Sunday, June 17, 2012

Queen's Birthday Honours

Goodness, aren't the petulant out in force? Dame Mary, Lady Archer, the CVO for the Duke of Westminster - all the "bin the honours system, relic of a discredited Empire" fools are out.

Nearly every country has some form of honours system - the ceremonnial core of the recent Presidential investiture in Paris wasn't handing over the nuclear launch codes, that happened later, it was the presentation of the collar of the Grand Master of the Légion d'Honneur.

The Yanks have their own, hideously complex system.

Anyway, congratulations to Stu Hobson, MBE.

5 comments:

Edward Spalton said...

Hasn't the Duke of Westminster put up a great deal of his own money for a convalescent home/rehabilitation centre for wounded servicemen?

I believe he also serves as a senior officer in the Territorial Army.

I think the country would be greatly improved if there were more people like him at all levels of society. Many bleeding heat luvvies and celebs are wealthy and might follow his example of service and generosity.

Surreptitious Evil said...

Edward,

I've no detailed knowledge of his charity work - but it wouldn't surprise me. A quick google turns up Arthritis Care, LIBRA (Lions Int), St Georges's House, the "Christmas Gifts" uk4u lot, "Not Forgotten", the CWGC etc, etc ...

He is the most senior officer in the Territorial Army. There is another serving Major General, Greg Smith, but the Duke has (considerable) seniority in rank.

Surreptitious Evil said...

£1 million to Combat Stress, in 2010, from the Westminster Foundation. Is that what you were thinking of?

Edward Spalton said...

There is a manor house not far from Rempstone near Loughborough which, I believe, is being refurbished for the purpose. It formerly belonged to the co-operative movement.

I am quite in favour of Dukes! We have the Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth who runs his estate in an exemplary manner and looks after old retainers very well.

Whenever we take visitors there, the staff are always so helpful and enthusiastic - many of the guides are volunteers who do it for fun.

Surreptitious Evil said...

Ah, Stanford Hall. Hadn't heard about that. Thanks.

I've actually got a couple of relatives who work on the Chatsworth estate - and appeared in the recent documentary. They're not on the house staff, though.

 
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