Call him Sir Roderick from now on. In June 10, 2016, as part of her 90th birthday honors, Queen Elizabeth II bestowed knighthood upon rock singer and songwriter Rod Stewart. On October 11, 2016, the formal ceremony was held at London’s Buckingham Palace, as shown in this fabulous tweet by Stewart, shown dressed in tartan trousers while receiving the honors by Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge.
Absolutely mind-blowing. Deeply honoured to be Sir Roderick Stewart. – Rod xxx pic.twitter.com/KPBPlJ8D57
— Rod Stewart (@rodstewart) October 11, 2016
Hours after the ceremony, Stewart and wife Penny Alexander attended an awards ceremony with the Queen at London’s Royal Academy of Arts.
“I’ve led a wonderful life and have had a tremendous career thanks to the generous support of the great British public,” said Stewart, when the June announcement was made. “This monumental honor has topped it off and I couldn’t ask for anything more. I thank Her Majesty and promise to ‘wear it well’.”
Stewart has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and enjoyed such hits as “Maggie May,” “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright),” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and, as alluded to above, “You Wear It Well.” Also cited in his being knighted was Stewart’s longtime commitment to a number of charities.
Related: Rod’s unequaled masterpiece
Back in 2006, Stewart was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), an honor just below knighthood. Other British classic rock stars who have been knighted over the years include Paul McCartney, Elton John, Mick Jagger, Tom Jones and Van Morrison. Still others: Ringo Starr, Barry Gibb, Ray Davies and Brian May have received the honor.
Related: We look at 10 great collaborations featuring Stewart and friends
Stewart was asked in 2013 by U.K.’s The Radio Times if he was disappointed that he hadn’t been knighted yet. “If my time comes, it will,” he said philosophically. “And if it doesn’t, I’m not bothered.” That time came and Stewart was obviously delighted it did.
Tickets to see Stewart are available here and here.
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