Lewis Hamilton received a knighthood at Windsor Castle this week, just days after his heartbreaking end to the Formula 1 season. The Mercedes star was pipped to the championship on the last lap as Max Verstappen capitalised on a controversial decision to resume racing by the race director Michael Masi. After the race, Sir Lewis' brother Nic offered an update on the seven-time champion. He said: "I tried to speak to him but I think I’m just going to leave him for a bit. We all know what it’s like when things are difficult.

       "My mum and dad are with him and they said he’s okay. I think he’s just in a place where he doesn’t want to talk to anyone, including me.

       "When you’ve had a bad day, the last thing you want to do is talk about it, everyone’s got an opinion, the thing you need is your bro calling you up and talking about it, so I can understand it."

       But Sir Lewis' disappointment may have been eased by the honour he received on Wednesday.

       The Mercedes man has been positive about the royals in the past, including Meghan Markle when she first entered The Firm.

       In 2018, after her wedding to Prince Harry, Hamilton heaped praise on the Duchess and said he enjoyed the occasion.

       He said: "I watched here at the weekend just with a smile on my face the whole time.

       "It was great to see such a positive change. It was great to see how happy they both were. It was just a really proud day for the world and it's always great to see positivity and change.

       "The fact you do have diversity in the Royal Family today is a huge thing, people probably don't realise how important that is. Even to see at the church you had a mixture with the ministers, in the music, in the choir, it was just really beautiful to see.

       "So I just had the greatest weekend ever just sitting there watching, seeing talented people play music and seeing them speak and then just to see this power couple walk out.

       "It was the greatest wedding I've ever seen - and I'm not big on weddings at all, I avoid them at all costs. But this was one, I wish I was actually in England to have seen it.

       "Plus, England on a sunny day is just so beautiful with the castle and everything. It was pretty much a fairytale that every kid and adult today that's particularly not married dreams of having that kind of weekend."

       Hamilton has also appeared friendly with Harry in the past, as seen when they met at Silverstone in March 2020.

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       Harry was driven to the doors of a new building in an electric Mercedes by Hamilton.

       The pair took a tour of The Silverstone Experience in Northamptonshire, a museum charting British motor racing through the years.

       As they arrived Harry and Sir Lewis met students from local schools in the Tech Lab section, learning more about the cutting-edge science and engineering that goes into motor racing.

       They then Harry got to grips with some of the interactive displays, including the pit gun challenge.

       Hamilton has also recalled a funny story involving himself and the Queen from when he was first made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, also known as an MBE, at a ceremony in 2009.

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       In 2015, the iconic F1 driver spoke to Graham Norton about the interaction.

       He said: “I got invited to a lunch and was sitting next to the Queen.

       “I was excited and started to talk to her, but she said – pointing to my left – 'No you speak that way first, and I'll speak this way and then I'll come back to you.”

       He continued: “She is a sweet woman, and we talked about how she spends her weekends, houses and music. She is really cool.”