Despite historic 2025 successes, Rory McIlroy is not on the New Year’s Honours List. An HMRC review appears to be blocking the knighthood for now.
The Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a frontrunner alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, also from England, for a knighthood from King Charles III. However, all three golfers were left out this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, becoming the first European ever to do so. He also excelled at the 2025 Ryder Cup, helping Team Europe secure their first away victory since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Nevertheless, McIlroy’s name was absent from the list of 1,157 honorees in the New Year’s Honours List, which is first reviewed by the Cabinet Office and then by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the UK tax authority, before being passed to the Prime Minister and monarch. According to a report by the UK Telegraph, HMRC intervened in the process, similar to what happened with footballer David Beckham, who also waited several years for knighthood due to tax investigations.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Taxes?
McIlroy, recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, was involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013 that were initially classified as legal tax reliefs by authorities. Later, HMRC determined these projects constituted tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether the ‘Business Premises Renovation Allowance’ program was exploited to deliberately evade tax payments. However, there is currently no evidence suggesting McIlroy intentionally avoided taxes.
As the HMRC plays a role in knighthood decisions, such suspicion or ongoing investigation can lead to rejection of the honor. Neither the Northern Irish player nor the UK government has commented on the matter so far.