Prince William says Kevin Sinfield's knighthood was "one of the easiest decisions"
Prince William has said that giving Sir Kevin Sinfield his knighthood was "probably one of the easiest decisions anyone's ever had to make". He made the remarks in an exclusive interview with BBC Breakfast, the BBC's morning television programme, and Hello! Magazine reported his words on 26 October 2026.
A knighthood is a national honour, conferred by the sovereign, that lets the recipient use the title "Sir". Sinfield is a rugby league star who played for Leeds, and his name is now linked with a cause that has moved many people across the sport and beyond.
In the interview, William praised Sinfield's leadership with a line that quickly became the headline: "The more Kevs we have in this country the better." He said there "is no ego" in Sinfield's work. He also praised what he called his quiet, subtle caring, which does not seek attention. William added: "I think frankly he should have been Sir Kevin years ago."
The honour comes after a long run of fundraising. In 2024, Sinfield completed seven ultra marathons in seven days to raise money for motor neurone disease (MND) charities. He was doing it in the wake of the death of his former Leeds teammate Rob Burrow, who had the condition. MND is a progressive illness that affects the nerves controlling movement.
The two men were already honoured together. In January 2024, the Prince of Wales awarded both Burrow and Sinfield a CBE, or Commander of the Order of the British Empire, during a meeting in Leeds. William later opened the Rob Burrow Centre for MND in Leeds, which the BBC reported in November 2025.
Sinfield's fundraising has continued. BBC Breakfast said in an October 2026 Facebook post that he has raised more than £13 million over seven years for MND. In September 2026, the BBC reported that William and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, had surprised him on an MND run. The Princess Royal, who is Royal Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, has also attended one of his challenge events.
A documentary about his work, called Thank You Sir Kev, is due to air on BBC One at 8pm on Monday 26 October. The programme is the BBC's own production, made for BBC Breakfast's audience and others.
For readers who follow the honours system, the sequence is simple. A CBE was the first recognition for Sinfield, and a knighthood came later. William's comments mark the public side of that second step, and the programme on BBC One will show the work behind it.
