- LONDON (Reuters) - Rolling
Stones lead singer Mick Jagger, once a scourge of the British establishment,
received its ultimate accolade on Friday when he was knighted by heir to
the throne Prince Charles in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
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- "It was all rather wonderfully formal," the
60-year-old rock n'roll lothario told reporters after the ceremony in which
Charles tapped him lightly on each shoulder with a sword.
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- Asked if he believed that he deserved the top British
establishment accolade, the grinning Jagger replied: "Yeah."
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- The man who has fronted the legendary rock group for
the past four decades, rejected suggestions that he had sold out to the
establishment against which he had railed for so long.
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- "I don't really think the establishment as we knew
it exists any more," he said with a slight toss of the head.
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- But showing at least a residue of rebellion, Jagger shunned
the traditional top hat and tails, opting for a long black leather coat,
purple scarf and sports shoes.
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- He took along his 92-year-old father Joe and two of his
daughters to share the occasion.
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- Jagger hit out at fellow Stone Keith Richards who claimed
he was betraying the band's principles by accepting the honor.
-
- "It is a bit like a bawling child who hasn't got
an ice cream," he said, declining further comment.
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- The craggy-faced Richards, whose drug and drink fueled
lifestyle is the stuff of legend, told Uncut music magazine he did not
want to share a stage with a knight.
-
- "I don't want to step out on stage with someone
wearing a coronet and sporting the old ermine," he complained.
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- The award puts Jagger on a ceremonial par with pop knights
Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney.
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- Jagger delayed his ceremony from earlier this week to
avoid a clash with England's newest hero, Jonny Wilkinson, who secured
the rugby world cup for England last month in Australia with a drop kick
in the final's closing seconds.
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- Wilkinson picked up the lesser award of an MBE (Member
of the Order of the British Empire) on Wednesday.
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