notable philatelists in the world and also owned the legendary orange-red "Post Office" Mauritius One Penny (1847) stamp; considered to be among the rarest and most expensive stamps in the world. In keeping with his charitable ways, he donated the stamp to his relative, Sir Cyril de Zoysa, for the construction of the YMBA headquarters building. Subsequently, the stamp brought $1.1 million at an auction in 1993. Sir A. E. de Silva was also known to be one of the best Ceylonese billiards players of his time and was the patron of the Ceylon Amateur Billiards Association. He played rounds with the then-world champions in his mansion and club. He was also the president of the Ceylon Turf Club and had the rare distinction of winning two Governor's Cups in Ceylon with his favourites Louvello and L'Allegro as well as a Governor's Cup in Calcutta. As president, he maintained a high level of integrity in the "Sport of Kings". He was also one of the first Ceylonese to own a Rolls-Royce. Honors Ernest de Silva was knighted as a Knight Bachelor on 1 January 1946 by King George VI for his public services in Ceylon in the 1946 New Year Honours. In recognition of his services, Flower Road (where he resided) was renamed Sir Ernest de Silva Mawatha and a stamp was issued in his honour. Considered the most respected and wealthiest Ceylonese of his generation, he was offered the position of the first Ceylonese Governor General (Representative of the British Monarch in Ceylon, i.e. de facto Head of State), which he declined due to personal reasons. Sir Ernest de Silva died at the age of 70, almost ten years after Ceylon gained independence, a cause he strived for. At his funeral, attended by many state officials and leaders, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, who was the prime minister at the time, mentioned the loss the nation has to bear with and thanked the departed philanthropist for his services for Sri Lanka, saying that he was a "true gentleman in every sense of the word". References External links Wright, Arnold. Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon: Its History, People, Commerce ... Asian Educational Svcs.(1999) Ratnayake, Shanika. "He owned much but gave away even more: Remembering Sir Ernest de Silva (1887–1957)", The Sunday Times Online, v. 41 no. 51 "Sir Ernest remembered with a biography", "The Island" "Inner Temple Library" "Tribute to Sir Ernest de