Q: What happens when you become a Knight or a Dame?

First you will receive a letter inviting you to accept the award – this usually arrives around 6 weeks before an Honours List is announced.

All King’s honours awards, including Knighthoods (KBE) and Damehoods (DBE), are announced twice a year – in the King’s Birthday Honours List in June and in the New Year’s Honours List on the 1st January.

Conferment of a Knight or Dame takes place at an investiture ceremony, which may be held publicly or in private. At the ceremony, the individual will be ceremonially “dubbed” by The King, who will lay the sword blade on their right, then left shoulder.