Captain Tom Moore to be knighted by the Queen at Windsor on Friday
Captain Sir Tom Moore is to be knighted by the Queen at Windsor Castle on Friday 17 July.
In May, it was announced that Captain Sir Tom was to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth II following a recommendation made by the prime minister.
The decision to honour the Second World War veteran with a knighthood came about after he raised almost £33m for NHS Charities Together by participating in a walking fundraiser in the lead-up to his 100th birthday.
Having initially set a target of raising £1,000, Captain Sir Tom quickly became a household name across the nation after news of his fundraiser spread.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, royal investitures have been put on hold, with those that were scheduled to take place at Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in June and July put on hold.
Nonetheless, on Friday the Queen will personally knight Captain Sir Tom at Windsor Castle, despite having been in isolation throughout the pandemic.
The 94-year-old monarch will knight the 100-year-old using a sword that belonged to her father, King George VI.
Captain Sir Tom will also be presented with the insignia of Knight Bachelor.
The ceremony will be held privately within Windsor Castle, with members of the public barred from viewing the proceedings.
People who wish to view the ceremony are being asked not to visit Windsor town centre or to join any gathering with the aim of watching the investiture.
Following the announcement of his knighthood, Captain Sir Tom said he was “looking forward” to being knighted by the Queen.
“I hope she’s not very heavy-handed with the sword as by then I might be rather a poor old weak soul,” he joked.
He also shared a post on his Twitter account, in which he said the ceremony will be "the most special of days".
"I could never have imagined this would happen to me," Captain Sir Tom wrote. "It is such a huge honour and I am very much looking forward to meeting Her Majesty The Queen.
"It is going to be the most special of days for me."
His words were followed with the hashtag #FridayWillBeAGoodDay.
The Second World War veteran, who served in India, Burma and Sumatra, is to release an autobiography called Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day.
The autobiography’s title pays homage to the words he tweeted the day before his 100th birthday, which fell on 30 April.
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