Why the Queen 'refused to hand Mick Jagger a knighthood'

The Queen avoided personally giving Sir Mick Jagger his knighthood because she thought he was an inappropriate candidate for honour, it has been claimed.

Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger. Photo: AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev

The 86 year-old monarch is said to have not had "the stomach" to present the Rolling Stone's frontman in 2003 on account of his anti-establishment views.

She is also said to have disliked the star's s relationship with her sister, the late Princess Margaret, and as a result asked the Prince of Wales to give him his knighthood instead.

The Queen was said to have deliberately scheduled an operation to remove cartilage from her left knee for the day before Jagger received one of the country's highest honours.

The claims were made in a new controversial, and unauthorised, biography 'Mick: the Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger', which was released in America in Tuesday.

Jagger once called the Queen "Chief Witch" and proclaimed "anarchy is the only slight glimmer of hope".