Thanks Nancy and David. Yep I know you can have it but not use it if you aint British. Why bother then? Never been the same here since we went to modern Australian gongs. Guy I know has to say “Pass the potatoes Sir John”to his father in law who got one in the old days . Bet the old boy likes keeping the son in law on the leash. Now that’s taking it seriously. The Order of Australia has no honorific greeting. I suppose one would just have to wear it around your neck all the time. ( One thinks of the lady running down the beach yelling “My Son the doctor is drowning”)When a guy I know got the top medal here (the AC) my wife did refer to him as “just another self serving arsehole lawyer” which seemed a bit brutal even if true. Alan Bennett has written cheerfully about being outed as having declined a knighthood latterly he’s spoilt it by writing about it as if reasons matter. As you say the Nobel might be better fodder but then Dylan has made that as contemptible as anyone could. Still associating it with Patti Smith certainly did raise its status for me.
Cheers Pete
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From: David Boyd
Sent: Monday, 28 October 2019 10:07 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Knighthood
And non UK citizens can and do get offered knighthoods - but can’t adopt the title of Sir.
Eliot is said to have been offered a knighthood but turned it down. See eg
(Even eg John Betjeman was offered (and accepted) a knighthood, so a bit inconceivable that Eliot wouldn’t have been )
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On 27 Oct 2019, at 22:58, Nancy Gish <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Yes--in 1927 at same time as joining church.
Nancy
On Sun, Oct 27, 2019 at 6:53 PM Peter Dillane <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Was he a British citizen? Pete
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
From: Materer, Timothy J.
Sent: Monday, 28 October 2019 6:38 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Knighthood
Here’s a question that arose in my Osher Lifelong Learning class:
Why didn't Eliot get a Knighthood?