SIGN UP FOR OUR London, Oct. 11 — British rock musician Rod Stewart was knighted by Britain’s Prince William in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
– from Stewart’s Facebook page
The 71-year-old rocker received the decoration that Queen Elizabeth II granted to him in June – on the occasion of her 90th birthday – to thank the writer of “Maggie May” and other hits for the “services” he has provided to music and charity.
Stewart, upon the announcement of the pending knighthood, said that he considered it a “monumental honor.”
The newly proclaimed Knight of the British Empire will call himself Sir Roderick David Stewart.
The sandpaper-voiced singer came to the palace, in central London, accompanied by his wife, Penny Lancaster, and his two young sons, Alastair and Aiden.
At the end of the ceremony, the musician revealed that Prince William congratulated him for his lengthy music career upon knighting him.
“(We) talked about music, and (the prince) said ‘It’s great that you’re still going’ and I said: ‘I have to – I’ve got eight children!'” the rocker commented afterwards.
“He congratulated me on my long career, and I said how happy this made me. I just wish my mum and dad had been here to see it,” Stewart said.
At the Tuesday investiture ceremony, 86 of the 1,149 people being honored by the queen, as per her latest official list published on June 11, received their decorations. EFE
