Mercedes’ British F1 driver Lewis Hamilton poses with his medal after being appointed as a Knight Bachelor (Knighthood) for services to motorsports, by Britain’s Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London on December 15, 2021. Andrew Matthews / POOL / AFP
Lewis Hamilton may have missed out on a record-breaking eighth Formula One title in controversial fashion, but his glittering career was recognised on Wednesday as he was knighted by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle.
The 36-year-old was recognised in the New Year Honours list for services to motor sport following a year in which he eclipsed Michael Schumacher’s all-time tally for Grand Prix wins and emulated the German by winning a seventh world title.
But on Sunday, championship rival Max Verstappen claimed his first Formula One world title after a season-long battle with Hamilton came down to a one-lap shoot-out in Abu Dhabi.
The deployment of the safety car after a late crash at the Yas Marina Circuit wiped out Hamilton’s seemingly unassailable lead and Verstappen had the advantage as he was using fresher tyres.
On Wednesday, Hamilton was joined by his mother Carmen Lockhart and was all smiles as they posed for pictures in the castle’s quadrangle.
However, he declined to speak to reporters afterwards.
Hamilton reportedly told his engineers “this has been manipulated” moments after the title was snatched away from him, but he was later magnanimous towards Verstappen in post-race interviews.
He is the fourth F1 driver to be knighted, following in the footsteps of Australian Jack Brabham and Britons Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart, and the first to be awarded the honour while still competing.
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/old-brick-house-in-westmount-quebec-canada.jpg?id=60032102&width=2000&height=1500&coordinates=184%2C0%2C184%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>If you're hoping to buy a home in Montreal this year, you'll want to double-check your budget — because it just got a little harder.</p><p>According to a <a href="https://wealthnorth.ca/income-afford-home/" target="_blank">new report from WealthNorth</a>, the median price for a single-family home in the Montreal CMA rose to $610,000 in March 2025, up $10,000 from February. To afford that, you'd now need an annual household income of $168,507, based on the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's 32% affordability rule.</p><p>For those keeping count, that's a $2,452 jump in required income from just one month ago.</p><p>Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/quebec-salary-2025" target="_blank">average weekly earnings in Quebec were about $1,229</a> as of November 2024, according to Statistics Canada. That adds up to roughly $63,900 a year before taxes</p><p>Here's what it now takes to buy a median-priced single-family home in Montreal and surrounding regions:</p><h2>Single-family homes (March 2025)</h2><ul><li>Montreal CMA: $168,507 for a $610,000 home<br/></li><li>Island of Montreal: $210,199 for a $780,000 home</li><li>Laval: $162,621 for a $586,000 home</li><li>North Shore: $156,245 for a $560,000 home</li><li>South Shore: $170,776 for a $619,250 home</li><li>Vaudreuil-Soulanges: $163,909 for a $591,250 home</li><li>Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu: $152,566 for a $545,000 home</li></ul> <p>And while home prices climbed in most areas, Laval, Vaudreuil-Soulanges, and the North Shore actually saw slight price drops in March — meaning slightly lower income thresholds.</p><p>If you're not quite there income-wise, condos remain a more realistic option.</p><h2>Condos (March 2025)</h2><ul><li>Montreal CMA: $121,910 for a $420,000 condo</li><li> Island of Montreal: $137,238 for a $482,500 condo</li><li> Laval: $117,005 for a $400,000 condo</li><li> North Shore: $108,176 for a $364,000 condo</li><li> South Shore: $117,005 for a $400,000 condo</li><li> Vaudreuil-Soulanges: $105,969 for a $355,000 condo</li><li> Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu: N/A</li></ul> <p>For reference, the affordability estimates are based on a 20% down payment, 25-year amortization, and current mortgage rates of 6.84%, stress tested at 8.84%. The calculations also account for average property taxes and heating costs.</p><p>If you want to plug in your own numbers or see what you can afford on your current income, you can try the <a href="https://wealthnorth.ca/mortgage-affordability-calculator/" target="_blank">WealthNorth mortgage calculator here</a>.</p><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em></p>
<p><em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p>
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