Geldof Is Made an Honorary Knight
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LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday awarded Irish rock star Bob Geldof an honorary knighthood in recognition of his work for the starving people of Africa, the Foreign Office announced.
Because he is not a British citizen, Geldof will not be Sir Bob Geldof, but Bob Geldof, KBE, which stands for Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
The award was made on the recommendation of Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe because of the work Geldof has done in organizing Band Aid, Live Aid and last month’s Sport Aid, rallying worldwide support and contributions of millions of dollars to help the hungry in the drought-stricken countries of Africa.
The absence of Geldof’s name from the Queen’s regular list of knighthoods and other honors at New Year’s brought sharp public criticism of the government, which selects the people to be honored by the Queen.
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