner nee Halliwell (Ginger Spice) but eventually split when Geri left in 2000.

Despite reuniting with the girls in 2007 and again in 2010, Victoria decided not to join the 20th anniversary, citing her focus as 'very much' on her family and fashion business.

So focused is she on her brand and family, Victoria revealed in an interview with ELLE Magazine this week that she struggles to find the time to see her friends.

'I am never, ever lonely. I don't have a lot of friends, but I'm surrounded by people I genuinely like to be with,' she explained, adding that she has only remained in contact with five people from her childhood but she struggles to find the time to see them.

Knighted: Sir Mark Rylance posed with his wife Claire van Kampen and her daughter Juliet after he was knighted

Sharp dresser: The actor, theatre director and playwright caught the eye in a navy patterned waistcoat and taupe hat

A date with ryalty: Olympian Sir Lee Pearson was also on hand to receive a knighthood from the Duke of Cambridge

Going for gold: He is an 11-times Paralympic gold medallist, who has represented the British para-equestrianism at games in Sydney, Athens, Beijing and London

Recognition: (L-R) Paralympic cyclist Jody Cundy and artist Christopher Ofili received an OBE and a CBE, respectively

Lap of honour: Swimmer Bethany Firth after she was awarded an MBE by the Duke of Cambridge at the star-studded event

The 43-year-old, who released her first collaboration with US store Target earlier this month, said: 'I'm very close to my sister and a friend I went to school with, and then three or four others.

'I think a true friend understands that you can't see them as much as you might want, because they're busy as well. Everyone I'm friends with has a career and a family.'

Victoria's husband-of-17-years David received his OBE at Buckingham Palace in 2003 for services to football, with Victoria by his side.

Speaking last year for the documentary Our Queen At Ninety, the former sportsman said it remains one of his proudest moment.

Hanging out: As Victoria received her OBE, her eldest son Brooklyn, 18, was seen hanging out with his pals in north London

By his side: Thirteen years after she was by her former footballer husband David's side during his own OBE experience, the fashion designer has been honoured for her own work

Well-honoured family: Victoria's husband-of-17-years David received his OBE at Buckingham Palace in 2003 for services to football, with Victoria by his side

'Collecting my OBE was one of the proudest moments,' he told the documentary-makers.

'That day was special for me because I brought my grandparents with me, it made me proud that I could bring them to somewhere that they worshipped for their whole lives.

He added: 'Meeting the Queen, it doesn't get better than that. You can feel the emotion, I can personally feel the emotion, because I just love everything about our Queen and what she represents.

'We all look for role models, we all look for leaders. I'm privileged and proud that we have the number one leader.'

Passion: Victoria has turned her back on her pop beginnings to focus on her passion for fashion over the past ten years, recently launching her first low-price line with Target

Pop roots: The star has focused her career on fashion since splitting with the Spice Girls in 2000. Then Victoria Adams, the fashion designer was one fifth of the best-selling female pop group of all time in the nineties alongside Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) Geri Horner nee Halliwell (Ginger Spice) and Melanie Brown (Scary Spice)

Despite his gushing comments, David became embroiled in an email hacking scandal in February, surrounding his honour.

Emails leaked suggested Beckham hoped his Unicef campaign would help win him a knighthood. However, when he failed to receive one, he branded members of the honours committee 'unappreciative c****'.

The former England captain dismissed lower awards, ranting: 'Unless it's a knighthood f*** off'.

According to the revelations, the Honours Committee had already agreed that Beckham's nomination – almost certainly proposed by his PR advisers – was well 'merited' before a routine check of his tax affairs.

The first family of fashion: The family (from left, Brooklyn, Cruz, Victoria, Romeo, Harper and David) are well-respected within the fashion circles, joining fashion royalty Anna Wintour (right) here on the front row for Burberry's London in Los Angeles event

Acclaimed: Victoria's fashion line has won many awards, receiving the Best Brand accolade at the British Fashion Awards in both 2011 and 2014

The leaked emails also include a number of bombshells and series of sweary-rants and may even have been used as part of a £1million blackmail plot.

In one message the ex-England captain allegedly claims singer Katherine Jenkins, 36, got an OBE for 'singing at the rugby and going to see the troops plus taking coke. F*****g joke'.

A representative for the star dismissed the contents of the messages as 'outdated material taken out of context from hacked and doctored private emails from a third-party server'.

Meanwhile, Victoria and David's four children are already following their parents into fame and fashion.

Giving back: Victoria is said to be especially pleased to be receiving the 'Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' honour for her humanitarian work

Last week, according to intellectual property office records, Victoria registered her five-year-old's daughter's name for use in a range of branded products, including make-up, toys and clothing.

The Harper Beckham trademark has also been registered for use in the entertainment industry should Harper wish to replicate her mother's career as a pop star.

Mrs Beckham has also signed up the names of sons Brooklyn, 18, Romeo, 14, and Cruz, 12, to the UK's Intellectual Property Office and the EU-wide office.

Well respected: Back in the day: Victoria established her fashion friendships early (here, rubbing shoulders with the director of fashion house Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, in 2007)

It means the children are now officially part of Brand Beckham – David Beckham registered his name in 2000 while Victoria trademarked her name in 2002.

In recent years, the couple, worth around £500million, have allowed their children to capitalise on the Beckham brand.

Brooklyn, their eldest child, is managed by his father's agent Simon Oliveira and has done a number of lucrative modelling shoots.

Rubbing shoulders: She is also particularly close to British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman (left, with Victoria and Anna in September 2016) even being asked to do a cameo in the documentary Absolutely Fashion: Inside British Vogue

In 2014, his younger brother Romeo fronted Burberry's Christmas campaign having first started modelling for the luxury fashion house at the age of 10.

Last year, the youngest brother Cruz launched his pop career with the release of a charity Christmas single.

Heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill was also made a dame during Wednesday's ceremony, while Academy and Tony award-winning actor Mark Rylance was knighted for his services to theatre.

Paralympic swimmer Bethany Firth, who won three golds and one silver in the pool at the Rio Olympics last year, was recognised with an MBE, as was master craftsman Tom Young, who has been glassblowing for more than 60 years.