Sadiq Khan has been knighted by King Charles for political and public service, becoming the first Mayor of London to receive the honour while in office [Getty]
Sadiq Khan was formally knighted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, marking a historic milestone as the first sitting Mayor of London to receive the honour.
The knighthood, awarded for political and public service, was announced in the New Year Honours list and officially bestowed during a ceremony in which Khan knelt before the monarch and was dubbed with a ceremonial sword.
The Labour mayor, who last month secured an unprecedented third term in City Hall, described the moment as deeply personal and symbolic. “Immensely proud to receive a knighthood from His Majesty The King today,” Khan wrote on social media.
He added: “Growing up on a council estate in Tooting, I never could have imagined that I’d one day receive this great honour while serving as the Mayor of London. It’s a truly humbling moment for myself and my family, and one that I hope inspires others to believe in the incredible opportunities that our great capital offers.”
The mayor revealed that the King, who has worked with him closely on various public initiatives, was “very chuffed” to present the honour personally. “We were just comparing who’s a bigger workaholic,” he said. “He actually apologised for it taking so long, which is not a problem at all.”
His mother attended the ceremony, and Khan said she had been emotional since the honour was first announced.
“Obviously, from my background, being the son of immigrants, my parents coming here from Pakistan, it’s a big deal for us,” he said. “It was a great day for the family.”
But the moment was marred by a wave of attacks from Conservative figures and far-right voices, who criticised Khan’s record on crime and costs and, in many corners of social media, resorted to racist abuse.
Shadow Home Secretary and Croydon South MP Chris Philp led the attacks, calling the knighthood “a slap in the face to Londoners”.
Philp accused Khan of allowing knife crime to surge, raising council tax by over 70 percent, and “stifling” London’s nightlife with excessive regulation.
“At the same time, the Mayor seems more interested in decriminalising cannabis than making London a better place to live,” he added.
But beyond the parliamentary attacks, the backlash spilt over into far-right social media spaces, where the discourse turned explicitly racialised.
Far-right commentators accused Khan of “Islamising” London and framed the knighthood as a symptom of Britain’s so-called “decline”.
Telegram channels and X accounts circulated doctored images and conspiracy theories about Khan’s rise to power. Some called for protests, while others mocked the King’s decision to honour a Muslim public servant.
Anti-racist groups and watchdogs have previously condemned the wave of online abuse.
“Let’s be clear: much of the backlash against Sadiq Khan isn’t about policy, it’s about who he is,” said Sabby Dhalu, co-convener of Stand Up to Racism.
“The idea that a Muslim son of immigrants could receive one of Britain’s highest honours is intolerable to parts of the far right. This is about racism, plain and simple.”
