While veteran rock star, Rod Stewart, gained congratulatory headlines for his award of a knighthood in the Queen’s birthday honours – he becomes Sir Rod Stewart – those business leaders who supported staying in the EU and who got their knighthoods as supposed “payoffs” from the British Prime Minister, got a very bad press.
Amongst the hundreds of awards given to those giving service to the nation was one other more surprising and less controversial “gong” in the birthday honours.
Major Tim Peake became the first man in orbit to receive a “gong” after he was given the award of Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, a so called “CMG”, for his diplomatic services abroad…or in his case space. Wisely and generously, Peake dedicated his award to those working in the spaceflight support structure at ESA and NASA effectively allowing him to fly into space.
Comment by David Todd: While he was “just doing his job” most thought that Peake did deserve something, probably an OBE (Order of the British Empire), for his outreach work with schools before the flight. Nevertheless, the higher ranking CMG was a surprise.
