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The Electronic Newsletter Serving the Chivalric Community

August 1995

© 1995 The Religious and Military Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the copyright holder. One archival copy may be downloaded and printed for private use.

New Knights

At a special Command Investiture held Saturday, Ocrober 15, 1995, the following were invested and decorated as Knights and raised to the rank and dignity of Knights of the Religious and Military Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem: Chev. Ellison is one of America's most distinguished and honored writers. While Chev. Ellison is best known as a science fiction writer and consultant for television's Babylon 5 , his influence extends far beyond into the fields of the essay and television criticism. The Chevalier's book, The Glass Teat , is considered to be one of the first and finest work on the influence of television in American culture. Chev. Ellison has been hailed as "America's most-honored writer." He holds the Honorary Doctor of Literature from American University.

Dame Connie Willis is one of the "Grand Masters" of science fiction, having won in every category in both the Nebula and Hugo awards. Dame Willis ' current project is a novel dealing with time travel and plague in both modern and medieval England.

The Rt. Hon. Chev. Devendra Varma is the world's leading authority on Gothic literature. A Full Professor at Dalhousie University (Canada), Chev. Varma is a Canadian citizen, but originally hails from India. The Chevalier has published dozens of articles and books on the topic of Gothic literature and has received commendations from H.M. Queen Elizabeth II.

Boris Yeltsin named Grand Duke Boris

In October of 1993, Boris Yeltsin, president of the Russian republic, was named Grand Duke Boris, according to a report in Tass , the official Russian news agency. Yeltsin's noble title was conferred in Moscow by His Highness Alexei Brumel, regent of the Russian Monarchy. However, as is often the case, the title is in dispute since Prince Alexei Scherbatow, 79, president of the Russian Nobility Assocition, with headquarters in Manhattan, has reportedly said that only a ruling czar can grant the title of Grand Duke, indicating that those nobility associated with the Russian Nobility Association may not accept Boris Yeltsin's title. So far, Grand Duke Yeltsin has not used his title publicly.

Hillary and Thatcher Decorated Knights of the Garter

Sir Edmund Hillary and Lady Margaret Thatcher were decorated Knights of the Garter by H.M. Queen Elizabeth I on June 19, 1995 in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Uniform of the Order is the black velvet cap with white ostrich feathers and a long blue velbet mantle with the badge of the Order on the left shoulder. The Order of the Garter is considered by many to be the premier Order of Chivalry, having been founded by King Edward III in 1348. While the admission of Sir Edmund Hillary was no surprise (he already held the Order of the British Empire), the decoration of Lady Thatcher (who holds a life peerage title of Baroness) surprised many Britons who heard of rumors that Queen Elizabeth and Lady Thatcher were not on the best of terms during Thatcher's term as Prime Minister of Britain from 1979 to 1990. Such reports were published in The Fall of the House of Windsor and in recent biographies of Queen Elizabeth. However, according to Latham & Sakol's The Royals , "the two strong-minded women...demonstrate considerable mutual respect." The granting not only of a title of nobility but of the Garter confirms that statement.

Lady Thatcher is the second woman in the Garter's history (outside the royal family) to be admitted, the other being the Duchess of Norfolk who was decorated in 1990.
New Zealand's Sir Edmund Hillary was the first person to conquer Mount Everest, reaching its summit on May 29, 1953. Queen Elizabeth II knighted him in 1954 for that achievement. Sir Edmund has served as New Zealand's high commissioner to India since 1984.

Order of the British Empire 1995 Recipents

The victorious sailors who led Britain to what reporters have called "New Zealand's greatest sporting achievement" in the America's Cup have been awarded various ranks in the Order of the British Empire. Made Commanders were Peter Blake, the yachting team leader, and Russell Coutts, the yact's skipper. Named as Officers were Brad Butterworth (yacht tactician) and Tom Schnackenberg (yacht navigator).
Cliff Richard (now Sir Cliff Richard) of the rock and roll band "Peter Pan" was also named to the Order of the British Empire. The rock star's decoration surprised many, but Richard has distinguished himself in "clean living" and in charity work. American news releases have incorrectly stated that Sir Cliff is "Britain's first knight of rock and roll." In fact, the Beatles received the OBE, as did rock and roll star and producer, Robert Geldorf.
The OBE honors list is usually comprised of classical actors, opera singers, leading politicians, and scientists and is issued on or around April 21, the Queen's birthday.

Sir Peter Ustinov Recalls His Investiture

Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (1921- ), British actor, writer, producer, director, and two-time Academy award winner, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1990, discussed his impressions of his Investiture during an interview on the July 18, 1995 broadcast of NBC's Today Show .

According to Sir Peter, when he arrived at Buckingham Palace for the ceremony, he was greeted by "an elderly gentleman" who introduced himself as Sir Peter's "Page." Ustinov was somewhat taken aback because, he said, "I always thought a 'Page' was a small boy with a kind of bobbed hairdo, not an elderly gentleman with soup stains on the front of his rather elaborate coat." Nevertheless, Ustinov entered into the Palace where he was greeted by a guard who asked, "OBE, Sir?" Ustinov replied, "No, knighthood," whereupon the guard replied with great respect, "Ah, then, sir, up those stairs." As he was leaving, Ustinov heard the same question asked to another entrant, who replied, "Yes, Commander of the British Empire," whereupon the guard replied with a bit less courtesy, "Well, then, down those stairs." Sir Peter commented, "It seems that we were being herded and divided like sheep, with the 'higher ups' going...well...higher up, while the others descended!" Once in the Palace, the time having arrived, Sir Peter continued: "I knelt before Her Majesty who tapped me on the left shoulder with a sword. Then she raised the sword very high, brought it over my head, and brought it down on the other shoulder, and I thought to myself, 'Well, she's raised it so high so as not to damage the obstacle in the center of the two shoulders...perhaps she's had an accident before me and doesn't wish to see it repeated. But," Sir Peter continued, "that was not the case, I having later inquired about it. Overall, I must say, the entire ceremony was very nice, and I enjoyed it immensely."

Sir Stephen Spender Dies

Poet, critic, essayist, and preeminent British writer and man of letters, Sir Stephen Spender, died of heart failure on July 17, 1995 in London. Sir Stephen was friend of poets W.H. Auden, Christopher Isherwood, Louis MacNeice, and Cecil Day-Lewis, all of whose poetry dominated British and American verse for decades. Spender's lyric verse treats technological aspects of the modern world. Spender taught at various U.S. institutions, accepting the Elliston Chair of Poetry at Cincinnati University in 1953. In 1983 Sir Stephen was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

American Peter Falk Receives Knighthood in French Legion of Honor

Television and motion picture actor Peter Falk was made a Chevalier of Arts and Letters, France's highest arts honor in the French Legion of Honor on Thursday, February 29, 1996 in Paris. French film star Gerard Depardie, himself a Chevalier, bestowed the honor in a ceremony held by the French Ministry of Culture. Chevalier Falk is one of many Americans who regularly receive Knighthood in various Orders of Chivalry.

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