King Charles III knighted cycling champion Mark Cavendish. The Manxois was officially invested during a ceremony chaired by the Prince of Wales this Wednesday. Prince William also recognized a referee, a football player and a former footballer during this ceremony organized at Windsor Castle.
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Mark Cavendish knighted in ceremony presided over by the Prince of Wales
This Wednesday, October 2, 2024, Prince William presided over one of the many investiture ceremonies, on behalf of his father, King Charles III. The British sovereign grants hundreds of awards on two occasions of the year, for the New Year and for his public birthday in June. The lucky recipients are then invited to come and collect their badges during public or private ceremonies, organized throughout the year. King Charles presides over these ceremonies or, failing that, he can be replaced by a member of his family. Prince William and Princess Anne are the two most frequent replacements.
Princess Catherine, who discreetly attended the ceremony presided over by her husband this Wednesday, had invited a talented young photographer, Liz Hatton, to immortalize the event. Liz has incurable cancer and one of her last wishes was to be able to photograph the royal family. That day, Liz was lucky enough to be able to attend and photograph a knighthood investiture, which is less common.
Also read: King Charles III invests the Archbishop of Canterbury with the Royal Victorian Order
An investiture ceremony honoring athletes
The famous cyclist from the Isle of Man, Mark Cavendish, has been knighted by the Prince of Wales. Sir Mark Cavendish, 39, was world road cycling champion in 2011, multiple times British champion, twice green jersey at the Tour de France and won 35 stages at the Tour de France, during his career. Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the distinction of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2011. In his 2024 birthday list, King Charles III upgraded his distinction to knighthood. Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The distinction was awarded to him for his cycling career and for his charitable commitment.
The Order of the British Empire is the most common order of distinction in the United Kingdom, but the awards given are usually those of Member or Officer, which are the two lower ranks. After officer comes the rank of commander, then knight commander and finally knight grand cross. The last two rows allow the title of Sir to be placed in front of the name for a man, and that of Lady for women. This is a knighthood for which the recipient kneels on a bench and receives a knighthood with a sword. After the knighthood with a drawn sword on both shoulders, the recipient receives his insignia, as is the case for all other ranks.
During this ceremony, Prince William recognized other athletes in his father’s name. Former footballer Ally McCoist was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, as was Karen Carney, a footballer who is part of the England national team. Finally, Welsh referee Cheryl Foster traveled to Windsor to receive the insignia of Member of the Order of the British Empire.
The British sovereign signs the list of recipients of a distinction within the Order of the British Empire but he has no right to review the names of the distinguished people. People are proposed to a committee which undertakes an investigation and decides who will get an award and at what rank. The Order of the British Empire can only be awarded to a Briton or a citizen of a Commonwealth realm. Foreigners who receive the award obtain an honorary equivalent. Unlike the noble system in other monarchies, the rank of knight is not a title of nobility in the United Kingdom.
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