How can someone be knighted (Sir) by the Queen ?

Question

What are conditions to be Knighted (Sir) ? and how often does the Queen knight common people ?

Answer 1

There are a number of ways, and not all knights are knighted by the Queen. Some are Knighted by HRH The Prince of Whales. Most individuals added to the Honours List are major industry leaders/businessmen who have contributed a great deal of money to some sort of charity in the eye of the UK. Contrary to popular belief, they are not all citizens of the UK or the British Commonwealth. Some, such as President Ronald Regan or Rudolf Giuliani, receive "honorary" knighthoods, usually Order of the British Empire (OBE). Your superstars, such as Elton John and Ian Holm, are Knights Bachelors. Former Prime Ministers are almost always made Knights of The Garter (KG), a tradition that goes back to the first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walepole. In any case, there are very few new knights that are not extremely well known or influential. There were a few exceptions to this rule under John Major, but it was more of a publicity thing than anything else. Today, modern knights serve no sort of military role, although a lot of generals/admirals are made knights in recognition of their service to the Queen.

Answer 2

Knighthoods are announced twice a year, along with other honours. Most are citizens of the UK although some are from the colonies, or Commonwealth citizens living in Britain. There is a committee which recommends names to the Queen, largely based on nominations from the public. If you are in the military or civil service you stand a better chance of getting a knighthood than in other lines of work. A lot are also businessmen, people from the arts, or politicians (though rarely Labour), some from science and academia - some form of public service is meant to have been performed but this is defined very loosely.

Most of the hundreds of knights created each year are commoners, but the two highest orders of knighthood, the Garter and the Thistle, still largely go to hereditary lords known to the Queen, though Edmund Hillary and another Everest climber John Hunt were also KGs. The knights of St Michael and St George are mainly diplomats, and the knights of the Victorian Order have personally served the royal family. One is supposed to be of good character but this didn't stop Mick Jagger from getting one, and avoiding patying taxes to the UK like Sean Connery, Michael Ashcroft and Philip Green do is also no bar.

Answer 3

but Bono cannot be Sir Bono as he is not a British citizen - He is an Irish Citizen (the same as Bob Geldof and Terry Wogan cannot be knights either).

Ordinary people can get knighthoods too depending on their contribution to the Country. I believe in the New Years Honours List, there were knighthoods for Keith Ajegbo, until recently Headteacher of Deptford Green School, Lewisham serving London throughout his career teaching in challenging schools, Geoffrey Bindman, probably the leading civil liberties and human rights solicitor in the UK; Herbert Massie, a major figure in the disability world and a champion of disability rights and equalities and Stephen Oliver, the giant of the tribunals' world occupying a unique position presiding over a group of vitally important tax and financial tribunals.

Answer 4

sure, you're precisely astounding. Sir Mick became considered a lot extra proper. Keith did drugs and became arrested for it 5 cases. by the way, it became the Prince of Wales that knighted Jagger, no longer the Queen.

Answer 5

All Members of Parliament,who have served at least 25 years as an MP. in the Houses of Parliament get an automatic Knight hood/Dame when they retire. All retiring Prime Ministers get a knighthood, as do many other cabinet ministers. Retiring armed servicemen over a certain rank, chief constables, fire officers and the chairman of various utilities plus high ranking civil servants. etc. etc.

In my opinion, no one should get a knighthood just for doing his job, he is paid to do that.

Answer 6

if you are British you can be knighted if you fit into the establishment, and don't forget that Northern Ireland is British

Answer 7

get famous, do some charity work, grease the right palms and you'll soon get your invite to buck house

Answer 8

its bcoz of their contributions to art,science,anything but it must be very BIG. like Bono contributed his whole tour's money to some cancer or aids research.

Answer 9

Depends on how much can afford

Answer 10

with a very big sword