Sir Paul McCartney was knighted for his contributions to music in 1997, and his late Beatles bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison will have to enjoy the honor posthumously if at all. Ringo Starr, though, is still very much alive and, as of today, is also very much a knight.
The erstwhile Richard Starkey was "honoured by The Duke of Cambridge for his services to music," according to a tweet from the Royal Family. The Duke, who you may recognize as Prince William, did the whole sword-on-the-shoulder maneuver and everything. It's crazy to see rituals that were already starting to feel old-fashioned circa The Crown persist well into the 21st century, huh?
Speaking of The Crown, as Pitchfork points out, Queen Elizabeth II presented all four Beatles with Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) medals in 1965. Check out photos from today's knighting below.
Congratulations Sir Ringo Starr!
Today at Buckingham Palace, the Beatles drummer was honoured by The Duke of Cambridge for his services to music. pic.twitter.com/bdSe2lrRwn
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 20, 2018
