AP McCoy knighted by Princess Anne, but jokes he thought she would ‘let the sword slip’

IT’S a photo finish to a proud day as jockey Tony McCoy is knighted by Princess Anne, then poses for a family snap.

Sir Tony, 42, in his silks, took his wife Chanelle, daughter Eve and son Archie along to Buckingham Palace yesterday.

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Sir Tony, champion jockey 20 times, is the first jockey knighted since Sir Gordon Richards in 1953.

The record-breaking racer joked he was nervous about receiving the investiture in case fellow racing enthusiast and friend, the Princess Royal, "let the sword slip".

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AP has known the twelfth in line to the throne and her daughter, Zara, since their competitive days in equestrian sport.

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Speaking after the momentous occasion, the jockey described the experience as "the only time in my life I think I've ever felt nervous in front of her."

Smiling, he added: "I am sure her daughter probably told her to threaten to let the sword slip just for the fun of it."

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Sir Tony said the Princess Royal asked about his retirement from the sport last year.

After the ceremony, he said: "I am enjoying it, but I miss the thrill, the excitement of winning, I actually miss the danger of it."

"You have to accept the fact that a sports person is probably the only person who ever really dies twice."

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