Prince William Steps In For Queen Elizabeth To Honor Andy Murray, Others
In a first for Prince William, he stepped in for his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, for the investiture (honors) ceremony to honor British tennis star Andy Murray and others.
The future King was dressed in his uniform and used a ceremonial sword, with which he knighted several individuals at Buckingham Palace on Thursday.
Andy Murray was among those who received an Order of the British Empire (OBE) medal, which Prince William pinned to his lapel.
Similar ceremonies take place about 25 times a year with Queen Elizabeth II or Prince Charles doing the honors at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle or other royal palaces.
The move is a clear indication of Prince William taking on more of his official duties as a senior member of the royal family and second in line to the British throne.
With the Queen advancing in age, some believe that Prince William could very well be the successor to his grandmother, bypassing his father, Prince Charles.
But the Windsors are known for their longevity, the Queen mother passed away at age 101 and Queen Elizabeth seems vibrant and healthy at 87 years of age even though she had to pull out of the ceremony last year due to back problems.
The knighthood ceremony is filled with the tradition of the lengthy English history and a throwback of sorts to the times of knights and swords.
Recipients kneel at the investiture stool in front of the monarch, in this case Prince William, and are tapped on one shoulder, then the other with a sword belonging to the Queen’s father, King George VI.
Andy Murray was one of many honorees that were recognized for the achievements in their fields. He took to Twitter joking:
In the middle of a drug test hahaha I’m goin to be late!!!
— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) October 17, 2013
Take a look at the photo of Prince William and Andy Murray at the investiture ceremony.
Prince William awards Wimbledon champion Andy Murray an OBE in his first investiture pic.twitter.com/TQd6RTmgYx
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) October 17, 2013
