Queen Elizabeth II announced, on June 16th, the list of 2017’s Birthday Honours, event that marks the beginning of the monarch’s official birthday celebrations. This year, the author was awarded The Order of the Companion of Honour (CH) for her services to literature and philanthropy.
Amongst over a thousand people honoured in diverse Orders, there’s also the actress Julie Walters, who in 2008 became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and this year was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
The Order of the Companions of Honour is awarded to great contributors of the arts, sciences, medicine or the government that last a long period of time, and is given to a maximum of 65 people. In that Order, J.K. Rowling joins Maggie Smith, Stephen Hawking, Ian McKellen and baroness Mary Warnock.
Besides being a member of the CH, J.K. Rowling is also an Officer of the Order of the British Empire since 2000 for services to children’s literature and a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature since her nomination in 2002, being allowed to sign as Joanne Rowling, CH, OBE, FRSL.
News translated to English by Beatriz
