Queen Elizabeth knights UK war veteran ‘Captain Tom’ for raising millions for British National Health Service

Tom Moore, 100, captivated the British public by walking 100 laps of his garden and raising some US$40 million for the NHS in April

He was knighted with the traditional sword tap, but was not required to take a knee - steadying himself instead against his now-famous walking frame

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Captain Sir Thomas Moore receives his knighthood from Britain's Queen Elizabeth during a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Friday. Photo: AP

Published: 2:33pm, 18 Jul 2020Updated: 9:57pm, 18 Jul 2020

In the end, Sir Tom didn’t need to “arise”.

On a day infused with emotion, Queen Elizabeth tapped the blade of a sword once owned by her father on the slender shoulders of 100-year-old Tom Moore, making a hero of a nation a knight of the realm Friday.

Moore captivated the British public by walking 100 laps of his garden in England and raising some £33 million (US$40 million) for the National Health Service in April. The queen knighted him with the traditional sword tap, but the World War II was not required to take a knee before the monarch.

Instead, Moore steadied himself against his now-famous walking frame and wheeled himself across the grass to stand in front of the queen.

“I have been overwhelmed by the many honours I have received over the past weeks, but there is simply nothing that can compare to this,’’ he said on Twitter after the ceremony. “I am overwhelmed with pride and joy.”

The ceremony was staged outside Windsor Castle west of London, where the 94-year old queen has been sheltering during the Covid-19 pandemic alongside her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.