Lewis Hamilton details amazing conversation he had with King Charles

Lewis Hamilton has recalled the conversation he had with King Charles when he was being knighted, with the monarch amazingly remembering a chat he had with the Mercedes driver when he was just 13 years old. The Brit received his knighthood from His Majesty in December 2021, which he was awarded for matching Michael Schumacher’s world title record in 2020. Hamilton is statistically the most successful Formula One driver of all-time having won 103 races and claimed seven world titles. He has also claimed more pole positions, more race wins and lead more laps than any other racers in history, with the 37-year-old regularly considered the greatest driver of all time by followers of the sport. In the 2021 New Years’ honours list he was given a knighthood for his success in the sport having originally received an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II in 2009. He was the fourth Formula One driver ever to be knighted following in the footsteps of Jackie Stewart, Stirling Moss and Jack Brabham – but he was the first to receive the honour while still competing. He properly received the knighthood from King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, in December last year and Hamilton has now spoken of meeting the monarch for the second time. Amazingly, His Majesty remembered meeting the Mercedes man when he was a 13-year-old at McLaren, telling the Brit he had come far. DON’T MISS: Rosberg puts pressure on FIA over cost cap saga with Hamilton theory Lewis Hamilton has recalled the conversation he had with Prince Charles when he was knighted (Image: GETTY)’I was 13. I went to McLaren when I was 13 years old. I went to the factory and he [King Charles] came to open the factory up,’ Hamilton told Jimmy Kimmel Live. ‘I was sitting in my go-kart where they have all the cars and I sat there and he came in, he knelt down and asked me what I wanted to do and what my dreams were, and told him one day I wanted to be a Formula One world champion. ‘So coming to all the way down the line, I’m at the palace, and you have to take these certain steps to get to the prince, very, very, very formal. You walk in, like take three steps, turn 90 degrees, take another four steps and then turn left, bow, two steps and then take the knee, and I took the knee and he puts the sword on your shoulders. MUST READ…Max Verstappen could be ‘easily replaced’ warns ex-Red Bull driverMartin Brundle says Lewis Hamilton can still enjoy ‘glorious’ seasonHamilton and Russell told ‘pathetic’ issue could make win impossible Lewis Hamilton received his knighthood last year. (Image: GETTY)’But when I go back off, he’s like, you’ve come a long way. So he said he remembered speaking and we had a real short chat.’ Hamilton does not tend to flaunt his status as a knight and is rarely called sir within the paddock. Nonetheless, it is clear that his award is important to him and a memory he continues to cherish today.