Captain Tom Moore to be knighted by the Queen at Windsor Castle on Friday

Captain Tom Moore is set to be knighted by Her Majesty the Queen later this week.

• Captain Tom Moore is to be given a knighthood by Her Majesty the Queen later this week.
• The 100-year-old hero raised millions of pounds for the NHS by walking laps of his garden during the coronavirus pandemic.
• This royal news comes after Buckingham Palace launched a gin made using botanicals from the Queen's garden.

The 100-year-old World War II veteran, who smashed his fundraising targets when he set out to raise money for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic, will receive a knighthood from the monarch on Friday.

The hero of the nation raised over £33 million by walking laps of his Bedfordshire garden, despite setting his target at just £1000.

Sir Tom, who became a household name during lockdown, will be given the honorary title by the Queen at Windsor Castle later this week during a private ceremony, with no access for viewing by the public.

It has been confirmed by Buckingham Palace that the Queenwill use the sword that belonged to her father George VI to award Captain Moore, who will be accompanied by family members, with the insignia of Knight Bachelor.

This comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put forward Sir Tom to receive the knighthood, branding him a "true national treasure" and praising him for proving "us all with a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus".

Speaking on being chosen to take the coveted title, Captain Sir Tom said, "To get this honour is so outstanding that I really can't say how different I feel, but I certainly feel that I've been given an outstanding honour by the Queen and Prime Minister.

"I'm certainly delighted. I'm over-awed by the fact that this has happened to me."