Are the Beatles knighted?
John Thompson
Updated on January 22, 2026
The other three Beatles kept their MBEs: in 1997 Paul McCartney was knighted for services to music; Ringo Starr received the same honour in 2018.
Are all four Beatles knighted?
Starr, who is one of two remaining members of the Beatles, was beat to the knighthood punch by bandmate Paul McCartney, who received the title “Sir” in 1997. They are the only two Beatles to be knighted; George Harrison and John Lennon passed away in 2001 and 1980, respectively.Which Beatles were knighted by the Queen?
On March 11, 1997, Paul McCartney, a former member of the most successful rock band in history, The Beatles, is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his “services to music.” The 54-year-old from Liverpool became Sir Paul in a centuries-old ceremony of pomp and solemnity at Buckingham Palace in central London.Why isn't George Harrison knighted?
Starr was the second former Beatle to become a Sir, following Paul McCartney in 1997. George Harrison and John Lennon, meanwhile, remain among the un-knighted — and they're likely to stay that way, thanks to the current rules for knighthood, which state that a recipient must be alive to accept the honor.Did George Harrison receive a knighthood?
George Harrison later rejected an OBE in 2000. We don't really blame him, as his former bandmate Paul McCartney had been knighted in 1997.Arise Sir Ringo! Beatle knighted at Buckingham Palace | ITV News
Who has refused knighthood?
Knighthoods, CBEs, OBEs and MBEs: 11 people who have said no over the years
- David Bowie. David Bowie twice turned down an honour. ...
- Danny Boyle. Danny Boyle said he turned down a knighthood. ...
- Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. ...
- John Cleese. ...
- LS Lowry. ...
- Nigella Lawson. ...
- George the Poet. ...
- Benjamin Zephaniah.