Oscar-winning actor Angelina Jolie can now add royal recognition to her stardom. The Oscar-winning actor has been named an honorary dame — the female version of a knight — by Queen Elizabeth II in London on Friday, reported People magazine. Jolie was among hundreds of people recognised in the queen’s annual Birthday Honours List for services to their community or national life. Mostly they are those who are not in the limelight — from soldiers and civil servants to academics and entrepreneurs — however, there are always a few famous names.
The 39-year-old actor, who co-chaired a global summit to end sexual violence in conflict in London, last week, has relentlessly worked towards combating sexual violence in war zones. Jolie also founded the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative in the UK two years ago. She was made an honorary Dame Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George for extraordinary service to UK’s foreign policy.
Jolie, who recently starred in the Disney movie Maleficent, has spoken of scaling back her career in Hollywood to focus on humanitarian work. “To receive an honour related to foreign policy means a great deal to me, as it is what I wish to dedicate my working life to,” said the actor, reported The Huffington Post.
The actor, who is also United Nations’ special envoy, is not a British or Commonwealth citizen and therefore, she won’t be entitled to use the title ‘dame’ before her name. Previous US recipients of honorary knighthoods include director Steven Spielberg, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and former President Ronald Reagan.
These honours are bestowed by the queen, but are selected by committees of civil servants which are nominated by the government and the public. Knights are addressed as ‘sir’ or ‘dame’. Recipients of the other honours have no title, but can put the letters after their names.
Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis was given the title of knight for services to drama and can now call himself Sir Daniel. “I was entirely amazed and utterly delighted in equal measure,” said the actor. Novelist Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies and fashion designer Zandra Rhodes were also honoured with damehood.
Maggie Smith, the actor who plays the authoritative Dowager Countess of Grantham in the hit TV show Downton Abbey, was made a Companion of Honour, an award limited to 65 people of distinction. And Damian Lewis, the lead star of the TV show Homeland was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. “I was very surprised but very happy. I decided to do the very un-British thing of accepting the compliment,” said Lewis.
Order of the British Empire also went to Beatles expert and author Hunter Davies, musician Talvin Singh, and John Simpson editor of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Recipients covered a wide range of achievements, from confectioner Chantal Coady, honored for services to chocolate making, to civil service debt manager Barry Cox — for services to debt — and Arthur Dean, president of the Dwarf Sports Association, who was recognised for his services to people with restricted growth.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2014.
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