The award of a knighthood had been announced in the 1998 New Year Honours list, but investiture with the award had been delayed, at Clarke's request, because of an accusation, by the British tabloid The Sunday Mirror, of paedophilia.
Premiul fusese anunțat încă din 1998, dar investirea a fost amânată la cererea lui Clarke, care fusese acuzat de pedofilie de tabloidul britanic The Sunday Mirror.