Newly married Angelina Jolie made it a family outing as she went to Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth on Friday.
The actress and humanitarian, 39, had a private audience with the Queen, 88, who presented her with the physical symbol of her recently bestowed title of honorary dame – the Insignia of an Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George.
They met for about 20 minutes, a palace source tells PEOPLE,
with most of the time taken up by the presentation and a following
conversation the Queen had with Jolie. Then, in what must have been a
memorable moment for the family, Pitt, 50, and the couple's six children
– Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne and Knox – were ushered in to
the grand 1844 Room to be presented to the Queen.
Unfortunately, no media – or spokespeople for the royal family –
were in attendance, so there are no details of the meeting. A royal
source says that while there was a "serious nature" to the visit, the
atmosphere at the palace meeting "was a happy family one."
It was revealed in June that Jolie was being made an honorary
dame in the list of recipients issued to mark the Queen's birthday. The
title recognizes Jolie's work in founding of the Preventing Sexual
Violence Initiative (PSVI) and the contribution she has made toward the
British foreign policy objective of ending sexual violence in conflict.
Audiences with the Queen are not announced, so it had not been made public that Jolie had an appointment at the palace Friday.
The family is thought to have come in from Gozo, one of the
Maltese islands, where they are living during the making of the upcoming
film By the Sea.
Honors such as the conferring of knights and dames, and others
like CBE and OBE medals, are normally given in public ceremonies. But
sometimes they take place in private at home or abroad – especially if
the recipient, like Jolie, is not British.
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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 10: Actress Angelina Jolie is
presented with the Insignia of an Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Most
Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George by Queen Elizabeth II in
the 1844 Room on October 10, 2014 at Buckingham Palace, London. Jolie
is receiving an honorary damehood (DCMG) for services to UK foreign
policy and the campaign to end war zone sexual violence. (Photo by
Anthony Devlin - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
A source said: “Initially the Queen presented the insignia to Angelina
alone and after the private audience both Mr Brad Pitt and all children
were presented to the Queen.
Buckingham Palace says Angelina Jolie has been presented with an honorary damehood by the Queen
— Sky News Newsdesk (@SkyNewsBreak) October 10, 2014
The Queen makes Angelina Jolie a (honorary) Dame -- of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George. pic.twitter.com/KaPMHZRfcr
— Peter Hunt (@BBCPeterHunt) October 10, 2014
Ms. Angelina Jolie was received by The Queen today when HM presented her with the Insignia of an Honorary Damehood pic.twitter.com/JvdeOwcOnp
— BritishMonarchy (@BritishMonarchy) October 10, 2014
On the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, the name stood out from those of charity
workers, teachers and civil servants: Angelina Jolie – Honorary Dame
Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, for
her campaigning work “for services to UK foreign policy and the campaign to
end war zone sexual violence”. This means that the Hollywood A-lister has
become one of a tiny group of US citizens to be honoured by the British
establishment (though they can’t use their titles).
It was an extraordinary accolade – doubly so when you consider that the demure
Jolie, who last week hosted a London summit dedicated to ending war rape in
her capacity as special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees, is the same Jolie who, not long ago, was making headlines for her
tattoos, hard-drug use and intimately kissing her brother in public.
......
Indeed, so drastic has been her rehabilitation that Jolie’s status is now
among the tiny section of Hollywood stars deemed untouchable. According to
US pollster Q Scores, which determines celebrities’ likeability factor,
Jolie’s score is 23 – meaning 23 per cent of US adults consider her “one of
[their] favourite personalities”, while 85 per cent of adults know who she
is. This compared with a 15 per cent likeability score and 46 per cent
awareness for the average actress.
.......
She’s Hollywood royalty, a megabrand,” says one film insider. Indeed, a
recent poll named her, along with Pitt, as the celebrities most sought-after
for endorsements. “Jolie has formed a strong emotional bond with American
consumers, which is on the rise,” confirms Henry Schafer, executive
vice-president of Q Scores.
Perhaps her appeal comes from her chameleon-like qualities. She has a sex-bomb
persona (she is regularly named the world’s most beautiful woman by
magazines such as Vogue) but is simultaneously a “madonna”, the
mother of six children, three of whom are adopted.
“What’s remarkable about Jolie is she’s the best at everything she touches,”
says Christina Hopkinson, author of The A-List Family. “When she was
in her bad-girl phase, she was the baddest imaginable. Now she’s a mother,
she’s the ultimate earth-mother of three boys and three girls – even her
twins were the perfect boy-girl combination.
.....
Dorie Clark, author of Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your
Future, uses Jolie as a prime example of reinvention. “Because her
negative brand attributes centred around too much predatory sexuality,” she
says, “motherhood and her clear devotion to her children showed a different,
gentler side and balanced out her reputation.”
The couple’s fame rose as they travelled the world with their huge “rainbow
family”, alternatively making films or doing good – be it campaigning to
help New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, or working in Haiti after the 2010
earthquake.
Many suspect that Jolie has brilliantly manipulated her narrative so the
husband-stealing/wild-child persona has been airbrushed by the human saint.
Whatever the motives, for more than a decade she’s travelled frequently to
some of the most insalubrious corners of the world, bringing huge publicity
to previously unfashionable causes.
“Frankly, if a celebrity isn’t genuinely interested in poverty and is simply
trying to get good press, there are better ways to do it. Travelling to
Darfur or Congo is dangerous, expensive and uncomfortable, and the outhouses
have bats, scorpions and camel spiders,” says Nicholas Kristof of The
New York Times, who spoke with Jolie at a 2008 session at the Council on
Foreign Relations about justice in Darfur.
While she plays the celebrity game, it always seems to serve a higher purpose
than personal vanity or greed. Pictures of her newborn twins were sold for a
$14 million donation to her Jolie-Pitt Foundation. Those who have worked
with her say her behaviour is strikingly un-divalike and professional.
Still, a suspicion persists that her youthful eccentricity (her father once
tearfully described her as having “serious mental problems”) has never gone
away, but that her restlessness is now being channelled to positive ends.
Now Jolie is reinventing herself again, as a director. Her latest, second,
film Unbroken, about a Second World War hero, is hotly tipped as a
2015 Oscar contender. But before picking up another golden statue, there is
the matter of a visit to Buckingham Palace to collect her gong.
Quick, can you name a female American movie star — actually, any American woman at all — declared an honorary dame by the queen?
Nope, the late Elizabeth Taylor doesn’t count; she was British-born. So is Angela Lansbury, recently named a dame, the female version of a knight.
Steven Spielberg has an honorary knighthood. Bill Gates has one. So did Bob Hope, President Reagan, Edward R. Murrow and a long list of Yank generals, including Eisenhower, Patton, Marshall, Schwarzkopf and Powell.
So the fact that Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie today received one of the highest honors granted by Queen Elizabeth II and the British establishment, for her work combating sexual violence in war zones, is a very big deal indeed.
We pored over the Wikipedia list of honorary knights and dames and could not find another female American on it.
Jolie was named an honorary dame commander of the Order of St Michael and St. George
in the annual queen’s birthday honors list, which this year includes
about 1,000 people honored for their service to the nation or their
community.
Only British and Commonwealth citizens can use the title Dame before
their name (or Sir for a knight), so Jolie will join all the other
Americans who have the honor but can’t use it.
It’s actually a respectably long list but they’re all men. Not clear
why that would be but it seems Jolie deserves royal congratulations.
London (AFP) - Angelina Jolie has been made an honorary dame in Queen
Elizabeth II's birthday honours list released Friday, as Britain paid
tribute to the Hollywood star for her efforts to combat warzone rape.
The American actress, who US
Secretary of State John Kerry described as "a fierce and fearless
advocate", leads a list of film idols, sports stars, authors and
designers recognised for their services to the United Kingdom.
Daniel
Day-Lewis receives a knighthood, while his fellow Oscar-winning film
star Dame Maggie Smith -- the star of TV period drama "Downton Abbey"
and the "Harry Potter" films -- is made a companion of honour.
Jolie
was given the female equivalent of a knighthood for her services to
British foreign policy in her campaign to end sexual violence in
conflict zones.
She co-hosted
a four-day global conference in London on the issue with British
Foreign Secretary William Hague, during which Kerry suggested she had
played her most lasting role, "the role of fierce and fearless
advocate".
The 39-year-old
actress said: "To receive an honour related to foreign policy means a
great deal to me, as it is what I wish to dedicate my working life to.
"Working on the Preventing
Sexual Violence Initiative and with survivors of rape is an honour in
itself. I know that succeeding in our goals will take a lifetime, and I
am dedicated to it for all of mine."
Jolie
becomes an honorary dame commander in the Most Distinguished Order of
Saint Michael and Saint George, an order of chivalry for people "who
render extraordinary or important non-military service in a foreign
country".
Hollywood actor and UN special envoy Angelina Jolie
is today accorded one of the highest accolades granted by the British
establishment as she is made an honorary dame in the Queen's birthday
honours.
The 39-year-old Oscar winner, who has spent much of this
week co-chairing a London summit on war rape with foreign secretary
William Hague, becomes a dame commander of the order of St Michael and
St George courtesy of the foreign office in recognition of her work on
conflict sexual crime.
Jolie, in London with actor husband Brad
Pitt, is co-founder with Hague of the Preventing Sexual Violence
Initiative (PSVI) and was nominated in the diplomatic service and
overseas birthday 2014 honours for services to UK foreign policy and the
campaign to end war zone sexual violence.
Hague has made no
secret of his admiration for her, having described the film star as "a
pleasure to work with" and saying "my admiration for her work has grown
even greater over the last two years".
Jolie, who is UN special
envoy for refugees, said of the award: "To receive an honour related to
foreign policy means a great deal to me as it is what I wish to dedicate
my working life to. Working on PSVI and with survivors of rape is an
honour in itself. I know that succeeding in our goals will take a
lifetime and I am dedicated to it for all of mine."
Angelina Jolie, the Hollywood actress, has been singled out for recognition in
this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours for her campaigning work against sexual
violence and the use of rape as a weapon of war.
Jolie has been made an honorary Dame for using her international recognition
to make the question of violence against women not only a global issue, but
one to be taken seriously at the highest level.
The actress was in London this week leading a global summit on the issue in
London, alongside William Hague, the Foreign Secretary.
As a foreign citizen Jolie, the co-founder of the Preventing Sexual Violence
Initiative PVSI, cannot be addressed as Dame, but receives the award on an
honorary basis.
She said: “To receive an honour related to foreign policy means a great deal
to me, as it is what I wish to dedicate my working life to. Working on PVSI
and with survivors of rape is an honour in itself. I know that succeeding in
our goals will take a lifetime, and I am dedicated to it for all of mine.”
Jolie has been honoured alongside four other individuals working for British
charities and NGOs in the field of sexual violence, as part of the
Diplomatic Service and Overseas Birthday Honours list recognising
exceptional service to Britain overseas.
Jolie has also worked as a special envoy for the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees since 2001, regularly visiting refugee camps around the world.
The announcement of Jolie’s award comes at the end of a week in which Mr Hague
has been extensively photographed in her company as they attended the Global
Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, in London’s Docklands. Hundreds
of officials, diplomats, activists and survivors of rape in conflict zones
attended the four-day event to discuss ways to improve the prosecution of
offenders and protection of victims.
Jolie yesterday urged participants to keep lobbying for action, saying: “Our
work is just beginning. The test we now face is whether we can make a
difference on the ground. We can and will end impunity.”
John Kerry, the US secretary of state, speaking at the summit, described Jolie
as a “fierce and fearless advocate”.
He said: “We’ve all watched her play many remarkable roles, but perhaps her
most lasting legacy actually comes from a role she plays in real life — and
that is the role of fierce and fearless advocate.”
Mr Hague welcomed the awarding of honours to individuals such as Jolie, whom
he said were carrying out “extraordinary work” overseas.
“I am particularly delighted by the awards conferred upon those working with
us to eradicate rape and sexual violence in conflict, through the PVSI
initiative. Each individual on this list made a real difference and achieved
lasting results,” he said.
Also singled out for an honour is Daniel Day-Lewis, the star of Lincoln and
There Will Be Blood, who receives an OBE in recognition of his role as one
of Britain’s finest screen actors.
Day-Lewis, 57, who won the most recent of his Oscars in 2012 — becoming the
first man to win three best actor Oscars — for his portrayal of US President
Abraham Lincoln’s struggle to pass the bill to emancipate slaves, said: “I’m
entirely amazed and utterly delighted in equal measure.”
The son of Cecil Day-Lewis, the former poet laureate, and Jill Balcon, the
actress, Day-Lewis has been nominated five times for the best actor Oscar
and is known for his commitment to method acting, requiring intense
immersion in his character.
He is said to have lived in a tent on a deserted Texan oilfield during the
making of There Will Be Blood, and to play Gerry Conlon, a man wrongly
jailed as an IRA bomber in In The Name Of The Father, he spent two days in a
prison cell without food or water.
Knighthood for actor Daniel Day-Lewis while Angelina Jolie is honorary dame for her campaign work in Birthday Honours http://t.co/kFiEGZM9ZE
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) June 13, 2014
Stephen Sutton becomes an MBE, Daniel Day-Lewis is knighted and Angelina Jolie receives an honorary damehood
Late teenage cancer
fundraiser Stephen Sutton has become an MBE in a Queen's Birthday
Honours List which also recognises actor Daniel Day-Lewis with a
knighthood.
Stephen, who raised £4.2m for the Teenage Cancer Trust after
his story spread on social media, accepted the honour for services to
the charity shortly before his death, aged 19, in May.
Sir Daniel, the first person to win three best actor Oscars, is rewarded for services to drama.
Actress Angelina Jolie, meanwhile, has been made an honorary
dame for services to UK foreign policy and campaigning to end sexual
violence in war zones.
......
Actress Jolie, who co-founded the Preventing Sexual Violence
Initiative with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and was in London
this week to host a summit, said receiving "an honour related to foreign
policy means a great deal to me as it is what I wish to dedicate my
working life to".
"Working on the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative and
with survivors of rape is an honour in itself. I know that succeeding in
our goals will take a lifetime and I am dedicated to it for all of
mine."
...
The honours system
Commonly awarded ranks:
Companion of honour - Limited to 65 people. Recipients wear the initials CH after their name
Knight or Dame
CBE - Commander of the Order of the British Empire
