Michael Jackson was desperate to receive a knighthood from the Queen

Home Top

show ad

Inside Lamar's Vegas $75k brothel binge: Security footage 'shows NBA star popping pills' - as Kardashians arrive home in LA and Caitlyn Jenner joins heartbroken Khloe at his hospital bedside
'Officer, what are you doing?': US cop shoots dead unarmed 17-year-old boy driving back from church basketball game after teen flashed his lights to signal fault with patrol car
Fox News guest terrorism analyst is arrested on fraud charges after falsely claiming to have been a CIA agent for nearly three decades
Bondage Bob in bid to overturn murder conviction: Detroit dungeon master claims he had no need to kill his wife as she was fine with him sleeping with other women
Body found in Florida believed to be that of missing nine-week-old boy as his parents await extradition on child neglect charges
The $250billion hangover: Binge drinkers are draining the U.S. economy due to health issues, car crashes, deaths and reduced productivity at work, study reveals
Is this the biggest blister you've ever seen? Hideous video shows swelling that covers man's entire PALM being popped
Mother's outrage as her twin sons are left in tears when pornographic audio is blasted over the loudspeakers at TARGET
Salt Lake City Capitol building evacuated after man abandons unloaded rifle inside a cardboard box with a wreath in 'bizarre' stunt
Not lovin' it: McDonald's franchisees say all-day breakfast is a disaster as new menu slows down service
Did notorious cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer kidnap and decapitate John Walsh's son? Book claims serial killer was behind grisly murder of the six-year-old boy that inspired 'America's Most Wanted'
Turkish warplanes shoot down 'unidentified aircraft' within their airspace near Syrian border - weeks after Russian jets were intercepted entering it
The REAL power struggle in Syria: How Assad and ISIS work together to provide energy to the country... with terrified staff forced to work in Islamist-held electricity plants
The very glam life of the other Johnson brother: Bad boy golfer Dustin's sibling posts photos of himself enjoying the high life with his blonde tennis ace girlfriend
Frozen world of Enceladus revealed: Cassini captures the fractured and pockmarked surface of Saturn's moon in unprecedented detail
The sun's sprung a leak! Enormous coronal hole that is 50-EARTHS-wide spotted on star (but don't worry, it's harmless)
'I think he had a death wish': Father of Lamar Odom's best friend who was killed by drugs says he believes NBA star is 'done'
Kardashian family post joint statement suspending their subscription apps 'while we support and pray for Lamar'
CNN comes under fire after story on Lamar Odom tragedy features photo of basketball player LaMarcus Aldridge
'We ask for your continued prayers': Lamar Odom's children release heartfelt statement about their comatose father
'Pray for Lamar': Kylie's boyfriend Tyga takes TWO Rolls Royces to work, while making it clear he has NBA star on his mind
Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip release stunning black and white photos to mark their pregnancy announcement
Cruel mother stabbed, strangled and binned her newborn moments after birth to kill the baby because 'raising a child is too tiring'
Chinese body snatchers try to sell female corpse as 'ghost bride' in marriage ritual for the dead that's believed to help ward off evil spirits

Matt Fiddes was Michael Jackson's bodyguard for more than a decade
Fiddes claims the prince of pop wanted to be known as Sir Michael
Jackson was jealous of other US celebrities who were given knighthoods
Fiddes is featuring in a new action movie with the star of musical Oliver!

By Sam Creighton for the Daily Mail

Published: 20:10 EST, 1 October 2015 | Updated: 05:28 EST, 2 October 2015

145

View
comments

Michael Jackson, pictured, wanted to receive a knighthood from the Queen according to his bodyguard

As the King of Pop Michael Jackson received Grammys, Brit Awards and even held world records.

But the one accolade the singer was most desperate to secure was a knighthood from the Queen, his former bodyguard has revealed.

Jackson, who sold more than one billion records, would often demand: ‘I’m the biggest star in the world, why aren’t I Sir Michael Jackson, what’s going on?’

He believed his connection with royal family, through his close friendship with Princess Diana, should have been enough to bring him to the Queen’s attention.

He was jealous of other American celebrities such as Hollywood director Steven Spielberg and comedian Bob Hope who had been given honorary knighthoods.

His obsession was so overriding that he even agreed to meet with a senior Labour politician who offered to help him become Sir Michael Jackson, it is claimed.

The meeting was arranged by a showbiz pal, but the politician failed to fulfil their promise and acted like a ‘star struck fan’.

They then spent months 'harassing’ the singer over the phone begging to visit his Neverland Ranch in California, forcing the star to eventually block their calls.

Matt Fiddes, who protected Jackson for a decade up to his death in 2009, said: ‘Michael was very ambitious, he never lost it. The one thing he didn’t have, that was very important to him, was recognition from the Queen. He was good friends with [Princess] Diana and he couldn’t understand it. He would say “I’m the biggest star in the world, why aren’t I Sir Michael Jackson, what’s going on?” Steven Spielberg was made a Sir, so it’s obviously not just a British thing. He wanted to make that happen, so we wrote letters and tried various things but just were ignored.’

Mr Fiddes – who is set to star in action film Fighting Talk with Mark Lester, Jackson’s childhood friend and star of musical Oliver! – said the politician claimed to be in daily contact with the royal family. They said they could secure a knighthood but only if Jackson visited the UK, including making an appearance at the Houses of Parliament, ‘to show he supported the UK government and the prime minister and the party and so on, Michael had to make an effort’.

The politician failed to follow through on their pledge and also acted like a hysterical fan around the singer.

Mr Fiddes said: ‘Michael felt used for publicity, he didn’t understand what it was all about. Why go to the Houses of Parliament to talk about the honour from the Queen? It was very important to Michael, the royal family. He just felt he had been lied to, promised something but then used’.

The martial arts expert added: ‘[They were] clearly a fan and when the fans were screaming, [they] inside the car would also be screaming. [They were] obsessed by Michael’s superstardom. The PR was so well organised. We were meant to be visiting in secret but once we arrived it was unbelievable, there was press everywhere and Michael was very upset by that. He was under the impression he was going to meet Prince Charles and Prince Harry and Prince William and then [the politician] said they were suddenly too busy that day’.

Fiddes, pictured, said he is about to star in an action movie with Mark Lester, who featured in Oliver!

Matt Fiddes, left, was Michael Jackson's bodyguard for a decade until the star's death in 2009

Fiddes said the unnamed politician kept bombarding the star, left, with phone calls and had to be blocked

After the meeting, the politician spent months bombarding the singer with phone calls, begging to be allowed to visit the Neverland ranch. The property, complete with its own petting zoo and fairground, was raided when Jackson was accused of sexual abuse.

The politician was so persistent that Mr Fiddes revealed Jackson was forced to block their calls. He said: ‘[They were] just in awe of Michael and then after [the visit to the UK] they just bombarded us to try and get to Neverland and build on this friendship with MJ. Michael would always say to people out of politeness “you should come to Neverland one day” but he didn’t really mean it, he would say it to everyone and, to be honest, he was never there himself anyway. But [they] took it seriously and was on our case about it constantly about going to Neverland. It was never going to happen. [They were] just so star struck by Michael it was unbelievable. I must have fielded off 20 calls myself and I know [they] tried others many times. [They] wanted private time with Michael really’.

Jackson did have a connection to the royal family through his friendship with Princess Diana. He once revealed he would often call her from his home and they would ‘cry on each other’s shoulders’ about their private lives.

The singer talked about his relationship with the late princess during a compilation of his home movies shown on American television. He claimed the princess took him to one side before a charity concert in 1988 and asked him to include his song, Dirty Diana.

Shortly afterwards, he said, Prince Charles came over. When he asked his wife what she had said, Diana told him: ‘Nothing’.

Other American celebrities have been made honorary knights and dames. The list includes Bob Hope, who was given the award in 1998 to recognise his contribution to the Anglo-American ‘friendship’, Steven Spielberg in 2001 for his work to increase movie-going in Britain and Angelina Jolie last year for her humanitarian work.