Queen musician Brian May formally knighted by King Charles

May, also an astrophysicist and animal welfare advocate, received the title of knight bachelor ‘for services to Music and to Charity’ at Westminster Abbey on Monday

The We Will Rock You songwriter and Bohemian Rhapsody musician, 75, also teased the prospect of touring with Queen again

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Queen musician and animal rights advocate Brian May musician is made a Knight Bachelor by King Charles at Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday. Photo: PA via AP

Published: 3:22am, 16 Mar 2023Updated: 4:13am, 16 Mar 2023

Queen guitarist Brian May returned to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday to be knighted by King Charles and officially join the order of the British Empire.

Although the announcement of the knighthood was made at the end of last year, the investiture ceremony only took place this week at Buckingham Palace.

The 75-year-old musician received the nominal honorific alongside fellow musician YolanDa Brown, who performed for the new king at Monday’s Commonwealth Day service in Westminster Abbey. May chatted and laughed with the king and posed with his medallion after the ceremony.

May, also an astrophysicist and animal welfare advocate, received the title of knight bachelor “for services to Music and to Charity” according to the Gazette, the official publication of the British royal family.

He is now regarded as Sir Brian May. A “knight bachelor” does not belong to any particular order and the recognition is simply considered “an appointment” that allows the recipient to adopt the title of “Sir” without post-nominal letters.

British musician Brian May poses with his medal after being knighted during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday. Photo: AFP / Getty Images / TNS

May is no stranger to the royal headquarters: The guitar soloist famously performed Britain’s national anthem from the rooftop of Buckingham Palace in 2002 during the late Queen Elizabeth’s golden jubilee, calling it “a career highlight” in an interview with Britain’s 5 News. He returned for the platinum jubilee - along with singer Adam Lambert - last year.