Can non-British citizens become Knighted?

Answer 1

Yes they can, but only citizens of nations that have the British monarch as their head of state (including the Commonwealth nations, e.g. Australia, Canada, New Zealand) may use the prefix "Sir" or "Dame."

Citizens of nations with a different head of state (e.g. USA, Republic of Ireland) may not term themselves Sir X or Dame Y, but they can suffix their name with the initials of the particular Order of Chivalry. If they later take up British citizenship, they may petition to change the honorary knighthood into a "substantive" one and use the "Sir." An example of someone who has done the latter is Sir Yehudi Menuhin.

Answer 2

Yes. In the Commonwealth of Nations, knighthood is a non-heritable form of gentility, but is not nobility. In the United Kingdom, knighthood has become a symbolic title of honour given to a more diverse class of people, from mountain climber Edmund Hillary (australian) to Bill Gates (american).

Answer 3

Yes. It's called an honorary knighthood. Totally meaningless but it appeals to the vanity of a certain type of person

Answer 4

Yes,but Ameicans, for instance,cannot use the title of Sir or Dame.

Answer 5

I'm afraid that it's true,even Americans. Edmund Hillery is a Kiwi.

Answer 6

Yes. Examples come from people such as, Sir Elton John.

Answer 7

I believe that Bill Gates and Rudolph Giuliani are two Americans that have been knighted.

EDIT: http://www.betanews.com/article/Bill_Gates_Knighted_by_Queen_Elizabeth/1109730577

http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2002/02/14/giuliani/

Answer 8

Yip

Answer 9

yes

Answer 10

Yes, it's possible.