Queen to knight Captain Tom Moore in her first face-to-face royal engagement since COVID-19
Queen Elizabeth is set to undertake her first face-to-face royal engagement in four months.
Her Majesty, 94, will convey the honour of knighthood to UK hero Captain Tom Moore - the 100-year-old WWII veteran who raised over £32 million ($57.5m) for NHS coronavirus relief.
Not only does Captain Tom get his own personal ceremony after investitures planned for June and July were cancelled amid the pandemic but he will also be honoured with a special piece of history.
Captain Tom Moore will be knighted by Queen Elizabeth in her first face-to-face royal engagement since March Twitter/RoyalFamily
"During the ceremony, The Queen will use the sword that belonged to her father, George VI and will award Captain Sir Thomas Moore with the insignia of Knight Bachelor," Buckingham Palace revealed.
They also noted that in accordance with government advice, "the ceremony will take place entirely within the confines of Windsor Castle, with no viewing positions for the public".
RELATED: Duchess of Cornwall praises Captain Tom Moore on his 100th birthday
"I could never have imagined this would happen to me," Captain Tom said, in a tweet shared by his family.
"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."
Earlier this year, amid lockdowns, the country cheered on as the then-99-year-old began raising money for the healthcare sector by completing 100 laps of his garden ahead of his milestone birthday on April 30.
Captain Tom initially set out to raise £1000 ($1800) but caught the eye and the hearts of the nation, with the tally rising very quickly.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall commended his efforts on his birthday, saying: "That wonderful man, Captain Tom, walking around and raising all that money, that sort of thing makes you proud to be British, doesn't it?"
Captain Tom received an RAF flyover, a birthday card from the Queen and the monarch also upgraded his rank to Honorary Colonel.
Colonel Tom Moore and his daughter Hannah celebrate his 100th birthday, with an RAF flypast provided by a Spitfire and a Hurricane over his home on April 30, 2020 in Marston Moretaine, England Capture the Light Photography
"This morning @LLieutenantBeds, The Queen's personal representative in Bedfordshire, delivered a birthday card to @captaintommoore from Her Majesty," the Royal Family shared on Twitter at the time.
"Today we join people across the UK and around the world in wishing Captain Tom Moore a very happy 100th birthday," they added.
His knighthood award was formally announced by Downing Street on Wednesday, May 20.
"I am absolutely overwhelmed," Captain Tom said at the time.
"Never for one moment could I have imagined I would be awarded with such a great honour. I'd like to thank Her Majesty The Queen, the Prime Minister and the Great British public. I will remain at your service.
"This started as something small and I've been overwhelmed by the gratitude and love from the British public and beyond. We must take this opportunity to recognise our frontline heroes of the National Health Service who put their lives at risk every day to keep us safe."
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