McCartney’s a Knight Now, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

From backbeat to bended knee: Paul McCartney, teen idol of the hippie era, went to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday to receive that ultimate symbol of respectability: a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.

Togged out in tails, he showed how much he has changed since he first met the queen in 1965--he and the other Beatles, sporting then-fashionable narrow lapels and skinny ties, joked that they prepped for that encounter by sharing a joint.

“My mum and dad would have been extremely proud--and perhaps they are,” said the 54-year-old ex-Beatle bassist.

The queen made McCartney a knight for his service to music in her New Year Honors List. She officially bestowed the honor at Tuesday’s ceremony.

In keeping with tradition, McCartney knelt before the queen on one knee. She dubbed him knight, touching each of his shoulders lightly with a sword. Hundreds of fans, some wearing “Arise Sir Paul” T-shirts, cheered his arrival and waited outside the palace until he emerged.

Being a knight means McCartney has the title “Sir” and his wife the title “Lady.” Linda McCartney, who is recovering from breast cancer treatment, stayed home, but Sir Paul said she was doing well.

Although the honor carries nothing beyond the title, it is still a coveted emblem of approval and standing in public life.

In 1965, McCartney and the rest of the Fab Four were dubbed Members of the Order of the British Empire--one step below knighthood.

Some other members of the Order of the British Empire sent their honors back to the queen to protest what they called the system’s devaluation.

McCartney has since settled down as a family man, an environmentalist and animal rights supporter.

One of the most successful pop stars of all time, McCartney also is a generous supporter of charities. He has put some of his millions into good works--for example, founding the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, which was officially opened by the queen this year.

The Beatles broke up in 1970, and one of them, John Lennon, was killed in New York in 1980.

Sir Paul said Tuesday that the other surviving members of the band, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, make fun of his knighthood.

“They call me ‘Your Holiness,’ ” he said.