Beatles' Ringo Starr says he wishes his band mates were there to see him receive a knighthood

* Credit: PA

The Beatles' Ringo Starr says he wished his band mates were there when he received a knighthood at Buckingham Palace.

Described as the "most over due knighthood of all time" by musical writer Sir Tim Rice, the honour was presented by the Duke of Cambridge.

But Starr, 77, who received the honour under his real name, Sir Richard Starkey, for services to music,insisted it had come as a complete surprise.

"It would have been great if we were all here – I miss John and I miss George.

"But I think it's anhonour," said the drummer after the ceremony.

His knighthood came more than 50 years after he, along with band mates John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, visited the palace to receive MBEs.

Starr joins the only other livingBeatle, Sir Paul McCartney, who was knighted in 1997, in receiving the honour.

He said: "I had dinner with him last week and we were both actually laughing about where we came from, and we've ended up in the palace and it's now Sir Paul and Sir Richard.

"We never even thought of that. It's not like we were like, 'well one day'."