Captain Tom Moore knighted by the Queen and jokes: 'If I kneel down I'll never get up again'

Captain Sir Tom Moore has this afternoon received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle.

The veteran, aged 100, was joined by his family - daughter Hannah Ingram, son-in-law Colin Ingram, grandson Benji and granddaughter Georgia - at the quadrangle at the Castle for the ceremony.

Capt Sir Tom led a fundraising effort that encouraged members of the public to donate tens of millions of pounds to NHS charities via a JustGiving page during the coronavirus lockdown, resulting in £32.7 million being raised.

He received his honour in exceptional circumstances - outside of the usual timescale for knighthoods, and at a time when the pandemic has led to the postponement of all other honours being conferred.

It has marked another special day in an extraordinary few months for the man that Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who made the nomination for the knighthood, described as a "national treasure".

Captain Sir Tom Moore received his knighthood from the Queen at 3pm today in the brilliant summer sunshine, and they spent around five minutes in conversation at the ceremony.

As the head of state and the veteran chatted, she was overheard telling the former Army captain: "One hundred is a great age."

The talk turned to national events and the Queen asked: "Have you been shut up - been isolating?"

The Queen's arrival into the quadrangle was signalled by the sound of bagpipes played by the Queen's Piper, Pipe Major Richard Grisdale, of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The sword used during the investiture was that of the Queen's father, George VI.

Capt Sir Tom said before the event that he "could never have imagined this would happen" and that it would be "the most special of days" when he finally meets the Queen.

"I'm absolutely overwhelmed by that," he told reporters as he departed his home for Windsor Castle. "It isn't everybody that gets the chance to see the Queen, is it? It's going to be absolutely marvellous for me."

"If I kneel down I'll never get up again," he quipped.

The ceremony took place outdoors at Windsor Castle, where the Queen has been in self-isolation with Prince Philip since March 19.

It was staged in the quadrangle at the castle, where a military ceremony was held to mark the Queen's official birthday back in June.

Both the Queen and Capt Sir Tom have been credited with providing a much-needed boost to national morale during the lockdown, becoming heroes of the pandemic through the respective reassurance and inspiration that they offered to the public.

The Health Secretary Matt Hancock wrote on social media after the ceremony: "Congratulations to ⁦Captain To Moore⁩ on receiving your Knighthood.

"Your efforts throughout coronavirus raised the spirit of our nation [and] we are so grateful for all your fantastic work."

Capt Sir Tom Moore's knighthood is unusual in that it was announced individually by the Prime Minister outside of the Queen's Birthday Honours and the New Year's Honours.

The knighthood also comes at a time when the royal investitures have generally been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Boris Johnson made a special nomination for the Army officer to be knighted on May 19, and said that he had provided the country with "a beacon of light".

The knighthood was approved by the Queen, and formally announced on May 20.

On announcing the conferment of the honour, Mr Johnson described Capt Sir Tom Moore as "a true national treasure" who "embodied the national solidarity that has grown throughout this crisis".

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "On occasion, the Queen invests individuals privately during audiences.

"Captain Sir Tom and his family were hopeful the investiture could take place in a timely fashion and we are pleased it has been possible on this occasion."

Capt Sir Tom's daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore told BBC Breakfast this morning: "It is just the most sensational day - of all the things Tom has been honoured by, this is just truly the absolute icing on the cake."

Captain Tom Moore knighthood follows 100 extraordinary years

Capt Sir Tom has received a knighthood after raising a total of £32.7 million for NHS charities via a Just Giving page at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

On April 6, two weeks into Britain's lockdown, he began to walk laps around his garden in aid of NHS Charities Together, and initially hoped to raise £1,000 in funds by the time he turned 100.

He soon became a much-loved household name, with his fundraising page receiving more than 1.5 million indvidual donations and extensive coverage of his extraordinary life story.

Born in Keighley, West Yorkshire on April 30 1920, Captain Tom completed a civil engineering apprenticeship before joining the Army, and was enlisted into the eighth battalion of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (8 DWR).

This was an infantry unit that was converted to operate Churchill tanks as part of the Royal Armoured Corps. In 1940, Sir Capt Tom was selected for officer training and rose to the rank of captain, going on to receive a promotion to 9 DWR in India.

He then served and fought in the Arakan, west Burma, which has since been renamed Rakhine State. Post-war, he returned to the UK and started work as an instructor at the Armoured Fighting Vehicle School in Dorset.

As the nation came together to honour its war heroes on May 8, the 75th anniversary of VE Day, Captain Sir Tom Moore reminisced about how his troops were "under fire constantly" and there was "an element of discomfort" during the Second World War.

He also reminisced about hearing the Forces' Sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn, who in June passed away aged 103, serenading him and other soldiers.

"This charming young lady appeared, [and] turned out to be Vera Lynn," he said. "It was quite something. She did a little song for us so it really boosted the morale of everybody. She was great."

Captain Tom's fundraising total passed £30 million on April 30 - the day of his 100th birthday - and by the end of the charity campaign he had become a much-loved household name after extensive coverage and public tributes.

A special flypast was held for Captain Tom's 100th birthday with two RAF planes, a Hurricane and a Spitfire, which took place over his village in Bedfordshire.

The Royal Family confirmed that the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, the Queen's representative in the county, had also delivered in person a birthday card from the monarch to Captain Tom.

Well-wishers included the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who told Captain Tom in a video message: “Your heroic efforts have lifted the spirits of the entire nation.

"You’ve created a channel to enable millions to say a heartfelt thank you to the remarkable men and women in our NHS who are doing the most astounding job."

Mr Johnson added that he had become "a point of light in all our lives", and praised his "service to others".

In recognition of his work, Captain Tom has also been made an honorary colonel by the Ministry of Defence, received the Freedom of the City of London, and even been made an honorary member of the England cricket team in acknowledgement of his favourite sport.