Peter Jackson knighted in New Zealand

In a scene that could have come from one of his "Lord of the Rings" films, director Peter Jackson knelt Wednesday to be tapped on the shoulder with a sword to confirm his appointment as a knight.

Peter Jackson

Jackson's investiture ceremony in the New Zealand capital Wellington - his home town and business base - installed him as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

"I feel incredibly humbled and the truth is, making movies is not a solo effort - it involves hundreds of people, thousands of people, so I feel as though I'm accepting it on behalf of a huge industry," Jackson told reporters.

Jackson said the honour was different from winning an Oscar, and meant a lot more in some ways because of the tradition and the history involved.

The hugely successful "Lord of the Rings" trilogy won a total of 17 Oscars, including best picture for the final instalment "The Return of the King", for which Jackson also won the best director award.

The 48-year-old director, whose most recent film was "The Lovely Bones", was appointed a knight in a ceremony conducted by Queen Elizabeth II's representative, Governor-General Anand Satyanand.

Jackson's knighthood was announced at the end of last year as part of New Zealand's annual New Year honours.

Knighthoods were abolished in New Zealand by the previous centre-left government in 2000 but were reinstated last year after the election of Prime Minister John Key's centre-right government.