ARISE SIR ROD!

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.

Tartan

He said he was “on cloud nine” after receiving the award from William yesterday.

Wearing tartan trousers, Stewart 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.”

Fans could expect a “fantastic night” from his upcoming UK tour, the Maggie May singer said.

He joked that there were seven women in his new band – “more than there are in the White House”.

Speaking about his previous struggle with writer’s block, he advised budding songsters to ride out the dry spell.

He said: “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.”