'I wish mum and dad were here', says Sir Rod on knighthood
He was 'on cloud nine' after receiving the honour.
Singer Sir Rod Stewart has said he wished his parents were there to see him receive a knighthood, as the Duke of Cambridge congratulated him at Buckingham Palace.
The 71-year-old, accompanied by his wife, Penny Lancaster, and their two sons, Alastair, 10, and five-year-old Aiden, was given the honour in recognition of his services to music and charity.
He said he was "on cloud nine" after receiving the award from Prince William on Tuesday.
Dressed in tartan trousers, Sir Rod said of meeting the Duke: "We talked about music and he said, 'It's great that you're still going', and I said, 'I have to – I've got eight children!'"
"He congratulated me on my long career – and I said how happy this made me. I just wish my mum and dad had been here to see it."
Credit: PA Images
The Maggie May singer said fans could expect a "fantastic night" from his upcoming UK tour.
There are now seven women in his band – "more than there are in the White House," he joked.
Speaking about his previous struggle with writer's block, he advised budding songwriters to ride out the dry spell.
"You've just got to be patient, if there's a song you believe in. Don't write anything second-hand – if you're not satisfied with it, don't sing it. The lyrics do come eventually, you've just got to wait."
Sir Rod will meet the Queen later at a reception at the Royal Academy of Arts.
This will be her first public engagement in London since returning to Buckingham Palace, after spending the summer at her Scottish residence!