ROYAL APPOINTMENT
Captain Tom Moore ‘thrilled’ to receive knighthood but vows to keep Queen conversation secret
CAPTAIN Tom Moore is "thrilled" to be honoured with a knighthood but has today promied to keep his conversation with the "gracious" Queen secret.
The 100 year-old World War Two veteran's knighthood was announced by Downing Street on Monday night.
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It was approved by the Queen, having been personally recommended and fast-tracked by the Prime Minister.
And the inspirational vet today told Good Morning Britain said he had been floored by the honour.
He said: "I'm absolutely thrilled that Her Majesty has decided that poor little me will be knighted.
"It really is a great honour and I never believed this would happen to me but the Queen is so gracious that she has bestowed this honour on me and I really am totally thrilled by it.
"I really am thrilled and I do appreciate all the kind words people have offered about me being knighted."
But when host Piers Morgan asked what Captain Moore would say to the Queen if he got to meet her, the polite vet declined to answer.
He said: "The discussion between me and the Queen will have to be kept secret.
"I don't believe you're meant to say what the Queen says, so as I shall say, as to all you people, I'll say 'thank you very much Queen'."
His daughter Hannah Hannah Ingram-Moore joked the family had even been practising their curtseying for any future possible royal meeting.
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The gong is the first of dozens for the heroes of the debilitating crisis, The Sun can also reveal.
The Government is to issue a special honours list in the Autumn to recognise everyone who has performed with distinction through out it.
It is expected to be dominated by NHS staff, and the public will be able to nominate specific individuals who cared for them.
The news was broken to Tom by his daughter Hannah, who he is isolating with at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.
Hannah was told in a phone call from the PM’s most senior official, his Principal Private Secretary Martin Reynolds.
The centurion won the hearts of a nation after vowing to walk 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden to raise money for the NHS.
His initial fundraising target was £1,000.
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After his plea for sponsorship went viral, the former infantry officer ended up reaping an extraordinary £33m in donations - a Guinness World Record sum.
Boris Johnson ordered the high honour to be fast tracked, having promised to win him recognition for cheering the nation during the coronavirus crisis’s darkest moments.
Tom was also promoted to the honorary rank of colonel to mark VE Day two weeks ago after celebrating his 100th birthday last month.
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Join our George Cross campaign for NHS staff
We are urging Sun readers to sign a petition calling for our NHS staff to be awarded the George Cross.
We are backing a proposal by Lord Ashcroft to honour our health heroes with the gallantry gong given for acts of bravery that did not take place in battle.
A No10 spokesman said: “The NHS is doing a fantastic job and the nation will want to find a way to say thank you when we have defeated this virus.” SAS hero Andy McNab added: “The award of a George Cross would show an emotional appreciation.”
We are asking our readers to please sign the petition below.
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Captain Tom Moore talks about his experiences following his fundraising success as he prepares to write two new books
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