Meghan Markle had one condition when Rory McIlroy nominated her for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in August 2014. The golfer obliged, and what happened next, according to Tom Bower’s 2022 book, involved the Fitzpatrick Hotel, a “hectic night,” and a 74 at The Barclays the following morning. Now, the clip is circulating again as internet folklore explaining why McIlroy entered 2026 without a Knighthood.
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The theory sounds absurd, but in the polarised landscape of post-2020 royal coverage, absurdity travels quickly. McIlroy’s 2025 season left nothing to interpretation. He conquered Augusta in April, becoming the first European to complete the career Grand Slam. He led Team Europe to a Ryder Cup victory on American soil: the first since 2012. He collected the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, joining only two other golfers in the award’s seven-decade history. Yet when the 2026 New Year’s Honours list dropped on December 29, 2025, his name was absent.
McIlroy was #1 and fresh off Open Championship and PGA Championship victories when he nominated Meghan, who was starring in Suits at the time. She accepted, but only if McIlroy had drenched her personally. He flew to New York, climbed a stepladder on her friend’s balcony, and dumped ice water over her head while she shrieked and laughed. The video went viral. Markle nominated Serena Williams, George W. Bush, and Wayne Rooney. The moment passed.
“After the video was posted, the two went to the Fitzpatrick hotel for a drink,” Bower wrote in Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors. “The following morning, McIlroy arrived at the Ringwood golf course to play in a new competition. Worse for wear after a hectic night, he fell back to 101st place.”
The tournament was The Barclays, the opening event of the FedEx Cup playoffs, held at Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey. McIlroy shot a 3-over 74 in round one, before rallying to a 22nd-place finish.
“I wasn’t quite on my game,” he admitted after the first round. “I was enjoying myself.”
Now, online speculation has resurrected the anecdote as supposed evidence of “diplomatic baggage”: the idea that McIlroy’s decade-old association with the Duchess of Sussex, now estranged from the Royal Family after stepping back from duties in 2020, somehow complicates his path to royal recognition.
The theory makes for entertaining content. It makes for poor analysis as the UK honours system operates on bureaucracy, not gossip. HMRC vets all nominations and can place a “red flag” on candidates with unresolved tax concerns, halting an honour before it ever reaches the Prime Minister or the King. No public explanation is required in this.
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The reality behind Rory McIlroy’s honours gap
McIlroy was reportedly involved in a 2015 investment scheme: the Business Premises Renovation Allowance, which drew HMRC scrutiny. No illegal activity was found, and no suggestion existed that McIlroy acted improperly. But within the honours framework, perception and probity carry weight.
The precedent is David Beckham. In 2011, he was nominated for a Knighthood. HMRC placed a red flag on his file due to alleged tax avoidance connected to Ingenious Films. For fourteen years, his honour remained in limbo. He finally received it in June 2025.
McIlroy’s situation mirrors that trajectory. No BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner has been denied the honours upgrade for nearly a decade, making his omission a unique first. But unique doesn’t mean permanent, as his achievements remain.
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