Cate Blanchett Makes Queen Elizabeth’s 2017 Birthday Honors List
Queen Elizabeth’s 2017 Birthday Honours List has finally arrived, and people throughout New Zealand, Australia, and the U.K. are rejoicing over the news — and actress Cate Blanchett is one of them.
This type of news for Cate Blanchett or anyone is something to revere since it is the equivalent of a humanitarian award, and getting to add “Sir” or “Dame” to your name because it was given to you by Queen Elizabeth is considered a true honor.
On June 11, according to Guardian, Cate Blanchett awoke to news that she was being named to Queen Elizabeth’s 2017 Birthday Honors List as one of the Companions of the Order of Australia.
This means Cate Blanchett is now a COE, and if Australia had not abolished the practice in 2015, according to BBC, her title would be Dame Cate Blanchett.
Fans of British royalty may have heard of Dame Judi Dench, Sir Paul McCartney, or Sir Elton John and wondered about the process to get named by Queen Elizabeth to these titles since they are celebrities, actors, or musicians.
Fans of Queen Elizabeth might not be aware that Her Majesty gives these honors out to worthy people twice a year, and one of those lists is given out on her second birthday.
In addition to naming a top elected official to the ultimate role of Knight Grand Companion, others that have shown good works to benefit others are awarded twice a year on the honors lists by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.
Queen Elizabeth’s two honors lists are released at New Year’s and on her second birthday, and they name her new knights, sirs, and dames. Other important people that gave their life to service are also given titles such as OBE, MBE, and CBE.
The names for the 2017 birthday honors list are extensive, and the New Zealand Herald gave a thorough reprint of the list that honored people in that area of Queen Elizabeth’s United Kingdom.
For example, the Knight Grand Companion was awarded to the former Prime Minister of New Zealand. His new title after receiving the birthday honor from Queen Elizabeth is Sir John Key.
There are also other titles such as Dame Companion, Knights Companion, Officers, Honorary Officers, and Members. The list is complete with the Queen’s Service Order Companion awarded along with the Queen’s Service Medal.
While many of the names on Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday Honors List are people that have given back to the U.K. through charity services, there is some backlash that has emerged in Australia. For example, The Age states that part of the problem with Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday Honors List is the large number of women it tends to exclude.
Fans of Queen Elizabeth can learn more about why people are added to the annual Birthday Honors List by reading the page for the nomination process.
For example, the nominations for Queen Elizabeth’s list is restricted to individuals, and charitable volunteer groups are eligible for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Queen Elizabeth’s second birthday is always celebrated on the second Sunday in June. Queen Elizabeth’s real birthday is April 21. Since the second Sunday in June always falls on a different day, it can be difficult to remember when it will occur.
While the date for Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday Honors List changes each year, the date for the New Year’s Honors List is more predictable. For example, on the Honors List website, the New Year’s Honors List is published annually on December 30.
Cate Blanchett was named to Queen Elizabeth’s 2017 Birthday Honors List for “support for humanitarian and environmental causes” as well as Blanchett’s “work as a role model for women and young performers.”
[Feature Image by Richard Stonehouse/Getty Images]
