Dick Lugar to be knighted by Britain on Tuesday
Senator Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) on the right, with George Clooney and Senator John Kerry (D-MA) on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Lugar was defeated in the Indiana primary by a tea party-backed challenger on May 8, 2012, after serving for more than 30 years in the Senate.
Never fear, America — Knight Richard Lugar will soon be here, with the British monarchy set to knight the former Indiana senator on Tuesday, according to the Lugar Center.
The deed will be done by the British ambassador acting in the Queen's stead in Washington DC ceremony, said the Center. Lugar will receive the title of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
"You won’t be able to call him Sir Richard, but he’ll still be a knight," said Politico, pointing out that the "Sir" title is only bestowed upon British subjects — Lugar's stint in England as a Rhodes scholar notwithstanding.
Lugar is now with the German Marshall Fund after spending 36 years in the US Senate, having lost his Indiana seat in last year's election, said the Associated Press.
Lugar worked extensively on international relations and was known as a vocal supporter of NATO. He served as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee twice, said AP.
Lugar joins a "very select set of Americans to be knighted" the Center said, listing Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush; as well as Bill Gates, Rev. Billy Graham, Alan Greenspan, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Bob Hope and Henry Kissinger.