'Sir' Idris Elba receives knighthood from King Charles, expresses gratitude

Actor Idris Elba may not be the next James Bond, but he has added a prestigious new title to his name. The star was among several personalities honoured at Windsor Castle, where King Charles officially knighted him during a ceremony.

Idris Elba knighted by King Charles

The actor received one of the highest honours, not for his acting ability, but for his service to young people. Yesterday (2 June), King Charles knighted the actor, activist and musician in an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle. Idris, 53, received the honour of knighthood for services to young people.

King Charles, 77, did the honours by tapping a sword on the Hijack star's shoulders as he knelt. A photograph of the moment has made it to the royal family's official Instagram grid. "Congratulations to everyone who received honours at today's Investiture ceremonies, hosted by The King at Windsor Castle," the caption of the post read.

Idris reposted the special post on his own Instagram Stories. "We are thankful. The work continues," the actor wrote over another photo that showed him wearing his medal and holding hands with his wife, Sabrina Elba, at the castle grounds.

Idris tagged the handles for Sabrina's Instagram and the Elba Hope Foundation, the charity the couple co-founded in 2022 to support diaspora communities and create greater opportunities. The organisation partners with local leaders and institutions to address youth unemployment, education gaps, and food insecurity.

It also sheds light on why Idris was absent from the New York premiere of his upcoming film, Masters of the Universe, where the rest of the cast turned up to promote the project.

The actor, musician and activist, a lifelong fan of the Arsenal soccer club, also posted a video on Instagram which shows him jumping up and down, holding a new Arsenal jersey with "SIR ELBA" written on it.

More about Idris' royal outings

The knighthood ceremony marked Idris' second meeting with King Charles in a matter of weeks. The actor had recently attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace amid his work with the King's Trust.

Idris is also a Goodwill Ambassador for The King's Trust and has credited his start in the arts to a grant he received from the royal charity when he was 18.

Idris' knighthood was announced in King Charles' 2026 New Year's Honours list, and the moment was made official at the investiture ceremony. In January, Idris spoke about his knighthood to People at the Season 2 Hijack premiere, sharing, "I haven't really spoken about it, but I will say that it's a real honour to be recognised for the work.

Especially trying to make as much noise for young people and the things that some of them are going through. So it feels like an honour. My family is honoured by it. I don't even know how to talk about it."

Along with Idris, figure skating duo Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean received a damehood and knighthood, actor/author Meera Syal received a damehood, entertainer Paul Elliot received the honour of MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), and Betty Brown received an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for her services to justice.