On This Day in Music History: Queen Elizabeth II Knighted One of the Most Famous Musicians Alive

On March 11, 1997, Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London, receiving the honor for his services to music. The former Beatle, who was 54 at the time, became Sir Paul in a ceremony that drew fans to the palace gates in scenes reminiscent of Beatlemania.

McCartney dedicated the knighthood to his fellow Beatles — John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr — as well as to the people of Liverpool, where he grew up. Lennon had been assassinated in New York in 1980, while Harrison was still alive at the time, though he would pass away from cancer in November 2001. As for Starr, McCartney noted that ever since news of the knighthood broke, he and Harrison had taken to calling him "Your Holiness."

The Knighting Wasn't McCartney's Only Royal Recognition

It wasn't McCartney's first royal recognition. In 1965, all four Beatles were awarded MBE medals by the Crown — a decision that caused considerable controversy in Britain at the time. Lennon later returned his MBE in 1969 as a protest against the Vietnam War.

McCartney's wife Linda, who was battling breast cancer, was unable to attend the knighting ceremony. She passed away 13 months later on April 17, 1998. Three of their four children were present on the day after the family drew straws for the available tickets.

"Proud to be British, wonderful day," McCartney told reporters afterward. "It's a long way from a little terrace in Liverpool."

Beyond the Beatles, McCartney went on to form Wings, collaborate with artists including Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, and record numerous solo albums across several decades.