BBC Russian Service - Information services. Modern knights: how and why they received the title of lady or Sir Angelina Jolie, Elton John and others Order of the British Empire Great Britain award order
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Most Excellent Order of the British Empire(English) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) - an order of knighthood established by the British King George V on June 4, 1917.
The motto of the order is “For God and the Empire”. This is the most junior order in the British award system, while it has the largest number of members.
Most members of the order are subjects of Great Britain or other Commonwealth states. Citizens of other countries can be admitted to the order as "honorary members" (and can become full members if they take British citizenship).
Badges of the order (above - the badge of the order, covered with blue enamel, common to the commander, knight-commander and knight grand cross, worn on a neck ribbon; below - the star of the knight grand cross; in the center - the star of the knight commander; bottom left - the silver badge of the cavalier , worn on a ribbon on the chest; lower right - a gold officer’s badge, worn similarly to a cavalry one)
The Order was founded by George V to fill a gap in the British honors system: the Order of the Bath was given only to senior military officers and civil servants, the Order of St Michael and St George to diplomats, and the Royal Victorian Order to those who served the royal family personally. In particular, George V considered it necessary to reward several thousand who served in non-combat units during the First World War. The Order of the British Empire is more democratic in nature than the Order of the Bath or the Order of Saints Michael and George, and at first was not highly valued, but over time the situation changed.
Initially, the order included only one division, but soon after its founding, in 1918, it was divided into military and civilian divisions.
The Order consists of five classes of civil and military divisions (in descending order of seniority):
At the founding of the order, the “Medal of the Order of the British Empire” was introduced (in 1922, renamed the “British Empire Medal”). Medal holders are not members of the order (but are associated with it) and are also divided into civilian and military divisions. Only junior government and military officials are awarded the medal; senior officials are immediately accepted into the order. The UK Government has not recommended the award of the medal since 1992, although some Commonwealth states continue to award it.
The order's charter provides for a limit of 100 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dame Commanders and 8,960 Commanders. There is no limit on the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be awarded in a year. In practice, in the 21st century, the highest two degrees are awarded quite rarely. For example, since 1964, only three women have become Dames Grand Cross. Men are awarded the highest degree more often - 31 people have become Knight Grand Cross since 1990. By custom, upon their appointment, female judges of the High Court of England and Wales become Dame Commanders and male judges become Knight Bachelors.
All members of the order have their place in order of precedence. Seniority is also established for the wives of members of the order of all classes, sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knight Commanders. There is no order of precedence for relatives of wives of members of the order.
Knights Grand Cross and Knight Commanders bear the title "Sir", and Dames Grand Cross and Dame Commanders bear the title "Dame" before their personal names. Wives of knights can add “Lady” to their surname; there is no such rule for the husbands of titled ladies. These titles are not used by members of the order if they are also peers or princes, other than writing their names in their fullest form.
Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dame Commanders who are not subjects of the Queen are the so-called. "honorary" members and may not use the prefix "Sir" or "Lady", but may use abbreviations after their names. For example, Bill Gates, who was awarded the title of Knight Commander of the British Empire, did not receive the right to be titled "Sir William" or "Sir William Gates III", but may be written "William Henry Gates III, KBE". Honorary members and clerics are not knighted.
Knights and Dames Grand Cross are entitled to include heraldic holders. They also have the right to surround their coats of arms with a circle with the motto and the right to a collar. Knights and Dames Commanders, as well as Commanders, are only entitled to the circle.
At important events (such as coronations and service of the order), members of the order wear costumes depending on their rank (the appearance underwent significant changes in 1937). The badge of the order is worn on the left side of the chest.
On some "collar days" specified by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the order's chain on their military uniform or evening wear. When the chain is worn, the badge of the order is worn on the chain. After the death of the owner, the chain is returned, but other insignia remain.
The order's chapel is at the far eastern end of the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, but large services are held in the main ward of the cathedral. Religious services for the entire order are held every four years; at this service new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are announced. The chapel was dedicated in 1960.
The Order has attracted some criticism regarding the idea of the British Empire. The poet Benjamin Zephaniah publicly rejected the OBE in 2003 because, he said, it reminded him of “thousands of years of brutality.” He went on to say, “This reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and how my forefathers were cruelly treated.” British artist Lawrence Stephen Lowry twice refused to be awarded the Order of the British Empire (4th and 2nd class).
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MottoFor God and EmpireFor God and the Empire)
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire- an order of chivalry created by the British King George V on June 4, 1917. The Order consists of five classes of civil and military divisions (in descending order of seniority):
Knight Grand Cross (GBE) or Dame Grand Cross (GBE)
Knight Commander (KBE) or Dame Commander (DBE)
Commander (CBE)
Officer (OBE)
Member (MBE)
Holders of only the first two titles are eligible for knighthood.
There is also a British Empire Medal, the recipients of which are not members of the Order, but are associates of the Order. In Great Britain the medal is no longer awarded, but in some colonial possessions and Commonwealth states the awards continue.
Motto of the Order— “For God and the Empire” (“For God and the Empire”). This is the most junior order in the British awards system; at the same time, it has the largest number of members.
Story
The Order was founded by George V to fill a gap in the British honors system: the Order of the Bath was given only to senior military officers and civil servants, the Order of St Michael and St George to diplomats, and the Royal Victorian Order to those who served the royal family personally. In particular, George V considered it necessary to reward several thousand who served in non-combat units during the First World War. At first the Order included only one division; shortly after its founding, in 1918 it was divided into military and civilian divisions. The Order of the British Empire has a more democratic character than the Order of the Bath and the Order of Saints Michael and George, and was not highly valued at the beginning. Over the years the situation has changed.
Compound
The British Sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order and appoints all other members of the Order (by agreement, guided by the advice of the Government). The next most senior is the Grand Master (currently Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh).
The Charter of the Order provides for a limit of 100 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dame Commanders and 8960 Commanders. There is no limit on the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be awarded in a year. By custom, upon their appointment, female judges of the High Court of England and Wales become Dame Commanders, and male judges become Knight Bachelors.
Most Knight Commanders of the Order are honorary members or British subjects living abroad, and only a small proportion are residents of the United Kingdom. On the other hand, the degree of Dame Commander is the most common award in the British honors system and is awarded in cases where men receive the rank of Knight Bachelor.
Most members of the Order are subjects of Great Britain or other Commonwealth countries. Citizens of other countries can be admitted to the Order as "honorary members" (and can become full members if they take British citizenship).
At the founding of the Order, the “Medal of the Order of the British Empire” was introduced (renamed the “British Empire Medal” in 1922). Recipients of the medal are not members of the Order and are also divided into civilian and military divisions. Only junior government and military officials are awarded the medal; senior officials are immediately admitted to the Order. The UK Government has not recommended the award of the medal since 1992, however some Commonwealth states continue to award the medal.
The Order has six offices: prelate, deacon, secretary, registrar, herald and gatekeeper. The Bishop of London, the senior bishop in the Church of England, is a prelate of the Order. Deacon of St. Paul is an ex officio deacon of the Order. The order's herald is not a member of the heraldic college, like other heraldic officers. The Doorkeeper of the Order is called the "Gentleman Gatekeeper of the Purple Rod"; he does not participate in the work of the House of Lords.
Robes and decoration
At important events (such as coronations and order services), members of the Order wear costumes depending on their rank (the appearance underwent significant changes in 1937).
On certain "collar days" specified by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the Order's collar on their military uniform or evening wear. When collars are worn, the badge of the Order is worn on the collar. After the death of the owner, the collars are returned, but other insignia remain.
Chapel
The Order's chapel is at the far eastern end of the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, but large services are held in the main section of the cathedral (the Cathedral also houses a chapel for the Order of St Michael and St George). Religious services for the entire Order are held every four years; at this service new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are announced. The chapel was dedicated in 1960.
Seniority and privileges
All members of the Order have their place in order of precedence. Seniority is also established for the wives of members of the Order of all classes, sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knight Commanders. There is no order of precedence for relatives of wives of members of the order.
Knights Grand Cross and Knight Commanders bear the title "Sir", and Dames Grand Cross and Dame Commanders bear the title "Dame" before their personal names. Wives of knights can add “Lady” to their surname; there is no such rule for the husbands of titled ladies. These titles are not used by members of the order if they are also peers or princes, other than writing their names in their fullest form. Honorary members and clerics are not knighted.
Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dame Commanders who are not subjects of the Queen are so-called. "honorary" members and may not use the prefix "sir" or "lady", but may use abbreviations after their names.
For example, Bill Gates, who was awarded the title of Knight Commander of the British Empire, did not receive the right to be titled “Sir William” or “Sir William Gates III”, but may be written “William Henry Gates III, KBE”.
Knights and Dames Grand Cross are entitled to include heraldic holders. They also have the right to surround their coats of arms with a circle with the motto and on the collar. Knights and Dame Commanders, as well as Commanders, are only entitled to the circle.
Some Soviet and Russian holders of the order
Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky - Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order (1943)
Submariner Fyodor Vidyayev - honorary officer of the order (1943)
Cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich - honorary Knight Commander of the Order (1987)
Radio host Seva Novgorodtsev - honorary member of the order (2005)
Actor Vasily Livanov - honorary officer of the order (2006)
Filling in the blanks
The order was established in the summer of 1917 - at the height of the First World War. Which is not surprising. The Great War, as it was called then, brought changes to the award systems of almost all European countries. The initiative came from King George V. His Majesty was surprised to find that the law and statutes of the existing British orders did not allow him to reward a certain number of people who deserved it. So, the king wanted to encourage employees of non-combat units (among others, ordinary firefighters), of which there were several thousand.
Order of the British Empire established at the height of the First World War
This is where a gap in the reward system emerged. The old orders of chivalry had strict restrictions on the number of members. And don’t give firefighters the Order of the Garter or the Order of the Bath. Other awards were also ineligible, including the Royal Victorian Order. Its monarchs could grant it themselves, without the participation of parliament, but for the award, merits to the august family were required. In a word, George V had no choice but to establish a new award. This is how the Order of the British Empire arose.
Tricky system
Already in 1918, the order was divided into two divisions: military and civilian. However, this is not the main thing. The main thing here is degrees. There are five of them: Knight Grand Cross, Knight Commander, Commander, Officer and Cavalier, or, in another translation, Member. The first two give the right to a knighthood. The three youngest are not. But it was the degrees of Officer and Cavalier that contributed to the massive awards. As a result, almost anyone can be awarded an OBE. From outstanding military personnel, doctors, writers and musicians to rescue workers and ordinary people who showed heroism in extreme circumstances. Even foreigners can be accepted into the order, although only as honorary members. To gain full membership, you must obtain British citizenship.
Image: Wikipedia
Simultaneously with the founding of the order, a medal was also established. Since 1922 it has been called the British Empire Medal. Those marked with this sign are not accepted into the order, but are considered to be involved in it. At the end of the twentieth century, awarding the medal actually ceased, but the medal itself was not abolished. Now it continues to be awarded by the governments of several states that are members of the British Commonwealth.
Famous Cavaliers
It is difficult to find a famous Briton who has not been awarded one of the degrees. At the same time, the list of Knights Grand Cross is dominated, of course, by politicians, diplomats and military personnel. Among them we will find three representatives of the famous Rothschild dynasty, the founder of the order, George V, Philip of Edinburgh, and the famous judge William Webb, who was the chairman of the International Tribunal for the Far East. There are also some very curious foreigners here. Thus, the Soviet Marshal Alexander Vasilevsky, as well as the President of Finland Karl Mannerheim, were Knights of the Order of the British Empire.
The list of Dames Grand Cross is not so long, but there are several names that attract attention. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons is the wife of King George VI and the mother of Elizabeth II, who went down in history with her incredible longevity (she lived for almost 102 years). Clementine Churchill, the wife of the legendary prime minister, is also there. Actors and actresses are rarely awarded such high degrees of the Order of the British Empire, but sometimes exceptions are made. One of them was Ellen Terry, an outstanding performer of female roles in Shakespeare's plays.
This is what an England football team made up of MBEs would look like
The list of holders of the two junior degrees of the order is huge. Writers, scientists, musicians, actors, public figures, entrepreneurs and even athletes are gathered here. For example, from football players awarded the Order of the British Empire, you can assemble not just one, but several teams at once, and strong ones at that. Almost all significant players of the 20th century were nominated for this award. Here are David Beckham, the witty Gary Lineker, and Geoff Hurst - the only football player to score three goals in the World Cup final.
The Beatles were almost late for the award ceremony
In the late 60s, all four members of the Beatles were also inducted into the Order of the British Empire. There is a rather curious story connected with their awarding. Due to the intense excitement, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr went outside for a smoke break and were almost late for the ceremony.
Cases of refusal of the Order of the British Empire are extremely rare. The most notorious case occurred in 2003. Benjamin Zephaniah, an extremely respected Rastafarian poet in the United Kingdom, refused the order. The writer even published an open letter about this. He stated that he could not accept the award because of the cruelty of the British colonial authorities towards the conquered peoples. A little later, Zephaniah even wrote a poem dedicated both to the order itself and to his own refusal to accept it.
Images of the announcement on the main page and the lead: voenpro.ru
Most people associate the courageous and somewhat romanticized image of a knight with the Middle Ages. After all, as is known, “knighthood as a military and landowning class arose among the Franks in connection with the transition in the 8th century from the people’s foot army to the cavalry army of vassals. Having been influenced by the church and poetry, it developed the moral and aesthetic ideal of a warrior, and in the era of the Crusades , under the influence of the spiritual knightly orders that arose at that time, became a hereditary aristocracy. The strengthening of state power, the superiority of infantry over cavalry, the invention of firearms and the creation of a standing army by the end of the Middle Ages turned feudal knighthood into a political class of untitled nobility."
At that time, knighting in medieval Latin texts was designated by the words “putting on a military belt.” At that time anyone could be a knight. At first, knighthood was given, according to German tradition, at the age of 12, 15, 19, but in the 13th century there was a noticeable desire to push it back to adulthood, that is, to the 21st year. Although the era of firearms abolished knighthood as a warrior class, the modern world also has its knights.
The British Scheme of Awards for personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom includes the following:
Honors- to recognize virtues in terms of achievement and service;
Medals- to recognize bravery, long and/or valuable service, and/or good behavior; A
Award badges usually given for specific achievements.
Well, knights today exist in cavalry orders like the Order of the Garter (1348) or the Knights of Honor (1917) and in a class known as knights bachelors. Although, unlike knights of British orders, knight bachelors do not have special letters after their name indicating membership in a specific order of chivalry, a knight bachelor is entitled to the title sir.
Let's talk about them. As you know, not only subjects of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but also foreign citizens can receive the honorary title. Of the famous non-Britons, the honor of being a British knight was awarded, in particular, to the founder of Microsoft Bill Gates, singer Placido Doming oh, film director Steven Spielberg, scientist and historian Simon Wiesenthal, also known as the "Nazi hunter".
Among British citizens, actors Sean Connery and Roger Moore (playing James Bond), singers Sting (Gordon Sumner), Paul McCartney, Elton John and many others are considered honorary knights.
Back in 1992, a wonderful composer received the right to use the prefix “sir” Andrew Lloyd Webber, author of music from the musicals "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Cats", from the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar".
Sir Paul McCartney- knight since 1997. This is not the first royal award for the famous Beatle - after all, back in the mid-sixties, each of the Fab Four received an Order of the British Empire. But John Lennon later returned his medal in protest at Britain's support for the US war effort in Vietnam.
In the same year, 1997, another king of British music was knighted - Elton John.
And, having been included in the lists of prospective knights more than once, another talented and legendary British musician was finally initiated into them in 2003, on his 60th birthday. Mick Jagger. The ceremonial atmosphere calls for ceremonial attire, but the lead singer of the rock band The Rolling Stones appeared in a long leather coat, a red scarf and black sneakers, which caused universal condemnation.
Let's finish the theme of music with a solemn ceremony, which took place in 2007 at the residence of the British Ambassador in Dublin. Here he was awarded an honorary knighthood for his service to the UK in the music industry and humanitarian work Bono(real name Paul Newson), Irish musician and public figure, leader of the rock band U-2.
As you know, the title of Knight Bachelor is given only to men, the equivalent title for women is Dame of the Order of the British Empire. So, March 26, 2015 Joan Collins became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The award ceremony was hosted by Prince Charles.
A year earlier, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Angelina Jolie the title of Dame Dame and the Order of St. Michael and St. George for humanitarian work. October 10, 2014.
In 2000 he became a knight for his contribution to cinema. Sean Connery. After he was knighted, newspapers came out with headlines: “My name is Sean, Sir Sean” - this is how the famous greeting of agent 007 was paraphrased.
By the way, the famous Russian actor Vasily Livanov, known even to children for his role as Sherlock Holmes, was also awarded the title of knight in 2006 precisely for his unforgettable recreation of this literary image.
It would take a long time to list the individuals who, with their talent and hard work, deserved and were awarded the honorary title of knight. But for today, having mentioned music and cinema, we will end with sports. In 1999, the world learned the name of another knight: the Scottish football player and coach Sir Sir Alex Ferguson.
