“For a kid like me, achieving this, it’s a dream.” The Who’s Roger Daltrey receives knighthood from Prince William at Windsor Castle
The Who’s Roger Daltrey has been knighted for his services to charity and to music. The 81-year-old singer received his honour from the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle yesterday (December 10) and told the Press Association that he considered the award to be “an incredible honour”.
“I was born in the Second World War and grew up in the streets in London,” he said, “for a kid like me, achieving this, it’s a dream.”
Daltrey was responsible for launching and curating the Teenage Cancer Trust’s annual week of charity benefit shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall: the initiative has raised more than £34 million for charity over the past 25 years, and the singer has described his stewardship of the long-running concert season as “an incredible ride.”
Reflecting on his honour, Daltrey says, “For me, it’s a double honour because I’m getting it for my work with Teenage Cancer Trust. So personally it’s wonderful. But for Teenage Cancer Trust, I’m accepting it on behalf of all those people who may never get an honour and without whom we never would have made the success we have made of our charity. It’s important to me that I make them realise they are really appreciated.”
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With Daltrey having stepped down from his role curating the annual concert series earlier this year, Robert Smith from The Cure has taken up the mantle for 2026, and booked March shows from Mogwai, My Bloody Valentine, Wolf Alice, Garbage and more.
“I’m kind of intrigued because they are all bands I’m not really familiar with, so it’s opening my eyes,” Daltrey comments. “I come from a totally different generation of music, and we’ve used most of them, but it’s going to be interesting.”
“Teenage Cancer Trust does absolutely amazing work, and l am very proud they asked me to be ‘Cureator’ of their March 2026 concerts at the RAH,” Robert Smith said in a statement last week. “I wanted to make it a truly unforgettable, unmissable week – a run of shows to dream about – and I am so grateful to all the artists who accepted my invitation to perform… It is going to be a fabulous 7 nights, and I can hardly wait to experience it all.”
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, December 12, at 9am.
Teenage Cancer Trust: Royal Albert Hall Concert Series 2025
Mar 23: Elbow, MRCY
Mar 24: A Night of Comedy with Stewart Lee, Dara O’Briain and more
Mar 25: Mogwai, Craven Faults
Mar 26: Manic Street Preachers, The Joy Formidable
Mar 27: My Bloody Valentine, Chvrches (stripped back)
Mar 28: Garbage, Placebo (stripped back)
Mar 29: Wolf Alice, Nilüfer Yanya
(Image credit: Teenage Cancer Trust)
