Cliff Richard cringes recalling knighthood by the Queen ‘I couldn’t speak’ | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
Sir Cliff Richard proudly donned a Union Jack blazer for his appearance on BBC One for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee coverage on Sunday afternoon. When the 81-year-old singer was asked about meeting the monarch, he admitted his nerves left him unable to talk properly when she knighted him.
Appearing alongside musician Nile Rodgers to discuss the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Cliff detailed the moment he received his knighthood in the 1990s.
Reflecting on the honour, he said: “The Queen did the job, but that was a nerve-wracking thing as well because when I got there this guy said, ‘Okay, two of you are knights, just come here.'”
He told Cliff to kneel on a stool and use the handle as other “grown men had fallen over with nerves”.
Cliff added: “I did that and the other thing they said to me was, ‘Say nothing until the Queen says something to you.'”
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He quipped that the monarch greeted him with the sword held up over her shoulder, to which Nile started giggling.
Cliff continued: “I didn’t fall off the stool and you have to lean forward and she puts the medal around your head and then you stand up.”
The musician then started cringing about his failed attempt at a sophisticated conversation with Her Majesty.
Doing an impersonation of the monarch’s voice, Cliff exclaimed: “She said, ‘Oh, it’s been a long time coming.'”
He was awarded the knighthood primarily for his contributions to charity rather than his contributions to popular music.
Early in the BBC show, Cliff revealed he had flown in from the USA for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The singer said: “There is something about being asked to be near royalty.
“I was disappointed I couldn’t be on the stage as I thought the production of the show [on Saturday] was absolutely phenomenal, I was getting green with envy thinking how I would like to have one photograph against the palace.
