News: Billy To Be Knighted!

[Cricket]

Bill Gates to Receive Honorary UK Knighthood (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050301/us_nm/people_gates_dc). :eek:

:) Cricket

[Force Flow]

This was brought up a while back. Granting an American citizen knighthood was under debate if it would be constitional or not, since it would "officially" put Gates in a "royal class", whereas the constition bars such a bestowed position that makes a person unequal from the rest of the citizenry.

[Litespeed]

I had a question about the Honorary Knighthood. I remeber others not from England getting Knighted and it was not refered to as Honorary. Now in the educational field when you receive an honorary Doctorate it is in lue of you actually attending school. As for being Knighted you really don't have to go through any training or classes. Therefore my question is what is the difference in an Honorary Knighthood and a regular Knighthood. I know we have several individuals that live in England so please set me straight. Or am I really just getting into semantics over the title of the article.

[kram 2.0]

Very nice - I'm glad Mr. Gates got this as he was definately a strong driving force in the computer business.

kram

[Force Flow]

I had a question about the Honorary Knighthood. I remeber others not from England getting Knighted and it was not refered to as Honorary. Now in the educational field when you receive an honorary Doctorate it is in lue of you actually attending school. As for being Knighted you really don't have to go through any training or classes. Therefore my question is what is the difference in an Honorary Knighthood and a regular Knighthood. I know we have several individuals that live in England so please set me straight. Or am I really just getting into semantics over the title of the article.

I don't believe there was any training for knighthood outside of the medieval ages.

[Panama Red]

How bout a little history lesson and clarification of today's knighting ceremony? (http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page489.asp)

[Litespeed]

I don't believe there was any training for knighthood outside of the medieval ages.


That was my point. Thus why word it as an Honorary Knighthood. I guess I did not word my post correctly.

[Force Flow]

From PR's link...

Today, The Queen (and occasionally members of the Royal Family on her behalf) confers knighthood in Britain. The knight-elect can be knighted at a public Investiture or privately. The ceremony is similar: after his name is announced, the knight-elect kneels on a knighting-stool in front of The Queen who then lays the sword blade on the knight's right and then left shoulder. After he has been dubbed, the new knight stands up (contrary to popular belief, the words 'Arise, Sir ---' are not used), and The Queen then invests the knight with the insignia of the Order to which he has been appointed (a star or badge, depending on the Order). By tradition, clergy receiving a knighthood are not dubbed, as the use of a sword is thought inappropriate for their calling.

Over the centuries, knighthood has evolved: it is no longer awarded solely for military merit, it cannot be bought and it carries no military obligations to the Sovereign. However, knighthood remains as a form of recognition for significant contributions to national life. Recipients today range from actors to scientists, and from school head teachers to industrialists.

Foreign citizens occasionally receive honorary knighthoods; they are not dubbed, and they do not use the style 'Sir'. Such knighthoods are conferred by The Queen, on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on those who have made an important contribution to relations between their country and Britain. Foreign citizens with knighthoods include the former US Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, Chancellor Kohl, President Mitterrand and Mayor Giuliani of New York.

[Mac Medic]

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmpubadm/212/212.pdf

1mb PDF explaining the Honor system in GB