“Burberry’s former high flying boss Angela Ahrendts will be made an honorary dame today for services for business,” James Salmon reports for The Daily Mail.
“But it is unlikely to be a glamorous affair for the woman credited with turning the British fashion house into one of the world’s most coveted luxury brands,” Salmon reports. “Instead of a trip to Buckingham Palace to receive her gong from the Queen, the 53 year old American will have to make her way to the non-descript headquarters of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills in Westminister. The master of ceremonies at the event will be business secretary Vince Cable, not Her Majesty. Sources said the ceremony will be ‘very low key.'”
“Mrs Ahrendts will be allowed to use the letters DBE – Dame of the British Empire – after her name. But she will not be entitled to use the title Dame,” Salmon reports. “Mrs Ahrendts, who was the highest paid FTSE 100 chief executive last year with a £16.9 million pay package, is credited with transforming Burberry into a global powerhouse since she took the helm in 2006. She quit in October last October to head up Apple’s retail operations this month and was replaced by top Burberry designer Christopher Bailey.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Cue the sarcastic jibes.
“There is nothing you can name that is anything like a dame.”
If I’m not mistaken, the honorifica Dame / Sir is reserved for the actual subjects of the empire, while foreigners get the same title of order without the privilege of using the title. So, while she’ll be on the same order (DBE — Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) as Sir Jony Ive, (KBE, Kinght Commander of […] the Brittish Empire), unlike Sir Jony, she won’t be able to call herself Dame Angela. She can still put DBE after her name, though.
You are correct and because she isn’t British, protocol dictates that she doesn’t get a member of the Royal Family to officiate at the ceremony, instead it’s performed by a senior politician.
Sir Jony is British and therefore he received his knighthood from Princess Anne ( the Queen’s daughter ). Obviously he can use the pre-nominal “Sir”, while being non-British, Angela can not use “Dame”, but instead can append DBE after her name.
“unlike Sir Jony, she won’t be able to call herself Dame Angela.”
Maybe – but would Sir Jony really want to [call himself Dame Angela]?
First Jony Ive, now Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s just teeming with British royalty! 😀
Not bad for a Dame from Indiana.
British invasion.
I thought Americans weren’t allowed to accept titles of nobility. Or does this not count?
“honorary dame”
I’m not clear about the privileges of such title . Does Jonny and Angela get free parking in London, or some other kind of perk like that? Does anyone know?
It’s good for gratis bangers & mash at the Hand & Flowers, at the least
Heh heh…probably not. I have a booking at the Hand and Flowers for my daughter’s birthday in June and I only had to make it 6 months in advance so there’s no chance of just turning up and getting served in the hottest 2 Michelin Star restaurant/gastro pub in the land.
She does get to choose an heraldic insignia tho’.