The British royal family, despite their immense popularity, are often seen as completely aloof and out of touch with normal people… Yet Lewis Hamilton has recently shared an anecdote regarding him and Prince Charles that suggests that the next in line to the throne is more human than some might give him credit for.
The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion – who was knighted by Prince Charles last year in recognition of his unmatched achievements in motorsport – told Vanity Fair about the two times he met the Prince of Wales, and how Charles honoured him.
“When I had signed in 1997, then I went to McLaren, Prince Charles came to open up the factory,” Hamilton explained.
“That day, I remember having my go-kart and I was sitting there and Prince Charles knelt down next to me and spoke to me… I was like, ‘hey, I’m Lewis Hamilton, one day I wanna be a Formula 1 World Champion’…”
Sir Lewis Hamilton
Flash forward to 2021 and Hamilton says that when he stood up from kneeling after the investiture ceremony, Charles said to him “it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, you’ve come a long way”.
It’s a touching, personal, full-circle moment that shows that the royals aren’t completely heartless – and would have meant a lot to Hamilton, who rose from humble beginnings as a boy from Stevenage to become the greatest F1 driver ever.
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On a lighter note, Lewis also joked during a recent interview with Graham Norton that he wishes that the old rules of investiture were still in effect, where knights could then knight others.
“I’d just go around knighting people,” he joked.
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