The New Year's Honours List UK

[AragornElessar]

I posted the link to this in the Royalty thread, but thought I'd put it out in the open too for everyone interested to see.

For instance...For services to Sport, he is now *Sir* Bradley Wiggins and for Services to Drama and Charity, he is now Ewan MacGregor OBE.

I'm still halfway through the list, but I do know there's several Olympians and Paralympians who were honoured this year.

The link...The Telegraph ~ New Year Honours 2012 : The List

[misskarne]

..........

He won the Tour de France once and is now SIR Bradley Wiggins?

I mean, I don't demean his achievement, it was awesome, but come on.

It's like the English cricketers getting MBEs and OBEs and stuff when they won the Ashes in 2005. And then the very next Ashes they got demolished 5-0.

[falling_dance]

There's a Mrs Elizabeth Anne Littler on the MBE list, recognized for her "services to ice skating".

[AragornElessar]

..........

He won the Tour de France once and is now SIR Bradley Wiggins?

I mean, I don't demean his achievement, it was awesome, but come on.

It's like the English cricketers getting MBEs and OBEs and stuff when they won the Ashes in 2005. And then the very next Ashes they got demolished 5-0.

I would have been shocked if he hadn't ended up w/a Knighthood and so would have many others from various sites I've read and seen the last few weeks. It's not so much he only won it once, but he's the first British Cyclist to *ever* win the TdF. Add on that Olympic Gold Medal won only a couple of weeks later and...No big surprise to that announcement really.

There's a Mrs Elizabeth Anne Littler on the MBE list, recognized for her "services to ice skating".

I saw that too after continuing down the list after sharing the link here. I was wondering if any of our UK Members know who she is and tell us about her Contribution to UK Skating.

[Sylvia]

Elizabeth Littler is an ISU Championship judge - she judged the Ladies event at 2012 Worlds in Nice. Here's a news item about her on the NISA site: http://www.iceskating.org.uk/node/5474

[AragornElessar]

Thanks Sylvia!!

[Cachoo]

I would have given it to Wiggins not only because he was the first to win from the UK but also because he did it cleanly and brought some much needed positive publicity to the tour as the negative Armstrong news hung around like a bad cold.

[misskarne]

I would have given it to Wiggins not only because he was the first to win from the UK but also because he did it cleanly and brought some much needed positive publicity to the tour as the negative Armstrong news hung around like a bad cold.

Cadel Evans did it cleanly and was the first Australian to bring it home. He's still just regular Cadel Evans.

Even an OBE/MBE whatever I could understand. But straight to knighthood?

[overedge]

OHMIGOD Kate Bush is a CBE!!!! [faints]

[Lorac]

Cadel Evans did it cleanly and was the first Australian to bring it home. He's still just regular Cadel Evans.

Even an OBE/MBE whatever I could understand. But straight to knighthood?

It isn't straight to knighthood as he was already a CBE from the 2008 Honours list due to winning medals in 3 consecutive olympics (2000, 2004 and 2008) - 3 golds, 1 silver and 2 bronzes. The Knighthood was the next one he could get and as he won the Tour and followed it up with a gold at London 2012 it was fairly clear he was going to become a Sir this time around!!

Well done to him and all the other honourees from both the Olympics and all other walks of life

ETA: Mo Farrah is the one who went from nothing to the highest something - a CBE - which was also well deserved. Most people start with an MBE, then OBE, then CBE finally finishing with a Damehood or Knighthood. All those who became a Dame or a Knight were all CBE's prior to their new honour. Andy Murray jumped in with an OBE - but most honourees are either being upgraded or starting with an MBE.

[Artemis@BC]

Cadel Evans did it cleanly and was the first Australian to bring it home. He's still just regular Cadel Evans.

Even an OBE/MBE whatever I could understand. But straight to knighthood?

Can Aussies be knighted? Canadians can't. That's not a British rule, it's a Canadian one. It became big news when Conrad Black was given a life peerage. Basically if he wanted to accept, he had to give up his Canadian citizenship. He did. Now he wants it back ... so sorry, Connie! (He also had his Order of Canada rescinded after he was convicted of fraud. Poor boo boo.)

[C_T_T_]

Elizabeth Littler is an ISU Championship judge - she judged the Ladies event at 2012 Worlds in Nice. Here's a news item about her on the NISA site: http://www.iceskating.org.uk/node/5474

Liz Littler was also in charge of the organising committee for the Europeans this year.

[overedge]

I

ETA: Mo Farrah is the one who went from nothing to the highest something - a CBE - which was also well deserved. Most people start with an MBE, then OBE, then CBE finally finishing with a Damehood or Knighthood. All those who became a Dame or a Knight were all CBE's prior to their new honour. Andy Murray jumped in with an OBE - but most honourees are either being upgraded or starting with an MBE.

Kate Bush didn't have any previous honours and she was named a CBE.

[overedge]

Can Aussies be knighted? Canadians can't. That's not a British rule, it's a Canadian one. It became big news when Conrad Black was given a life peerage. Basically if he wanted to accept, he had to give up his Canadian citizenship. He did. Now he wants it back ... so sorry, Connie! (He also had his Order of Canada rescinded after he was convicted of fraud. Poor boo boo.)

As I understand it, there's a difference between being named a life peer and being given an honourary (for lack of a better word) knighthood. Life peers get to sit in the House of Lords and have a vote there. Those named as knights in the Queen's Honours List don't become part of the House of Lords.

[Vagabond]

Why Elizabeth Littler and not SHARPIE?

[Lorac]

Kate Bush didn't have any previous honours and she was named a CBE.

I was only looking at the olympian/para-olympian list so didn't see Kate Bush's award. I must admit to being surprised by it as she has been very quite in the last few years - but congrats to her none the less - she has had a major impact on the music scene and her music was part of the sound track to my late teens and early to kid 20's - Wuthering Heights still a huge favourite of mine!!

[lulu]

Elizabeth Littler is an ISU Championship judge - she judged the Ladies event at 2012 Worlds in Nice. Here's a news item about her on the NISA site: http://www.iceskating.org.uk/node/5474

Thanks for the info Sylvia!

[Garden Kitty]

It isn't straight to knighthood as he was already a CBE from the 2008 Honours list due to winning medals in 3 consecutive olympics (2000, 2004 and 2008) - 3 golds, 1 silver and 2 bronzes. The Knighthood was the next one he could get and as he won the Tour and followed it up with a gold at London 2012 it was fairly clear he was going to become a Sir this time around!!
.

He's been a real leader in the emergence of Great Britain as a cycling powerhouse both on the track and on the road. He's had a lengthy career on the track with 6 world championships and 6 Olympic medals o over 3 Olympics plus he not only won the Tour but did it on a team organized in large part to promote British cycling. And then he added another Olympic gold on the road at yet another Olympics. I'm not his biggest fan, but I can't fault his credentials or his contributions to British cycling,

[Artemis@BC]

As I understand it, there's a difference between being named a life peer and being given an honourary (for lack of a better word) knighthood. Life peers get to sit in the House of Lords and have a vote there. Those named as knights in the Queen's Honours List don't become part of the House of Lords.

The law on the books in Canada specifically cites "titular honours": knighthoods, peerages, and baronetcies. So a Canadian can receive a MBE / OBE / CBE, but not a knighthood or "above."

However it's one of those rather fluid laws that seems to be somewhat open to the whims of whoever is in power at the time. It was only because Chrétien actively objected to Black's peerage that it was an issue.

It also only tends to be an issue for people who hold dual citizenship. Since I strongly oppose dual citizenship ... I'm perfectly okay with that. (But that's a whole other thread!)

[Cachoo]

Cadel Evans did it cleanly and was the first Australian to bring it home. He's still just regular Cadel Evans.

Even an OBE/MBE whatever I could understand. But straight to knighthood?

Ok--I am confused about who gets what. I think you make a good argument for Evans and Austrailia is part of the Commonwealth (right?) so he should be awarded. Who can and cannot be bestowed with these honors?