QUEEN ELIZABETH II - KENNEDY AWARDED HONORARY KNIGHTHOOD

KENNEDY AWARDED HONORARY KNIGHTHOOD

U.S. Senator EDWARD KENNEDY is to be awarded an honorary knighthood by British monarch QUEEN ELIZABETH II.
The politician, 77, will be designated a Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire, for his services to U.S/U.K relations, according to the office of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Brown announced the news on Tuesday (03Mar09) during a joint session of Congress in Washington, D.C., as part of an official visit to the U.S.
He said, "I know that you will allow me to single out for special mention today one of your most distinguished Senators, known in every continent and a great friend. Northern Ireland today is at peace, more Americans have health care, children around the world are going to school, and for all those things we owe a great debt to the life and courage of, Senator Edward Kennedy."
Kennedy, who remains under treatment for a brain tumour diagnosed last May (08), follows his famous family's history of close ties to the U.K.
His father, Joseph P. Kennedy, served as Ambassador to the U.K. under U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt.
Kennedy says of his honour, "I have always prized the opportunity to work with the British government and strengthen and deepen the role of our two countries as leading beacons of democracy in the world. I am proud that I was able to play a part in the decades-long effort to bring peace to Northern Ireland.
"So for me this honour is moving and personal - a reflection not only of my public life, but of things that profoundly matter to me as an individual.
"I accept this honour in the spirit in which it is given, with a continuing commitment to be a voice for the voiceless and for the shared ideals of freedom and fairness which are so fundamental to the character of our two countries."