Jagger and Robson lead royal honours

Sir Mick said he is "delighted"

LONDON, England -- Rock star Mick Jagger and former England manager Bobby Robson have been knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honour's List.

Mick Jagger joined Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Bob Geldof among pop music's aristocracy after being given a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday.

Robson, who led England to the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup, becomes one of the few in British football -- apart from members of the 1966 World Cup winning team -- to receive the honour.

Both new 'sirs' immediately turned their attention to England's crucial World Cup clash against Denmark.

Jagger said that the England team should be given an extra incentive to go all the way -- knighthoods.

"If England win the World Cup, they should be knighted," the Rolling Stone said.

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"I hope we win. I'll be watching with the rest of England -- the male population at least."

But when asked if he would gladly give up his own knighthood to see England lift the trophy, he laughed and said: "I don't know about that. They'll do it without me."

Robson, 69, who manages Newcastle United, declared himself "delighted and thrilled" by the honour.

"It comes on a day when our minds are focused on our national team and I wish them the very best of luck for the remainder of the tournament," he said.

Jagger said he was surprised but delighted when, a few weeks ago, he received a letter informing him of his award.

"You think `this is great' and then are very surprised, thinking `why is this?"' he said. "But I'm very happy -- delighted."

He said the first person he told was his father, Joe, followed by ex-partner Jerry Hall.

"You tell your close friends. I told my father, Jerry Hall and my kids. They thought it was very funny. They were very amused by the process. They took a couple of days to get used to it," he told the Press Association.

He said people kept making fun of him. "I've been teased. I've had people on their knees, and I've even had plastic swords waved at me."

"I didn't expect to get one. I just didn't."

Robson and Jagger received their honours in the queen's Jubilee Birthday Honours List.

Many other leading figures from the worlds of sport, showbusiness, the arts and business appear in the list.

Harold Pinter, 71, one of Britain's greatest post-war playwrights, becomes a Companion of Honour.

There is a knighthood for Jonathan Miller, whose career has spread through many facets of the art world, author, lecturer, TV producer and presenter, theatre, operatic and film director.

A knighthood also goes to Trevor Nunn, who at the age of 28 became the youngest artistic director in the Royal Shakespeare Company's history.

There is a knighthood for artist Peter Blake, who famously designed the Beatles' Sgt Pepper album cover.

Blake said: "It funny to be getting a knighthood at the same time as Mick Jagger. We actually live 50 yards away from each other. It's nice that two Dartford boys are getting honours simultaneously."