King Charles showed true colours with comment to British Grand Prix icon Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton was knighted in 2021 and his investiture ceremony was carried out by King Charles, who the F1 legend was taken aback by after he recounted a past encounter
F1 icon Lewis Hamilton was shocked by King Charles' brilliant memory
(Image: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire )
Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton was taken by surprise when King Charles reminisced about a conversation they had when he was just 13, during his investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle years later.
Hamilton, one of the most accomplished F1 drivers in history with seven Drivers' Championship titles under his belt from his time with Mercedes and McLaren, now races for Ferrari. He has won the British Grand Prix on nine occasions.
In 2021, his remarkable achievements were honoured with a knighthood in the New Year Honours list, and he was made a Knight Bachelor by the then-Prince of Wales, who is now the reigning monarch, at the esteemed Windsor residence.
A year after being knighted, Hamilton shared an intriguing detail on Jimmy Kimmel Live about how the future King had impressed him with his recollection of their early encounter.
"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 recounted.
"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."
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Hamilton was knighted in 2021
(Image: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire )
Fast forward to 2021, Hamilton expressed his admiration for the King's ability to remember that youthful ambition and mention it during their meeting at Windsor Castle, praising his personable nature and remarkable memory, reports Aberdeen Live.
"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," he added.
"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.
"But when I go back off, he's like, you've come a long way," revealed the Formula One ace. "So he said he remembered speaking and we had a real short chat."
However, not all of Hamilton's dealings with royalty have been smooth. Before receiving his knighthood, he was awarded an MBE in 2009 and attended a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace with the late Queen Elizabeth II.
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"I was so nervous to meet her," Hamilton confessed about his visit on The Graham Norton Show in 2015. "It was one of the most overwhelming experiences I've ever had. I'm kind of lost for words. I don't think you realise until you're standing in front of her how special it is."
However, the superstar admitted to a Royal faux pas during that same evening, as he was rebuked for attempting to speak with the Queen out of turn, lacking in proper Royal etiquette.
"She said, pointing to my left, 'No, you speak that way first and I'll speak this way and then I'll come back to you'," he added. Despite the initial misunderstanding, he revealed that the encounter was thoroughly enjoyable, saying: "She is a sweet woman and we talked about how she spends her weekends, houses and music."
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- Daily Mail
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There was an encouraging start to the weekend for home hero Lewis, who posted the fastest time in first practice ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion has endured an inauspicious start to life at Ferrari since his high-profile departure from Mercedes at the end of last season. The 40-year-old currently sits sixth in the drivers standings, 28 points behind team-mate Charles, who has outperformed him at all but one race - the Emilia Romana Grand Prix - in 2025. Lewis' car found its groove in the first period of running for the weekend and the Brit posted a time of 1:26.892, ahead of McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who finished second and third-fastest respectively. While Raye and Lewis have yet to confirm or deny their romance, an anonymous insider was the first to break the potential news on Lewis and Raye's relationship, telling Deuxmoi, 'Raye and Lewis Hamilton are dating. From friends to lovers.' Raye previously attended the 2025 Melbourne Grand Prix, wearing Ferrari red and hanging out in their garage. But the singer was quick to refer to the seven-time world champion driver as a 'friend' during a trackside interview. Fans have been able to trace photos of the pair back to July 2023 when Raye first attended the Britsh Grand Prix, and since then they have been noticed hanging out around New York together. The duo were also seen together at the 2024 Met Gala, and Lewis cheered Raye on after her BRIT awards win. Lewis had famously been in an on-off relationship with Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger from 2007 until their final split in 2015. The F1 star had met Scherzinger at the MTV EMAs in 2007 and were together for 20 months but split for the first time in January 2010, before later reconciling. They then split again in late 2011, before giving their relationship another go in early 2012. They called time on things once again in July 2013, which prompted Scherzinger to break down in tears during her time on the X Factor judging panel. By February 2014 things were back on, before their final separation the following year. The reason for the final split had been put down to the pressures of a long-distance relationship, with Hamilton frequently travelling as part of the sprawling F1 circuit. 'I'm devastated that it didn't work out. It was the hardest decision we had to make, but we made it together,' Scherzinger said in 2015. 'We wish nothing but happiness and the very best for one another.' Hamilton admitted he had learned from the high-profile nature of the relationship, and claimed in 2022 that he was 'happy on my own.' 'I learned the hard way, I learned the hard way,' Hamilton said. 'I haven't talked about it much. I'm really just super focused on work.' Hamilton has largely tried to keep his personal life under wraps ever since, but he has been linked with several high-profile stars, including Shakira and Sofia Vergara.
