Last year, it was announced that “Hijack” star Idris Elba would receive one of Great Britain’s highest honors and be knighted as Sir Idris Elba after being named in King Charles III’s honors list. Now, the day for that royal ceremony has finally come, and luckily for us, it’s been vlogged on TikTok, too.
As we previously told you, Elba was overjoyed by the recognition he received from England’s head of state for his charity work through his organization, the Elba Hope Foundation. Having called it an “honor” and “milestone,” the actor joined a small group of Black British stars who have been knighted, including F1 driver Sir Lewis Hamilton, Olympic runner Sir Mo Farah and iconic British comedian and writer Sir Lenny Henry.
Finally, on June 2, Elba received his knighthood at Windsor Castle, a royal residence in Berkshire, England, a county 21 miles outside of London. Secretly vlogging the entire day, from his arrival at the castle to the moment King Charles III made her dad a knight by giving him a tap on each shoulder with a ceremonial sword, Isan Elba gave her TikTok followers a close-up glimpse at what the ceremony looks like.
“Something about this feels illegal, but this stuff needs to be documented, people,” she said, showing crowds of fans outside her car and the castle. “The security was insane. It took us a minimum of 30 minutes to get inside. They even had bomb dogs, and dogs with jobs are just so cute.”
Panning to the British royal guards, who famously stand outside active royal palaces as still as statues, Elba added that she found their stonelike demeanor inspiring. “They are the level of unbothered that I need to be,” she said.
@isanelba And I forgot to mention he got knighted to an orchestra playing “ordinary” by Alex Warren .. so random
#comewithme
♬ Idyllic jazz bossa nova with piano and guitar(1298871) – TAKANORI ONDA
Throughout the vlog, Elba gave followers a rare look inside Windsor Castle, including the paintings of British royal history on the walls. Although some viewers may have come for the portraits of the late Queen Elizabeth II, they likely stayed for Elba’s hilarious commentary.
“I’m actually dying watching the videos I took because I look so sketchy. I’m like trying to hide the fact that I’m recording the whole time, while also being extremely obvious,” she said.
Showing the ceremony, Elba said that she and her family were placed in a room where they were given instructions on how the day would go, before those being honored by the King were called up one by one.
“Aw, look how adorable my dad looks. He looks so nervous,” she teased. As the clip jumped to Idris Elba being addressed by King Charles III, Isan added, “I know I definitely wasn’t supposed to record this part, but YOLO. This is the most insane once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am such a proud daughter, watching this was so emotional. My grandma was with me, my brother and my stepmom; it was really beautiful.”
In the comments, folks congratulated the Elba family and hoped the royal family would never find out the event was vlogged.
“Congrats and congrats on being the first one vlogging that,” wrote one user.
“This is so fascinating. Congratulations! Thank you for taking the risk and sharing with us,” added another.
“I met your Dad through work, and he is literally the kindest, humblest person ever!! Congratulations to you all, soooo well deserved,” commented a third.
