Just curious

[admiral_ju00]

This might sound a bit arrogant, but pls bear with me

 

Is every member of say the Royal Scientific(European or British, etc) society has been granted with a knighthood?

 

What does one needs to do in order to become a knight these days anyway?

[Freeman]

What does one needs to do in order to become a knight these days anyway?

I think if you save the queen's life you become a knight. Wanna look good in your shining armor, eh?

[Phi for All]

Personally, I had to cure two rare diseases, slay a dragon, AND promise to protect the secret rules of cricket.

 

Got my head cut on the second pass of the sword, too. Beastly thing was wicked heavy and Liz II hadn't lifted more than a purse in years. No more sideburns for this knight, what?!

 

Sir Phi for All

[-Demosthenes-]

In modern-day Britain, knighthood is an honor conferred by the monarch on both men and women in recognition of outstanding personal merit. The knight is usually created through appointment to an order of knighthood. The title sir or dame is prefixed to his or her first name, and initials standing for the order of knighthood follow the name. For example, John Smith, on receiving the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Garter, is afterward known as Sir John Smith, K.G. Knighthood is also occasionally conferred without membership in a particular order. A knight so created is known as a Knight Bachelor, and the name is followed by the abbreviation Kt., standing for knight.

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761556905/Knight.html

[Glider]

This might sound a bit arrogant' date=' but pls bear with me

 

Is every member of say the Royal Scientific(European or British, etc) society has been granted with a knighthood?[/quote']

No.

 

What does one needs to do in order to become a knight these days anyway?

Show some outstanding personal merit, particularly in ways that benefit the country or its people. Or pay large sums to the incumbent gorvernment. Actually, the latter seems to be more effective now.

[-Demosthenes-]

That's kinda cool. I never knew that someone could still become a knight, not until I started to read about it on the internet.

 

Glider, How much are we talking here? Maybe a couple million?

[JaKiri]

That's kinda cool. I never knew that someone could still become a knight, not until I started to read about it on the internet.

 

Never heard of (say) Sir Ian McKellen?

[-Demosthenes-]

what?

[JaKiri]

what?

 

'Who?', surely?

[-Demosthenes-]

No, "what?" I don't get the whole thing! whats with the "(say)"?? Sorry, I don't know what time it is where ever you are, but here its 2:30 AM, I'm going to need some explaining!

And oh yeah: who?

[JaKiri]

The (say) expresses that it's an inparticular example.

 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005212/ for 'who?'

[-Demosthenes-]

Magneto and Gandalf were the same guy?

[JaKiri]

Magneto and Gandalf were the same guy?

 

Evidently so.

[-Demosthenes-]

Cool. So he's a knight, for being an acter? Or for the money thing? Or what?

See you all tommorrow, I'm going to bed.

[atinymonkey]

This might sound a bit arrogant' date=' but pls bear with me

 

Is every member of say the Royal Scientific(European or British, etc) society has been granted with a knighthood?

[/quote']

 

The president of the society tends to become a peer if they are not already, but considering the illustrious achievements required to get to that position, the two events are probably not connected. If Samuel Pepys can't get a knighthood, it seems that it's not automatic. The vast majority had knighthood's prior to taking the position, both earned and inherited.

 

http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/royalsoc/his_pres.htm

 

High court Judges are the only profession to get automatic knighthood after a length of service, I think.

 

What does one needs to do in order to become a knight these days anyway?

 

Like Glider says, there are two list presented for consideration. One comes from the Government and one is decided within the Palace. Most of the OBE's are to sportsmen, entertainers, politicians, artists and a few charity workers. The most prestigious knighthood is the Order of the Garter, I think King Harold of Norway was the last recipient, and Baroness Margert Thatcher (high caliber service, military service and service to the state).

 

Basically, the easiest way is to become a famous actor/comedian and have the Queen meet you a few times and like you. Many people waste millions of punds and years chasing honours, and rarely get them.

 

My Grandfather got some honour or other, something small and forgettable, at some point. I can't remember what. It may have been as simple as invites to dinner with the Queen a few times, to be honest.

[bloodhound]

think elton john was a sir as well

[PerpetualYnquisitive]

... trust the force

 

 

Jedi makes the census list

 

It's official: "Jedi Knight" is ON the list of religions for the 2001 UK census.

 

A campaign to get people to write the entry on their census forms has succeeded in the term being included on the list of religions, alongside Church of England, Roman Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu.

 

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1589133.stm

[Sayonara]

It's just an example of the idiot effect.

Sufficient numbers of people wrote the entry in for it to be allocated its own code for the census processing team to use.

 

But officials from the Office of National Statistics are keen to point out that just because Jedi Knight has been given its own code, that does not confer on it the status of official recognition.

 

"We are not defining what a religion or a faith might be," a spokeswoman said. "We are recognising what some may have entered on their census form and ensuring that our coding framework will cater for it."

[admiral_ju00]

Thanks to all those who responded(even though half of youz guys are silly ), but a few more questions on this matter.

 

If someone(scientist or other) has just recently been granted a knighthood(as opposed to it being inherited) does that mean that his children also automatically inherit the title of a 'Sir' when then are born? What about those that are already living?

 

Also, have there been any demographic studies of the total European population with titles vs. those who aren't? How about a similar study but one that's showing the socioeconomic breakdown of the populations in terms of title holders vs. non?

 

If you have any links on this, it would greatly simplify my life. Thanks.

[Glider]

Knighthoods aren't hereditory. The wife of a knight becomes a 'lady' automatically, but as far as I know any children they may have do not get titles automatically. The title 'Lord' used to be hereditory; you used to be able to receive a peerage that would pass to your offspring, but I think that has been repealed on the grounds that simply being born is not evidence of particular merit.

 

There probably have been such surveys, but I have never looked for them.

[admiral_ju00]

Knighthoods aren't hereditory.

 

For some reason I though that there may have been a modern reconstruction of the old customs regarding that one, but I had to make sure.

 

 

The title 'Lord' used to be hereditory; you used to be able to receive a peerage that would pass to your offspring, but I think that has been repealed on the grounds that simply being born is not evidence of particular merit.

 

So there has been changes (modernization) in the old feudal system. When did that happen?

 

Reason is, when the time comes for my doing a Ph. D thesis, I'll probably base it on the (US)Indians, unless I think of something worthy(yeah I know, there are Lots and lots of things there, but right now I'm trying to limit my research/studies on the Native Americans) on the european populace. That's why I'm looking for that information.

[JaKiri]

Lords may or may not be hereditory; however, the recent peerages given out have been life peerages, not hereditory.

[atinymonkey]

So there has been changes (modernization) in the old feudal system

 

Nope, not really. The Lord's title is tied to the Land granted to him by the title, i.e. the Lord of Harewood. If the son inherits Harewood, then the title comes to him by default. However, if Harewood is sold then there is nothing to tie title to inheritance.

 

Some bluebloods have been laying claim to titles after the land was sold, which is not how the system was supposed to work. If it did I'd be Lord of Liverpool, and the title would be worthless.

[Aardvark]

If the Lord of Harewood were to sell his land at Harewood he would still quite correctly be known as the Lord of Harewood. The Lords title is not tied to the land granted to him by his title. (you might be thinking of Lords of the manor, these are not peerages or denote nobility, they are a quite seperate thing)

 

As to the title of Lord of Liverpool being worthless, in a sense all titles are worthless. Except maybe for getting good tables in restaurants.

 

Hereditary titles still exist, the reform has been that these people no longer get to sit in the House of Lords ( a part of Parliament), also most new titles granted are deliberately stated as not being hereditary, but the ones already granted remain so.