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Nothing has surprised, shocked and delighted me more than the letter I received from the Cabinet Office telling me I was to become a Dame.
It was 2011 and I had had a similar communication in 1999 inviting me to the Palace to receive an OBE. That had been incredible, but a Damehood award for my contribution to broadcasting was something else. How could a working-class girl from Barnsley be considered deserving of such an honour?
Stephen Fry, who this week received a Knighthood in the New Year Honors list, admitted similar sentiments. He wondered how a once-naughty boy (‘expelled from many schools; went to prison…’) could have risen to the height of being nicknamed Sir Stephen. I know exactly what he meant.
That said, in the Mail’s analysis of this year’s list, one thing in particular caught my eye: the proportion of those rejecting the honor has risen by a quarter in three years. Since Charles became king in 2022, more than 120 people have turned down an honour. Although annual numbers fluctuate and remain small, 2024 marked the second highest number of denials in 15 years.
It would never have occurred to me to refuse, but there’s something about the honors system that makes me uncomfortable.
I have a huge certificate, signed by the Queen, naming me a Dame Commander of the British Empire. But we no longer have an empire. The title is long out of date. I would rather be a Lady of the United Kingdom or perhaps Great Britain.
However, it was my proudest moment, so I don’t want anyone to think I’m ungrateful.
My excitement was such when I opened the letter at the Woman’s Hour office that I danced like a demented cat given a bowl of cream. I got a lot of ‘Well, you deserve it’ and people passing by my desk hummed, ‘There’s nothing like a Lady.’
Mail columnist Jenni Murray was appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire by the Queen in 2011.
Former ‘naughty boy’ Stephen Fry has been awarded a Knighthood in this year’s New Year’s Honors list
I then called my husband David, then my youngest son, Charlie, and then my oldest, Ed. He was working in New Zealand at the time and sounded almost as bewildered as I was.
—Wow, mom, that’s big. It’s like being named sir, right? Like a knighthood. I asked him if he could come with me to the Palace. The investiture was to take place just before Christmas.
He said he didn’t think he could pay for the plane ticket. I took the hint and told him I would book it and pay for it, round trip. Tidy.
The only sad part of the whole event was the fact that neither of my parents were still with me.
As much as my mother and I had a difficult relationship, I know that my only goal in life had always been to make her proud.
This was the most important one, but she wouldn’t be here to enjoy it.
I had a suit made for me for the occasion and even bought a little hat. My men, David, Ed and Charlie, took out their best suits and we headed to the Palace in a taxi.
It feels quite overwhelming, no matter how many times you’ve done it, to walk through those big doors, to be dropped off at the entrance and to be welcomed into Buck House, as my mother had called it.
On both occasions I was fortunate to have Queen Elizabeth perform my investiture. No one has ever impressed me more. She was 85 years old in 2011 and quietly walked onto the ballroom’s lower stage in a simple day dress. She was standing in front of the gathered crowd with a uniformed man behind her. His job was to whisper details about each recipient in his ear.
He had a few words for everyone and the ceremony was long. As I recall, a couple of hours passed and she just stood there smiling, with no hint that she might need to sit down.
She pinned the medal to my chest, shook my hand and told me how much she enjoyed Woman’s Hour. She regretted it when she went from 2 pm to 10 am because she was often busy with work in the morning and couldn’t listen as often as before. I told her that I also preferred the afternoon and she gave me a smiling gesture that indicated that I was saying goodbye.
When the Prime Minister became Sir Keir, his wife Victoria automatically became Lady Starmer.
I nodded, gave a small bow, took a step back so as not to turn my back on him, and walked out feeling very proud of myself.
Having thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience, I know what it takes to turn it down. But I understand why some do it. Aside from the fact that the title itself seems outdated, there’s the sexism.
When Keir Starmer became Sir Keir, his wife Victoria became Lady Starmer. When a woman receives the title of Lady, equivalent to the title of Knight, her husband, if he has one, receives nothing.
My David should be a Lord, but he is not. Therefore, no empire please and equal right to a shared title for the spouse. It’s time to modernize.
Divorcing Brangelina is still at war
Brangelina no longer exists. After eight long years of fighting in an incredibly long divorce case, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are finally no longer married.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s ‘War of the Roses’ continues over a disputed vineyard they bought when they were married
Their feud is over. Or not? Because what is known as the War of the Pinks continues. The couple jointly owned Chateau Miraval and a winery in the south of France famous for its rosé wine. Angelina is alleged to have sold her $62 million stake to the Stoli group, best known for its vodka, without Brad’s approval.
It’s a lot of money to keep fighting for.
Pete Wicks, who did so well on Strictly, is upset that too many people treat their dogs like fashion items, and I’m with him. I’ve seen lots of super cute little cockapoos on display around North London since Christmas. Don’t send them to rescue centers when faced with sky-high vet bills. That dog wasn’t for Christmas, it’s for life.
Trust me guys, perms ruin your hair.
A word of warning to any man thinking about following the current trend of perming: don’t do it!
Actor Paul Mescal has natural curls, but guys, don’t follow his example and opt for a perm.
I got a perm when I was 20 when they were last in style. The solution smells bad, ruins your hair, and never looks like real curls.
No matter how tempted you are by the looks of actor Paul ‘Gladiator II’ Mescal (pictured), stay as you are, as we women like you.
The real reason cats need to be rescued…
Fire crews are spending a record amount of time and money rescuing cats from trees.
The old cliché of cats rescued from trees by firefighters is becoming a worrying modern trend.
In London, the cost reached £500,000 in just one year. What madness is this? My cat Suu climbs all the trees in the neighborhood, usually ropes the dogs and then comes down whenever she feels like it.
Unless, of course, the owners calling 999 have declawed their cats to save their furniture.
That would make it much harder for them to get down.
Don’t we gender-critical women warn that transgender women who still have male genitalia pose a risk? Nearly two-thirds of those incarcerated people are serving sentences for sexual crimes, a rate far higher than the male prison population as a whole.