Warburton’s delight as he receives OBE at Palace
WALES rugby star Sam Warburton described receiving an OBE at Buckingham Palace yesterday as a “very surreal, very lovely experience”.
Warburton was presented with the honour by Prince William, who he has met on a number of occasions.
The former Lions captain, who is resting from rugby to recover from surgery to his neck and knee, described the prince as a “very big supporter of Welsh rugby”.
And he added: “Normally, we’re dressed in a towel when we chat to him. So it’s nice to be fully clothed and actually have a conversation for a change.”
The investiture was one of several at the Palace yesterday.
The Beatles’ Ringo Starr told of his “shock” at receiving a knighthood.
Starr, 77, who received the honour under his real name, Sir Richard Starkey, for services to music, insisted it had come as a complete surprise.
“It means a lot. I’m sort of shocked in a way. I was sitting in LA and the letter came and I was so surprised.
“I just never thought of it. I just got on with my life and here we are. As I said, I’m just really surprised.”
Starr joins the only other living Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, who was knighted in 1997, in receiving the honour.
He said: “I had dinner with him last week and we were both actually laughing about where we came from, and we’ve ended up in the Palace and it’s now Sir Paul and Sir Richard. We never even thought of that. It’s not like we were like, ‘well one day’.”
Starr was joined by War Horse author Sir Michael Morpurgo in receiving a knighthood.
Morpurgo, 74, joked that Joey, the equine hero of his 1982 children’s book, which became a hit international play, should be receiving the honour.
“It’s Sir Joey really, not Sir Michael,” said the writer, adding: “It’s wonderful. Delighted isn’t the word really. I think you’re a bit in shock.”
His fellow author, Jilly Cooper, collected a CBE for services to literature and charity. She said: “For a pop writer, it’s so lovely to get an award for literature. It just makes me curl up with joy really.”
Former Scottish rugby player John “Ian” McLauchlan, who collected an OBE, said: “It’s a fantastic honour. It’s an honour for Scottish rugby and my family as well. I’m very, very pleased.”