BRITAIN: Mick Jagger, once a scourge of the British establishment, received its ultimate accolade yesterday when he was knighted by Prince Charles in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
"It was all rather wonderfully formal," the 60-year-old rock-'n'-roll Lothario told reporters after the ceremony in which Prince Charles tapped him lightly on each shoulder with a sword.
Asked if he believed that he deserved the top British establishment accolade, the grinning Jagger replied: "Yeah."
Wearing rock-'n'-roll black suede leather trainers, he said: "It's very nice to have honours given to you as long as you don't take it all too seriously. You should wear them lightly and not get carried away with your own self-importance."
The Rolling Stone glanced across the palace ballroom after being knighted and smiled at his 92-year-old father, Joe, and daughters, Karis(32) and Elizabeth (19).
"I suppose people will call me 'Sir Mick' but 'Sir Michael' has a nice ring to it," he said. He was announced by the Master of the Royal Household as "Sir Michael Jagger" receiving the knighthood "for services to popular music".
Speaking afterwards, he rejected suggestions that he had sold out to the establishment against which he had railed for so long.
"I don't really think the establishment as we knew it exists any more," he said with a slight toss of the head.
But showing at least a residue of rebellion, he shunned the traditional top hat and tails, opting for a long black leather coat, purple scarf and those shoes.
Jagger had a go at fellow Stone Keith Richards, who claimed he was betraying the band's principles by accepting the honour.
"It is a bit like a bawling child who hasn't got an ice-cream," he said, declining any further comment.
The craggy-faced Richards told Uncut music magazine he did not want to share a stage with a knight. - (PA/Reuters)