Sir Rod Stewart cried when he found out about his knighthood.

Penny Lancaster and Sir Rod Stewart

Penny Lancaster and Sir Rod Stewart

The 71-year-old singer's wife Penny Lancaster has revealed they were overwrought with emotion and in "shock" when they found out that Rod was to be recognised in Queen Elizabeth's birthday honours list for his services to music and charity back in June.

She said: "He never expected it because he thought, I've had my award, I've been granted a CBE and he was very flattered and honoured by that. But this was a shock.

"He kept having to re-read the letter and literally collapsing on the sofa and going, 'I can't believe this, I can't believe this!' He was in tears about it, really emotional."

Penny - who has sons Alistair, 10, and Aiden, five, with Rod - said the 'Maggie May' hitmaker was dying to tell the world about his special honour, but had to keep it secret for almost a month.

She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "He was very happy after the embargo of three weeks to be able to announce it on stage. He was doing a concert the night the news came out and he was able to tell the crowd on his encore that he was about to be knighted. The place erupted."

Meanwhile, the 45-year-old beauty said that her son Alistair asked if his name would change now that his dad has been knighted.

Penny also insists she doesn't want to be referred to as Lady Lancaster.

She said: "When we found out Rod was a knight, Alistair asked 'What does that make me?' I just said, 'It just makes you the son of a knight, darling! You don't change your name.'

"Not that I will be changing my name either. It's there for formal or official occasions but otherwise I'm still Penny! I'd never insist on being called Lady Stewart."

In August, Rod and Penny renewed their marriage vows in a secret ceremony.

They moved into a new house in Essex, East England, in order to rid the abode of negative energy.

Penny recently revealed: "I wanted the priest to bless the house because I felt there was a lot of history and old spirits there: we wanted to say thank you to the old and welcome in the new. So we walked into the garden, under the largest oak tree there, and we said our vows again, just Rod, myself and the priest. It was beautiful."

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