Since March 4, 1975, Charles Spencer Chaplin, better known as Charlie, had the legal right to add the word “sir” to his initials. It was on this day that one of the most famous filmmakers on Earth - an actor, composer, director, screenwriter, and so on - was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Knighthood is not yet the most exotic recognition of the genius of the “grandfather” of cinema: asteroid No. 3623, discovered by the astronomer of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory Lyudmila Karachkina in October 1981, was named in his honor. Agree, this is a nice addition to the Academy Award laureate and two out-of-competition honorary Oscars. In addition, the American Film Institute in 1999 ranked Charlie Chaplin tenth on its list of the “100 Greatest Male Movie Stars of a Hundred Years.”
In 1987, the best cannibal (Hannibal) of all time Philip Anthony Hopkins received from the Queen of Great Britain the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and six years later - the title of Knight Bachelor, which gives the right to the prefix “Sir” before the name. This is how Hopkins’ contribution to art and “the popularization of the United Kingdom throughout the world” was assessed. The magnificent Sir Anthony is an Oscar winner for his role in The Silence of the Lambs, as well as two Emmy Awards, four BAFTAs and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His American citizenship, adopted fifteen years ago, does not prevent him from remaining a knight.
Thomas Sean Connery- one of the brightest and most charismatic Bonds, James Bonds - received knighthood in 2000. The ceremony took place in Edinburgh, and the British authorities were not embarrassed even by the fact that Connery is an active member of the Scottish National Party, which calls for the country's independence from England. Last spring, Sir Sean, who lives in the Bahamas, promised to return to his homeland only if she gained freedom. Sean Connery is an Oscar winner for his role in the gangster film The Untouchables, a two-time BAFTA winner, and a three-time Golden Globe winner. And this is not counting about fifty more different-sized prizes and pleasant little things like being recognized as “the sexiest man on the planet” in several polls at once.
One of the main movie villains (starred in at least 250 films, a third of which were horror films) Christopher Frank Carandini Lee the knighthood was bestowed in 2009. Prince Charles himself presided over the ceremony at Buckingham Palace. And from it Dracula (aka Frankenstein, aka Saruman, aka Count Dooku) emerged as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In his 92 years (he was born in May 1922), Lee has seen a lot. The son of Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Trollope Lee, perhaps the most titled English amateur athlete, in 1939 Christopher volunteered for the Soviet-Finnish war (on the Finnish side, of course). During World War II he served in the Air Force (lieutenant). Afterwards - in British intelligence. He made his film debut in 1948. He also starred with Boris Karloff in Bond (which is not surprising, since he is Ian Fleming’s cousin), played Sherlock Holmes, financed horror films, was friends with Tolkien, and recorded music albums (including “metal”). For a truly talented person, as you know, is talented everywhere and in everything.
Anglo-Irish actor Daniel Day-Lewis was initiated last year - he was awarded the title of Knight Bachelor of the British Empire. The ceremony was performed by the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William. And, judging by the photo report, the award ceremony was extremely elegant. Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis, now 57 years old, is the only actor in the history of world cinema to have been awarded an Oscar for leading actor three times: for the film My Left Foot, for the film There Will Be Blood and for the portrait of the US President in the biopic "Lincoln". In 2013, Day-Lewis, whose filmography includes barely two dozen films, was recognized by Time magazine as one of the hundred most influential people in the world. The actor lives as a recluse, does not like to appear at social events and give interviews.
The youngest of the orders in the award system of Great Britain - the Order of the British Empire was established on June 4, 1917 by King George V to reward individuals who have committed socially useful acts in the name of the British Crown.
Description of the Order of the British Empire
Materials Gold, silver.
Who is it awarded to? Military and civilians of Great Britain and other countries.
Reasons for the award For performing actions in the name of the British Crown.
Knights of the Order of the British Empire
During the Second World War, the Order of the British Empire was awarded to 164 soldiers of the Red Army, among them the highest degree of Knight Grand Cross, Marshals Vasilevsky and Sokolovsky, the degree of Knight Commander, Marshals Bogdanov, Moskalenko, Sudets, generals Getman, Kravchenko, Malinin, Shumilov.
Description of other awards: The Distinguished Flying Cross is one of the highest awards for the Royal Air Force and the Star 1939-45 is an award for all who contributed to the great victory over the aggressors.
History of the Order of the British Empire
The award was established in 1917, during the First World War, since actions worthy of significant encouragement were carried out en masse, and the British award system did not provide for the awarding of existing orders to lower military ranks. King George V established this Knightly Order consisting of five ranks: Knight Grand Cross, Knight Commander, Commander, Officer, Cavalier.
Holders of the two highest ranks become knights and receive the prefix Sir to their name; this rule does not apply to citizens of other states. In 1918, changes were adopted to the order's charter, which divided it into two divisions - military and civilian. The motto of the order is FOR GOD AND THE EMPIRE.
Along with the establishment of the order, the British Empire Medal was also established. Those awarded the medal do not become members of the order and are divided into military and civilian branches. The British Empire Medal was established for junior military and government officials, with senior officials immediately awarded the medal.
The number of order bearers in the BBC Russian Service has doubled. Three years ago, the legendary radio presenter Seva Novgorodtsev received the Order of the British Empire from the hands of Queen Elizabeth II, and it was just announced that the editor-in-chief of the Moscow Bureau of the BBC Russian Service, Konstantin Eggert, was also awarded the “officer” degree of the order.The Order of the British Empire (OBE) was created in June 1917 by King George V to fill a gap in the British honors system. Before this, high military and civilian ranks could receive the Supreme Order of the Bath; diplomats - the Honorable Order of St. Michael and St. George, and for people personally serving the royal family, there was the Royal Victorian Order.
George V wanted to be able to reward thousands and thousands of people who gave their debt to the country during the First World War, but who served not at the front, but in the rear. Among these people there were many women who had not been awarded orders in Britain until that time.
Knighthoods
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an award of one of the British orders of chivalry, the motto of which is “For God and the Empire.” The Order's chapel is located in St. Paul's Cathedral, London.
The Order has military and civilian divisions and five degrees:
The Sovereign of the Order is the British monarch who appoints all other members of the order, that is, awards the award. But it does not do this independently, but on the proposal of the governments of the United Kingdom and some states that are part of the Commonwealth.
For the highest degrees of the order - Knight Grand Cross, Knight Commander and Commander - there are restrictions on the number, but for the fourth and fifth categories there are no limits on the number of recipients. However, within one year their numbers cannot increase by more than 858 and 1,464 people, respectively.
Sir or not sir?
Most members of the Order are citizens of the United Kingdom or those Commonwealth countries and territories in which the British monarch is head of state, albeit nominally. However, citizens of other states can also be nominated as “honorary members” for the award.
But, even being presented to one of the three highest degrees of the order, they receive the right to use the title “sir” or “dame cavalry” in their name only if they become citizens of the United Kingdom or other territories subordinate to the monarch.
For example, the American Bill Gates, who became a Knight Commander, cannot call himself “Sir William” or “Sir William Gates III,” but “William Henry Gates III, KBE.” On the other hand, Irish TV presenter Terry Wogan received the same order as Bill Gates in 1997, and in 2005 received a British passport, as a result of which he can now use the name “Sir Terry”.
Knights of the Order of all grades are given clearly defined positions in the order of precedence of the United Kingdom, headed by the monarch and members of the royal family.Over the years, heads of state and musicians, military personnel, actors, artists, journalists, and public figures have become laureates of the Order of the British Empire of various degrees.
The Military Order of the British Empire was awarded to many Soviet officers and soldiers who participated in the naval battles of World War II. Among the Russian gentlemen in recent years are cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, ballerina Shulamith Messerer, rector of the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences Theodor Shanin and the founder of the Moscow School of Political Studies Elena Nemirovskaya, from whom the award was stolen in 2004. It was believed that this was the only Order of the British Empire located at that time in Russia.
How to get rid of the order
However, the gentleman can lose the award not only by coincidence, but also by the decision of the British monarch. Over the 90-year history of the Order of the British Empire, there are 115 such exceptional cases. Among the reasons leading to revocation were illegal land seizure and collaboration with the Nazis during the Second World War, theft, tax evasion, election fraud and even dangerous driving.
But perhaps the most interesting case for us occurred in 1965, when the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire was stripped of the famous British spy Kim Philby, who, as it turned out, was a double agent and worked not so much for London as for Moscow.
However, the order is not only deprived; They also refuse it, and for various reasons. Last year, for example, British designer Joseph Corr, one of the founders of lingerie firm Agent Provocateur, did so on the grounds that then-Prime Minister Tony Blair was, in his words, “morally corrupt.”
But more often the reasons for refusal are not personal, but general political ones. The order is most criticized for its connection to Britain's imperial past. The most famous of those who returned an already accepted award were perhaps John Lennon and Rabindranath Tagore.
And five years ago, the poet Benjamin Zephaniah publicly renounced the OBE title, saying it reminded him of "thousands of years of cruelty; reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and how animals were treated by my forefathers."
In the same year, as if listening to the words of the poet, one of the committees of the House of Commons of the British Parliament recommended changing the name to the Order of British Excellence (Order of British Excellence), and changing the degree of “Commander” to “Companion”, since the current meaning has a militaristic connotation.
The Order of the British Empire was founded back in 1917 by order of King George V. Since then, not only famous personalities within the state, but also outside it have become holders of this organization. For foreigners, a special title of “honorary members” was created, which was awarded to many people from other countries. Several famous holders of the order will be discussed in the article.
Developments in genetics
Alec Jeffreys was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1994 for his outstanding achievements in the field of genetics. It was he who developed the special technology of DNA fingerprinting. It is still actively used in all countries when conducting forensic examinations. The invention greatly simplified the process of proving guilt when committing a crime. Alec Jeffries currently works as a professor at the University of Leicester. It is worth noting that throughout his life he received more than fifteen different awards. In 2015, a short series was filmed about the man, which talked about the invention of DNA fingerprinting, the first application and future success of the technology.
First son of the current Queen Elizabeth
Prince Charles also received the Order of the British Empire for his activities. He was born in 1948 and became the first grandson of King George. In his honor, the bells of Westminster Abbey rang five thousand times, forty-one artillery shots were fired, and sailors throughout the country received a double portion of their favorite alcoholic drink. In 1953, he attended the coronation of his mother Elizabeth. He was home-schooled from the age of five to eight and is a graduate of the prestigious University of Cambridge. He was married to Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in 1997. From this marriage two sons were born - William and Harry. In 2005, he married his mistress Camilla Bowles again, with whom he had a long-term relationship even during his marriage to Diana. The man is actively involved in charity work, has his own foundation and patronizes a huge number of different organizations. Prince Charles has written many books in the fields of architecture, painting, gardening, and is interested in playing polo and fox hunting.
Famous athlete
Renowned yachtsman Rodney Stewart Pattison also received an OBE for his achievements in this sporting category. He was born in 1943 in Scotland, and it is known that he served as a pilot in the army. When moving to England, he entered Penborne College, which trained specialists for the Navy. In those years, I became actively interested in sailing competitions. He met Macdonald-Smith in London, who worked as a lawyer. Together they participated in the nineteenth Olympic Summer Games, which took place in Mexico City. They won gold in the Flying Dutchman competition. After that, Rodney and his crew won gold three more times over the next four years. In 1971, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire for services to sport. In Munich he managed to defend the title of Olympic champion, and in 1976 in Montreal he became the standard bearer of his state. Then in the sailing battles he lost together with Julian Brooke-Hayton only to the duo from Germany. Until 2008, he was the most titled yachtsman in Great Britain, until his record was broken by Ben Ainslie.
Achievements in the field of sculpture
John Skelton also became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, joining the list of famous people on this list. The man was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1923 and had five more brothers and sisters. He attended school in the city of Coventry, and also attended classes at the choir institution at Norwich Cathedral. It was here that he first began to become involved with art. Later, his uncle Eric Gill, who was already a famous English sculptor, took him on as an apprentice. John was an ordinary assistant until he had to join the army in 1942. While serving in the artillery, he visited many Asian countries. After arriving, he completed his education. In 1948 he created his own workshop in East Sussex. Many works belong to his hands, including the tombstone of Edward James and inscriptions in different scripts on Chichester Cathedral. He was one of the craftsmen who worked on the memorial to British generals in World War II.
Russian actor
In 2006, Queen Elizabeth herself awarded the Order of the British Empire to Vasily Livanov. This Russian actor received a high award for his most popular role as Sherlock Holmes in a number of Soviet films of the same name. The award was given to him for the fact that he perfectly conveyed the image of the legendary detective on the screens. The Queen admitted that even the masters of English cinema could not create a more subtle image. He himself said that they succeeded for one simple reason - they followed the original source. Holmes's main qualities were emphasized, they made him a true gentleman and did not try to add anything of their own. At the same time, Watson in other films based on these works was shown as a man at the beck and call of the brilliant detective. In Soviet films he was equated with Sherlock, and the result was an excellent duet. Livanov was awarded the Order of the British Empire in Moscow at the British Embassy.
OrderBritishempires(The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).
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 ranks are eligible for knighthood.
There is also a British Empire Medal, the recipients of which are not members of the Order, but are associate members 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 Dames 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)