Why Paul McCartney Said He Had to ‘Be Very Trusty’ With Queen Elizabeth When She Knighted Him
In 1997, Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, officially becoming a Sir. Few people have the honor of being knighted by the queen, and it is meant as a way of honoring British people of outstanding merit. McCartney reflected on being knighted and said he had to be “very trusty” with the queen.
Paul McCartney received a secret letter about his knighthood
In an interview with Wired, McCartney recalled when he received the distinction of Sir. He remembers fondly being knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth, who recently died in September. His excitement began when he received a letter telling him he would receive a knighthood.
“It’s amazing because the first thing you hear, you got a letter through the post, saying ‘You’re gonna be knighted, but don’t tell anyone,’” McCartney shared. “So, that’s a pretty buzzy letter to get. It’s very exciting. You have to be a bit of a royalist. You have to think that the queen is cool. Some people actually turn it down.”
Paul McCartney remembers being ‘very trusty’ with Queen Elizabeth
When McCartney arrived at Buckingham Palace, he was led into a room with the other honorees. He says a security member walked in and explained what one has to do when being knighted by the queen. Queen Elizabeth has a sword she uses for the knighting ceremony, and McCartney remembered being “trusty” with her royal highness in this situation.
“The guy comes in, the equerry, some kind of military guy, and explains what you have to do, how you have to approach the queen. You have to kind of walk in and then look at her, and then walk straight ahead, and then just bow your head a little bit,” McCartney elaborated. “The queen takes a sword. At this point, you have to be very trusty. She can do anything with that sword. One shoulder, the other shoulder, and then she says, ‘Rise, Sir Paul McCartney.’”
Have other members of The Beatles been knighted?
Paul McCartney became the first Beatle to be knighted in 1997. In 2017, Ringo Starr (born Richard Starkey) joined him. Starr was ecstatic to receive this honor and considers it a lifetime achievement.
“It means a lot actually,” Starr told the BBC. “It means recognition for the things we’ve done. I was really pleased to accept this.”
Unfortunately, John Lennon and George Harrison died decades ago before they could receive their own knighthoods. However, not all The Beatles had the same perspective on the royal family. In 1965, The Beatles received MBE’s (Member of the Order of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth. However, Lennon wasn’t too impressed with this honor and sent it back to Buckingham Palace.
George Harrison might not have been knighted either, as he turned down an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2000. Harrison believed it to be a snub, considering McCartney had received a full knighthood three years prior. So, two out of the four Beatles members have been knighted, but all four of them are considered royals themselves in the world of music.
