Van Morrison has received many prestigious awards and accolades during his long career, but perhaps one of the prolific and influential singer-songwriter’s crowning achievements was being knighted in his home country of the United Kingdom. Ten years ago today, on February 4, 2016, Morrison received a knighthood for his “services to the music industry and to tourism in Northern Ireland.”
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Van, who was born George Ivan Morrison in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was elevated to Knight Bachelor at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace in London. Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) presented the honor to the acclaimed artist. Morrison had been chosen to receive a knighthood as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s 2015 Birthday Honours list.
According to a BBC News report, Morrison describes being knighted as “amazing” and “exhilarating.”
Reflecting on his career, Van said, “For 53 years I’ve been in the business—that’s not bad for a blue-eyed soul singer from east Belfast.”
Morrison also revealed a conversation he had with Prince Charles during the ceremony.
“He was just saying, was I still writing?” Van shared. “And he said, ‘You’re not going to retire any time soon?’ And I said, ‘No, I’m not, I’m going to keep it going while I can.’”
Ten years on, of course, Morrison has stayed true to his word.
Van was accompanied at the ceremony by his daughter, Shana, who also is a singer. Shana frequently performs with her dad in concert.
Recent Morrison News and 2026 Tour Plans
Morrison, now 80, released his 48th album, Somebody Tried To Sell Me A Bridge, on January 23. The 20-track collection is a blues-inspired project that includes guest appearances by Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, and Elvin Bishop.
Van will be promoting the album with a series of concerts in the U.K., the U.S., and mainland Europe. He’ll be performing in his hometown of Belfast on February 4 and 5, and the Northern Ireland city of Armagh on February 7. Van also will appear at a star-studded show celebrating Dublin-based Hot Press magazine’s 50th anniversary on February 6 in Dublin.
His U.S. concerts include five shows at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on February 17-19 and February 23-24, and a March 3-4 stand at the Wang Theatre in Boston. Van also will be performing at a Taj Mahal tribute show on February 21 at The Masonic in San Francisco.
In April, Morrison has shows scheduled in Belfast and Bath, U.K. He also will be performing in Grolloo, Netherlands, on June 19; Baarn, Netherlands, on July 5; and Ghent, Belgium, on July 7.
For more information, visit VanMorrison.com.
(Photo by Yui Mok – WPA Pool /Getty Images)
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