Question here regarding the British system of "knighting": What does it take? I always thought special British people were knighted for "bringing honor to the country", or something to that effect; in other words, doing something really great. But my mom says they're knighted merely for making a billion dollars in whatever field they're in. Help, please?

Also, if a knighted guy is called "Sir", is a woman called a "Lady"? (Girls CAN be knighted, can't they?)

Knighthood was originally a military honour, bestowed by the monarch on men who gave outstanding service in battle. Later it became a way in which the monarch would reward men who gave outstanding service in other respects.

As in most other things, power has passed from the monarch to the Government. Today it is essentially the Prime Minister of the day, in consultation with advisers, who hands out knighthoods. There are specialist committees in the Cabinet Office who make recommendations in particular fields. Anyone can nominate a person for a knighthood or other honour, but in practice I think that only nominations through official channels are likely to get anywhere.

Many knights are, as you suggest, successful industrialists. Exactly why they receive their honours is a matter for speculation. Some say that it ids because they have served the country by, e.g., boosting exports. Others think they get the honours by bankrolling politicians.

Outside the business world, knighthoods often go to scientists, academics, senior public servants, and increasingly to entertainers and sportspeople.

“Lady” is the title given to the wife of a knight or baronet, so “Lady Smith” is the wife of Sir Somebody Smith. The female equivalent of a knight is a dame, who is known as, for example, “Dame Fanny Adams.”

Zelda. The criteria used for awarding kinighthoods and other honours are somewhat mysterious and quirky. Yes, in principle knighthoods are given for service to the country, but this is open to many interpretations. For example, very senior civil servants are offered knighthoods almost as a matter of course. High Court judges are also knighted automatically.

Btw, sometimes people who raise substantial sums for charity (or simply give it) are knighted.

Former Prime Ministers are entitled to a knighthood, even those who made an dog's breakfast of their term of office.

There are different orders of knightood - some vastly classier than others - just in case you hadn't guessed. To add to the fun there are a quite a number of "Knights Bachelor", who are knights without being members of any order of knighthood. The most common and least classy order is - wait for it - The Order of the British Empire (yes, still awared in 2004) ...

At the time when Sir Anthony Blunt was unmasked as the "4th man" in the Burgess-Maclean-Philby case some wit suggested that we ought to establish a new order, simply "Order of Great Britain", so that members of the Secret Intelligence Service could be awarded a more modern sounding title that could be abbreviated KGB, for example, Sir Anthony Blunt, KGB. In fact, he was a KCVO - a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. He was stripped of the thing ...

Oh, what a crazy system!

Quote:

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Eric Clapton and Ray Davies were recently appointed CBEs (Commanders of Order of the British Empire) by the Queen of England in the annual New Years Honours List. The CBE is an honor just below that of Knighthood. In previous years, the Queen has knighted musicians Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Elton John. Twice a year, the British government awards a variety of honors to people for exceptional achievement or service to the country. This year's list is not without controversy with the British feeling that the awards have become very secretive and political. As a response, Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced plans to make the award process more open to the public. This time, The London Sunday Times printed a list the week prior to the honors announcements, of 300 people who have refused the awards in the past. Those include David Bowie, comedian John Cleese, Absolutely Fabulous' Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, TV cook Nigella Lawson and actor Kenneth Branagh. Historians say that knighthoods were being turned down as far back as the 13th Century when knights were then expected to fulfill military service. Now a days, many reject the honor stating that they consider it a part of an imperialist class-driven system.

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Also see Here.


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Agnes (JTJ)

Thanks, all of you -- you've been so helpful!

Below the Order of the British Empire (OBE) is Member of the British Empire (MBE), my boss got one in the summer, he still got to shake hands with the Queen in Buckingham Palace.

And below the MBE there's the BEM. Just shuffle the letters like three cards and you get the British Empire Medal which used to be mainly for dedicated postmen (Pat?) and postwomen who got the post through ...

Something that tickles me is the fact some people used to have all kinds of knighthoods showered on them. If one takes a stroll through the dining-hall of any older Oxbridge college one can find portraits with inscriptions at the bottom like "Sir Archibald Carruthers-Smithaars o' that Ilk, KCB, GCSI, KCIE". Oops, I may have got them in the wrong order. They stand for
Knight Commander of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross of the Star of India, Knight Commander of the Indian Empire ...

I should add that these two last order of knighthood haven't been awarded since 1947 and are probably now defunct, though I suppose it just possible that there may be a couple of very old KCIEs still at large somewhere or other ...

(Btw, as far as I'm aware the Order of the Bath has nothing to do with bathing).

A little PS. Oxbridge isn't a typo for Uxbridge . It's a widely used abbreviation for Oxford and/or Cambridge

Another little thing. If a Briton gets a foreign knighthood (for example by being made a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur) they are, I'm told, sent a letter from HM Private Secretary telling them the thing isn't recongized in the UK and above all that they mustn't wear the insignia in public!. No penalties are mentioned but I'm told people who've had the misfortune to receive one of these letters sometimes think it can't be long before they end up in the Tower of London .. or should it be ?

I wish I could remember where I read things.

Apparently the origin of the Order of the Garter (which I believe is the highest award - Bloomsby?) was in the 15/16th Century. A courtier or someone similar was at a party and he was doing the dancing and all that jazz with a woman when a piece of ladies attire slipped from under her dress. In order to save the poor woman from further embarrassment, he tied the said garment to his leg and continued with the fun and revelry.

I don't know if there is any truth to this.

That is more or less what I was taught too. I just did a Google and found this...

http://www.heraldicsculptor.com/Garters.html

http://www.berkshirehistory.com/articles/garter.html

Yes, the Most Noble Order of the Garter with its wonderful motto towers high above the rest, followed by the Scottish and Irish "counterparts" - the Order of the Thistle and the virtually defunct Order of St. Patrick. (Alas, there's no Welsh counterpart ). It's interesting that these three orders don't have the fussy distinctions like Knight Grand Cross versus Knight Commander, and certainly nothing remotely as crude as the MVO (4th class). Honestly, if you're going to give someone an honour, it's surely very bad form and most unchivalrous (or just plain bad manners?) to label the thing "4th class".