The Mayor of London has been given the honour by King Charles today.

Sadiq Khan was knighted by King Charles (Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has today been knighted. It follows criticism from senior Conservative politicians and a mammoth petition with 220,000 signatures to prevent it.

The Knighthood was announced on 30 December last year alongside a number of politicians named in the New Years Honours list. However, politicians including shadow home secretary Chris Philp labelled the knighthood as a “reward for failure”.

Nearly 30 petitions have been rejected, as per the UK Parliament Petition website. The 220,000 strong petition read: “Our once thriving capital is now divided and stagnant, and all under his watch.

“We’ve seen Khan continuously deflect responsibility and accountability, blaming everybody but himself. Our beloved city is in an expensive paralysis, consistently interrupted by strikes.”

When it was announced, Khan posted: “Truly humbled to have received a knighthood in the King’s New Year’s Honours.

“I couldn’t have dreamed when growing up on a council estate in south London that I’d one day be Mayor of London. It’s the honour of my life to serve the city I love.”