Music Ringo Starr is now a knight By Ernest Macias Published on March 20, 2018 12:18PM EDT Say hello to Sir Richard Starkey. Ringo Starr, The Beatles‘ drummer, has been knighted. The musician received the high honor from Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Starr is not the first Beatle to be knighted: Sir Paul McCartney received the honor in 1997. Speaking with the BBC Starr said the honor means a lot to him. “It means a lot actually,” he continued. “It means recognition for the things we’ve done. I was really pleased to accept this.” Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images It’s been 53 years since Queen Elizabeth II presented the famous British band members, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Starr, with Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) medals. At the time the Queen’s decision was viewed as controversial since Rock and Roll had not been culturally embraced. The Beatles’ MBEs sparked so much controversy that previous honorees returned their medals.