# Why no Australian or Canadian lords, if they are technically monarchies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 10, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-australian-or-canadian-lords-if-they-are-technically-monarchies/289472 "2005-02-10T22:01:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-australian-or-canadian-lords-if-they-are-technically-monarchies/289472/41 "2005-02-13T21:30:43Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Does the King of Sweden have to get permission from the Grand Duke of Luxembourg before granting a title from another country? Actually it’s the Grand Duke that grants the title. Apparntly the Royal family and the Grand Ducal family are related. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-australian-or-canadian-lords-if-they-are-technically-monarchies/289472/42 "2005-02-13T21:38:16Z")
> [@](#): > > by **Spectre of Pithecanthropus** > Even Americans can be knighted, even though our laws prohibit us from using the titles, or at least they stipulate that the titles have no significance–this being the Land Of The Free I imagine we can call ourselves anything we wish. Caspar Weinberger, Secretary of Defense in Reagan’s cabinet, was knighted by the Queen, as was P.G. Wodehouse shortly before his death in 1975. Wodehouse had long since become a naturalized American citizen. > [@](#): > > by **Master Control** > Since someone else mentioned Americans getting titles, even if they aren’t supposed to, isn’t it only honerary as opposed to official? For example, rudolph giuliani got knighted, but it’s not the same, as say, Paul McCartney getting knighted, is it? We can receive Orders of Chivalry, but we cannot accept Knighthood. Technically, they are two different animals. An Order of Chivalry is sort of a club, whose members get to wear the medals and to put the initials after their names. Knighthood is a quasi-nobiliary rank, which used to confer legal priveliges. A UK national receives the 5th rank of an Order (Member). Then he receives the 4th rank of the Order (Officer). Then he receives the 3rd rank of the Order (Commander). Then he kneels before the monarch and receives the Accolade (the sword-tap on the shoulders) and becomes a Knight, and gets the “Sir” prefix to his name. Then he receives the 2nd rank of the Order (Knight Commander). Then he receives the 1st rank of the Order (Knight Grand Cross). A US citizen can receive Orders, wear the medals, and put the initials after his name, but he cannot accept the Accolade or use the “Sir” prefix. Any rank above Commander is only on an honorary basis. So, their beatle can become Sir Paul McCartney, KBE. But our mayor can only become Rudy Giuliani, KBE. The Order of Canada, the Order of Australia, and the Order of New Zealand originally had all five grades, but in recent decades only the bottom three have been awarded. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-australian-or-canadian-lords-if-they-are-technically-monarchies/289472/43 "2005-02-14T04:32:51Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > A US citizen can receive Orders, wear the medals, and put the initials after his name, but he cannot accept the Accolade or use the “Sir” prefix. Any rank above Commander is only on an honorary basis. > > So, their beatle can become Sir Paul McCartney, KBE. > But our mayor can only become Rudy Giuliani, KBE. Thank you for the explanation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-australian-or-canadian-lords-if-they-are-technically-monarchies/289472.md?page=2)