Final Years
Ernest de Silva was knighted on 1 January 1946 by King George VI for his services to Ceylon. 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 Sri Lankan 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 Sri Lanka 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".
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