How To Obtain a Knighthood in the UK?

Gone are the days where you needed to know how to swing a sword and have a faithful squire by your side to be able to become a knight. Luckily for all of you, the requirements for knighthood nowadays are a tad more achievable, and we are going to tell you all about it!

What is knighthood exactly?

The knighthood culture and tradition have had deep roots across many of European countries including the UK for hundreds of years.

Although there are other Orders established in our country, most of the awards are given by the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Traditionally, the Order would only award people for their civilian and military efforts during war time, but since 1917 they also included a broader range of achievements. These can include, but are not limited, to long-term voluntary service to (local) communities, innovative contribution to any area or long-term service and cultural contribution to the country, among others.

The Order sometimes holds its services in the chapel at St Paul’s Cathedral.

How many different knighthood ranks are there?

According to the Cabinet Office, there are five class of ranks to the Order. In order of importance:

• Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
• Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
• Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
• Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Only the top two ranks can use the title “Sir” or “Dame”, but all the members can use their rank’s initials at the end of their names, for example “Ronnie O’Sullivan, OBE”. Not only that, but all the members get to wear special insignias and medals depending on their ranks. In the case of Knights and Dames Great Cross, they’re also allowed to wear a distinct outfit that consist of a pink and grey satin mantle and a collar of six gold medallions, for special occasions such as coronations.

Every rank gets their own distinctive medal. In this case, it’s from an Officer of The Order of the British Empire.

Can non-British citizens get knighted?

Yes, but it has its own rules. Notable non-Brits are only eligible for something called “honorary knighthoods”, which allows them to use the post-nominal letters -such as KBE or DBE-  but not the tiles of Sir or Dame. If later on they decide to become a citizen of a Commonwealth country, then their honorary title will get “upgraded” to a full knighthood and will be able to enjoy the privileges that comes with it.

There are many famous celebrities who hold the honorary knighthood title such as Bill Gates, Bono or Steven Spielberg. But one of the most famous examples is Terry Wogan, an Irish-born personality, who in 2005 was appointed as honorary Knight Commander and after applying for a British citizenship was “bumped up” to Sir Terry Wogan.

Who said dressing up as a knight in full armor couldn’t be cool?

Has anyone ever refused knighthood?

Although being appointed to the Order is considered a great honour by many peers, you can still turn down the offer. Around 2% of the nominees end up declining the award each year, mostly due to its militaristic origins.  There are some famous celebrities and artists who refused the award, like David Bowie – who declined twice-, Keith Richards or T.E. Lawrence, and others who accepted the honour but later on renounced it, like John Lennon, who sent back his insignia during the peace protests he took part on.

All in all, it seems the world of knights and shiny armours is long gone as we shift towards a more progressive and peaceful era, but if you’re still looking to rekindle those times, you can always opt for a fantastic jousting experience and feel what it is to become a real knight!