Queen Elizabeth Gives Ralph Lauren Honorary Knighthood
Nope, it’s not just British people who can be awarded knighthoods by Queen Elizabeth II, as people from other countries can be given an honorary knighthood, which is what designer Ralph Lauren received in a ceremony from Prince Charles.
The Hollywood Reporter says that the Prince of Wales gave Ralph Lauren a very prestigious sounding award in a Buckingham Palace ceremony on Wednesday, called Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for Services to Fashion.
Despite the fact that the award was given to the designer by Prince Charles, only the monarch can bestow the honor on someone, so it was given at the behest of Queen Elizabeth. Lauren is the first American designer to be recognized with an honorary knighthood.
The Ralph Lauren Corp. has donated to a breast cancer research center in London and plans to financially support a second center in the near future.
On Twitter, Ralph Lauren included a photo of the prince handing the designer his insignia, and the Clarence House Twitter account retweeted it.
“In a private ceremony hosted by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Ralph Lauren was presented with the knighthood insignia of Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.”
Ralph Lauren Receives Honorary U.K. Knighthood from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace https://t.co/CBhjcmo5lk
— People (@people) June 19, 2019
Ironically, Ralph Lauren and his brand, Polo is considered quintessentially American, but the king of U.S. clothing is now a knight, reports Vanity Fair. But Lauren has been celebrated at home with a Key to the City of New York, and in France with the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.
Ralph Lauren’s designs are American but thought to be inspired by classic English style. When Lauren’s knighthood was announced in November, Antony Phillipson, the U.K. Trade Commissioner for North America, praised the designer for making that trans-Atlantic connection.
“[Ralph Lauren has played a] key role in forging trans-Atlantic cultural and economic connections [and is a] vanguard for the global fashion industry and American style for nearly half a century.”
Queen Elizabeth has handed out a handful of honorary knighthoods to Americans like Angelina Jolie, Alan Greenspan, and Bill Gates as well as former British citizen, Bob Hope.
Lauren attended the ceremony at the palace with his family, and released a statement of thanks for the honor, according to The Guardian.
“To have the honorary KBE conferred on me by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and presented to me personally by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is an honour I have humbly accepted.”
