Above, Dame Angelina Jolie, GCMG.
The New York Times runs with the unfortunate experiences of Sir Andre Geim, Kt (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/04/world/europe/nobel-physicist-dutch-citizenship-revoked.html)
Herewith below are some quotes from the NYT’s report:
A non-Briton can receive a British knighthood, but only a British citizen is entitled to use the accompanying title, Sir or Dame. So he obtained citizenship.
“I took it to get the U.K. knighthood and to be called officially ‘Sir Andre,’ prestigious in the U.K.,” he said. “I took it only to receive the British knighthood.”
But by adopting British citizenship, he ran afoul of rules in the Netherlands, which seeks to limit dual nationalities. Voluntarily acquiring another citizenship can set off an automatic loss of Dutch citizenship.
Mr. Geim — Sir Andre — says he has “spent thousands” in legal fees trying to convince Dutch authorities to let him keep his citizenship, including by citing an exception to the rule if it is in “the interest of the Dutch state,” to no avail.
OH DEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sir Andre was VERY badly advised!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The BG with therefore give you Dear Reader and Sir Andre the FACTS:
When a person such as Dame Angelina (a US citizen) is given a knighthood (referred [in her case] by modern convention as a “damehood”) it is (by modern convention) due to the Foreign Office not wishing to ruffle the feathers of other nation states.
Herewith the US Constitution about titles of nobility (https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S9-C8-4/ALDE_00013204/).
As a result, the GCMG was awarded to Dame Angelina was described as “honorary”. This is what is known as a diplomatic fiction as there is legally no such thing as a honorary knighthood. One is either a member of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George or one isn’t!
As to the use of the appellation “Sir” or “Dame”: the NYT stating that “…..only a British citizen is entitled to use the title…..” is just plain WRONG!
The NYT should have reported that “by convention” only a British citizen would use the title. If Dame Angelina decided to style herself Dame Angelina she could do so! IMHO, legally it would NOT affect the lady’s legal position vis-à-vis the US constitution as she has accepted membership of the order of chivalry!
Thus, since Sir Andre desired to style himself Sir Andre he should have been advised that he could do so whilst remaining a Dutch citizen! This because although the BBC and other parts of the MSM would have described the knighthood as “honorary”, Sir Andre would have been completely free to ignore the convention (that has NO status in law) and to style himself Sir Andre!
As to this issue of the prohibition of dual citizenship by the Netherlands, IF wishing to style himself Sir Andre was the ONLY reason why he adopted British citizenship he was very badly advised!
This also applies to British Citizens accepting foreign knighthoods. These in the most part are British Citizens who are Roman Catholics and are invested into a Papal Order of Knighthood – generally the Order of Pope Pius IX, the Order of Saint Gregory the Great and the Order of Saint Sylvester.
By CONVENTION, these British Citizens do not style themselves as “Knight” or “Dame” unless they receive a British Order of Chivalry of knightly rank in addition. The late and unlamented James Savile is a (now embarrassing) case in point!