Arise, Sir Sadiq - London's mayor knighted by King

The Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has been knighted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace.

The formal ceremony saw the mayor go down on one knee and be dubbed with a sword by the monarch, the traditional process for conferring a knighthood.

Sir Sadiq, who was re-elected for a third term in May 2024, is the first mayor of London to receive the honour.

He said he joked with the King about which of them was a bigger workaholic and the monarch "was very chuffed that he managed to personally give me this honour".

Sir Sadiq was recognised in the New Year Honours for his political and public service.

However, the Conservatives have criticised his knighthood, with Shadow Home Secretary and Croydon South MP Chris Philp claiming Londoners "will rightly be furious his track record of failure is being rewarded".

Sir Sadiq said Tuesday's ceremony at Buckingham Palace was "a great day for the family".

He added: "My mum's here, and she's been emotional since it was announced.

"Obviously, from my background, being the son of immigrants, my parents coming here from Pakistan, it's a big deal for us."

The mayor worked as a human rights lawyer before entering Parliament as MP for Tooting for Labour in 2005.

He became mayor of London in 2016, replacing Boris Johnson, and has since won two further terms.

Also honoured on Tuesday was Dame Emily Thornberry, MP for Islington South and Finsbury since 2005, who formally received her damehood at the Buckingham Palace ceremony for political and public service.

Additional reporting by PA Media

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