O King Charles III knighted Queen’s guitarist Brian May, in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace. He is the first member of the legendary band to receive this honor for his long-time contribution to music and philanthropy.

“There are no words,” the legendary guitarist wrote in an Instagram post, posting a photo of the moment he was knighted with Charles’ signature gesture of resting the royal sword on his shoulders.

The musician, holder of a doctorate in astrophysics and animal rights activist, was among the 1,100 people who will be honored by the British palace in 2023. The list was announced last December with the signature of Charles for the first time.

According to People, Sir Brian May joins the list of musicians who have received the same honor as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Rod Stewart and Tom Jones.

Brian May