Bill Gates to Receive Most Excellent Honorary Knighthood

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

...Microsoft's chairman and chief software architect has been awarded an honorary knighthood by the Queen of England, Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office revealed Monday. Gates joins U.S. presidential contender Wesley Clark and former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the order.
[...]
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, in a written statement, called Gates "one of the most important global business leaders of this age." Straw added, "Microsoft technology has transformed business practices and his company has had a profound impact on the British economy."

Here's The Register's take on it

Apparently, his full title will be "Bill Gates KBE (Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire)"

Um, I'm not sure how this works. Does this mean he'll outrank Ray Davies?

― Huggy Dork (Kingfish), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 14:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, feel free to add your own "Most Excellent" joke here.

― Huggy Dork (Kingfish), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 14:42 (twenty-two years ago)

that's all well and good but once KBE '05 goes beta won't his version be obsolete?

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 14:47 (twenty-two years ago)

That's why I switched from KBE to KDE

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

good, good, keep 'em coming

― Huggy Dork (Kingfish), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

He's not a REAL knight. He's not a British citizen. He's an honourary Knight. I mean, if you had a job asking for someone with a college degree, would you accept someone with an HONOURARY degree? I don't think so.

It's like a virtual knighthood. He can only experience it if he plugs in some crappy visors and a joystick, and still, even then, his knighthood is really rough and pixilated.

― the river fleet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004 14:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Does Ballmer get to be his annoying Squire and Allchin his busty shield-maiden?

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Craig Mundie, official emptier of bedpans!

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

boooo

according to this, Gates' honorary KBE puts him a notch above Davies' CBE.

...except for the whole "non-British citizen " thing, yeah.

― Huggy Dork (Kingfish), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

what did Tim Berners-Lee get? a proper one I assume?

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

So selling a bunch if shit that businesses use = reason to give someone an honorary knighthood? That makes a _lot_ of sense, now, doesn't it.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

its tradition, Pashmina

― run it off (run it off), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

ActuaLLy - fair point there!!

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

actually my brother-in-law has just been given an MBE for charity work with children who live too close to Chernobyl to get decent food, air etc. So it's not all cynical. Just most of it.

― run it off (run it off), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

MOST EXCELLENT!!!!!!!
http://www.afjohnston.btinternet.co.uk/btea16.jpg

― Prude (Prude), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Prude stole my (obvious) joke. :(

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 16:52 (twenty-two years ago)

So, uh, are Knightships basically a way for a rich old lady to honour rich dudes?

Conrad Black gave up his Canadian citizenship to accept a proper title from the Queen. He's now Lord of some dingy harbour.

― Huck Everlasting (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Sir Black of Dingyharbour?

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:00 (twenty-two years ago)

LORD Black of Embezzlement Lane!

― Huck Everlasting (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:01 (twenty-two years ago)

True: Lord Black of Crossharbour

― Huck Everlasting (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

You have to give up Canadian citizenship to become a Lord? But isn't the Queen your head of state?

― Nemo (JND), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Do you receive a complimentary pair of British Knights sneakers when you become a KBE?

― Nemo (JND), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:13 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.johnfigueroa.com/graphics/marvelknights1.jpg

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Crossharbour = a stop on the DLR, surely?

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 04:50 (twenty-two years ago)

has ANY american become a real knight? (i mean, after becoming a british citizen and all)

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 06:10 (twenty-two years ago)

http://homepage.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/Bastian.Poehls/Knightrider.jpg

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 06:35 (twenty-two years ago)

i dub thee, sir KIT.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 06:37 (twenty-two years ago)

that's KITT

― Huck Everlasting (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Next up, Sir Kenneth Lay and Dame Martha Stewart.

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

sir KIT.

Circuit?

― Huggy Dork (Kingfish), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 15:13 (twenty-two years ago)

steven spielberg got one of these, a couple of years back.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.