Knights and ladies of our time: which celebrities bear the honorary title (25 photos)

To become a knight in the modern world, it is not necessary to have armor, horses and your own squires. Now the Queen of Britain issues such titles for numerous successes and achievements in various fields. Among them are Sean Connery, racer Lewis Hamilton and many others. We tell you which sports, film and music stars received the high honor.





Sir Thomas Sean Connery



Mr. Bond (at least Bond became one of his brightest roles) received the status of a knight in 2000 for his services to the field of film drama.





During his lifetime, he was committed to the idea of ​​Scottish independence from Great Britain, but this did not stop him from becoming a knight. The dedication ceremony took place in Edinburgh, and three years later Sir Connery stopped acting in films. Last year, the famous Oscar-winning actor-knight passed away.



Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee



The same Sauron who scared the hell out of all the young viewers of The Lord of the Rings received his title of commander in 2009. He acted in films starting in 1948, played in more than 250 films, mostly playing movie villains.



Fun fact: in addition to his film roles, Christopher Lee is also known as a producer, performer of Sherlock Holmes, Ian Fleming's cousin, Tolkien's friend, and even a musician.

Sir Mick Jagger



The rock star in his youth did not lead the most chivalrous lifestyle. Many of his extravagant antics are still talked about today. But much water has passed under the bridge since then: Mick stopped offending the police and the public with his behavior, and was eventually granted knighthood in 2003. After all, his contribution to music is invaluable.

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber



The author of the musicals “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Cats” and the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” received his award back in 1992.

Sir Anthony Philip Hopkins



Anthony Hopkins, who became famous for a number of roles in theater and film, is also a Knight Bachelor. He was awarded this title in 1993, and six years before that - the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Of course, this is how his contribution to art and the popularization of Great Britain in the world was noted.

Dame Helena Bonham Carter



Not only men are given orders and titles. For example, in 2011, the famous actress Helena Bonham Carter was given the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The Queen personally presented the award to her in 2011 for her contribution to the development of dramatic art.



Sir Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day-Lewis became the only winner of three Oscar statuettes at once. Apparently, for this he received the same title of Knight of the British Empire in 2013. Prince William took part in the dedication ceremony.

Sir Paul Newson

Bono is his stage name. He received his award and the “Sir” prefix in 2007 in Dublin for his service to the UK in the music industry and humanitarian work.

Sir Vasily Livanov

Vasily Livanov, who brilliantly played the role of the main British detective, received the award at the age of 70, in 2006. Thus, the Queen noted the brilliant role of Sherlock Holmes in Soviet television films.

Vasily Borisovich noted in his speech that he very much regrets that he cannot share the award with Vitaly Solomin, who was his friend and colleague both on screen and in life. Vitaly Solomin played the role of Doctor Watson. He passed away in 2002.

Dame Angelina Jolie



Known for her many roles and appearances on the silver screen, Angelina Jolie is also a well-known philanthropist. She received the title of Dame Knight and the Order of St. Michael and St. George just for this in 2014.



Sir Lewis Hamilton



The “freshest” knight in our selection, Lewis Hamilton, received his status quite recently - on December 15 of this year. He was awarded personally by Prince Charles. Lewis Hamilton is famous for being the Formula 1 world champion seven times.

Sir Benedict Cumberbatch



Sherlock, Doctor Strange, Patrick Melrose, Hamlet - whoever was played by the famous British actor. Now he bears the title of one of the most popular British actors of our time.

It is not surprising that Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain personally awarded the actor. He received the knighthood for his contribution to acting and achievements in the field of charity.

Dame Kate Winslet



The actress, best known for her role in Titanic, received an OBE for her services to film in 2012. At the ceremony, she admitted to the Queen that she loves the profession of an actress, but not as much as she loves being a mother. By the way, the queen, who herself has four children and a bunch of grandchildren, agreed with Winslet.



Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin



Charlie Chaplin, who acted in many silent films, was a controversial figure in his life behind the screen. But what is important is that for his achievements he still received the right to prefix “sir” to his name. In 1975, Queen Elizabeth II knighted him.

Sir Alex Ferguson



Former footballer and legendary Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson, a Scot, received a knighthood in 1999. The reason for awarding him the title was his unconditional contribution to football.

Sir Tom Hardy



Tom Hardy, who has played many roles, including the role of Eddie Brock in the recent Venom 2, is also a Commander of the British Empire: he received this award from the hands of Prince Charles in 2018. In general, it is not surprising that the prince did this: since 2010, Tom has been an ambassador for his charitable foundation.

Sir Paul McCartney



The legendary member of the Beatles received his (well-deserved) award in 1997 for his unconditional contribution to music. By the way, his former bandmate John Lennon renounced his title back in 1969.



Sir Eddie Redmayne



The actor, who played many roles, including Stephen Hawking (for which he received an Oscar), also received an award from the hands of Elizabeth II. This happened in 2016.

Sir Hugh Laurie



The famous British actor Hugh Laurie is known to many primarily for his role as Dr. House in the television series of the same name. But few people know that the actor devoted many years to working in cinema and theater and was known, among other things, as a comedian and musician. The Briton was awarded on November 21, 2018.

Sir Elton John



Elton John is one of the first openly gay men to receive a knighthood. He received the dedication in 1997 for his contribution to music.

Of course, these are not all the knights of Britain, there are more than one and a half thousand of them in total. But it is important to understand that most of them have achieved tremendous success in their field. Who else do you think should be rewarded for his success?