Brian May became the latest music icon to be knighted by the British Royal Family.
The Queen guitarist can now be addressed as “Sir” after being recognized in the 2023 New Year Honours list. May was awarded the rank of Knight Bachelor for his services to music and charity. Per Britannica, a Knight Bachelor is the oldest English knighthood ranking.
Queen shared a photo of May being knighted by King Charles III. The photo was captioned, “Arise Sir Brian May. Brian’s investiture as a Knight of The Realm took place today at Buckingham Palace. The knighthood was presented to Brian by His Royal Highness, King Charles. Many congratulations, Sir Brian!” May shared the same image to his personal Instagram and captioned the photo, “No words!”
Arise Sir Brian May
Brian’s investiture as a Knight of The Realm took place today at Buckingham Palace. The knighthood was presented to Brian by His Royal Highness, King Charles.
Many congratulations, Sir Brian!
© Alamy pic.twitter.com/nE3ZmfvPSZ
— Queen (@QueenWillRock) March 14, 2023
May is far from the first musician to be recognized with a knighthood from the British Royal Family. Keep scrolling to see a number of music icons knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II.