Can a non-British Person be Knighted by the Queen?

Question

Im just wondering who is entitled to this honour? Do you have to be British born or can one just be a citizen of this country to receive it?

Answer 1

Non-Commonwealth citizens only receive honorary knighthoods; they cannot use a title and are not dubbed on the shoulder with a sword or draped around the neck with a medal, which is instead simply handed to them.

It is not as straightforward as DANIEL W puts it, that any citizen from one of the Queen's dominions can be knighted. Canada does not allow its residents to receive titles, but Canadians settled in Britain who are being honored for services to Britain can be knighted (though even then the Canadian gov't protested Sir George Bain's knighthood despite his living in Britain for 30 years). People in the dependent territories/colonies are also eligible.

Daniel is also wrong to say only British and Irish people are eligible for peerages. Baroness Dunn is from Hong Kong, Lord Thomson is Canadian, and Conrad Black was offered a peerage before he renounced his Canadian citizenship. There have also been peers from Australia, New Zealand, India and other places.

And Nikki Pitt, Northern Ireland *is* part of the UK!

Answer 2

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Sir Garfield Sobers, the cricketer from The West Indies, in 1975. Also the female version of Knights are Dames Shirley Bassey, and Dame Cleo Laine. By the way Queen Elizabeth is of black African descent, well about 2%, via her GGGGrandmother Queen Charlotte the wife of King George III, There have been some honory knighthoods that have been bestowed upon non-British Commonwealth black people such as Sidney Poitier who late last year also received the US Medal of Freedom from President Barak Obama. Obama also has some black African descent too I believe.

Answer 3

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RE:
Can a non-British Person be Knighted by the Queen?
Im just wondering who is entitled to this honour? Do you have to be British born or can one just be a citizen of this country to receive it?

Answer 4

Yea...see below
Bill Gates Knighted by Queen Elizabeth
By David Worthington, BetaNews
March 2, 2005, 9:36 AM
UPDATED The world's wealthiest man has obtained a new honor commemorating his contribution to private enterprise and efforts to reduce poverty around the world. Microsoft Chairman and co-founder Bill Gates was knighted Wednesday by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom.

Gates joins the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire as a Knight Commander, but will not be granted the title "Sir," which is reserved exclusively for the Queen's subjects.

Answer 5

They can be Knighted but they cannot be called Sir. Ex. Sir Paul McCartney is british. General Norman Schwartzkoff is a knight Knighted by the Queen but Not Sir Norman Schwartzkoff because he is a born American. Not fair? Life's not fair either.

Answer 6

Yes. The only requirement to be knighted is having done something of note or service to the monarch or the nation. Several Americans have been knighted by Queen Elizabeth over her years as Queen including former US Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger for his part in breaking the Soviet Union and ending the Cold War. It is mostly an honorary title since we in the US do not recognize the trappings of nobility.

Answer 7

Anyone who's a citizen of a Commonwealth country where the Queen is Head of State can become a Knight. If they're not they can have an honorary knighthood i.e. they can't use the title "Sir" but can use the letters KBE (Knight of the Order of the British Empire) after their name.

Terry Wogan is not a good example because even though he was born in Ireland he has British citizenship and therefore is Sir Terry.

Bob Geldof is not Sir Bob (even thought the papers like to call him that) because he's still an Irish Citizen.

To become a Peer (Lord or Baroness) you have to be British or Irish. Strange how some things work isn't it?

Answer 8

Bill Gates was knighted,but as an American citizen,he can not use the title of "Sir."So,you don't have to be a citizen of the UK to receive the honor,but you do need to be one to use the title.

Here's a little bit about receiving a Knighthood from http://www.royal.gov.uk ;I'm just including the part up to foreign-born honors recepients:
"KNIGHTHOODS

A knighthood (or a damehood, its female equivalent) is one of the highest honours an individual in the United Kingdom can achieve.

While in past centuries knighthood used to be awarded solely for military merit, today it recognises significant contributions to national life.

Recipients today range from actors to scientists, and from school head teachers to industrialists.

A knighthood cannot be bought and it carries no military obligations to the Sovereign.

The Queen (or a member of the Royal Family acting on her behalf) confers knighthood in Britain, either at a public Investiture or privately.

The ceremony involves the ceremonial dubbing of the knight by The Queen, and the presentation of insignia.

By tradition, clergy receiving a knighthood are not dubbed, as the use of a sword is thought inappropriate for their calling.

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 given knighthoods over the years include Chancellor Kohl, President Mitterrand and Mayor Giuliani of New York."

You can find out more on investitures at the above link(Buckingham Palace's official site).

Answer 9

Non-Brits can be given honorary knighthoods. It's not official and doesn't give you the rights and duties of actual knighthood (whatever those may be these day).

Answer 10

They can, but they cannot use the title of Sir or Dame. Helen Suzman from South Africa can put OBE after her name but cannot be referred to as Dame Helen Suzman. (She's a politician who fought for the abolition of aprtheid)