A damehood is the ultimate testament to a lifetime’s hard work and dedication to a certain field. This can include anything from a career on stage and screen, to a commitment to charitable work.
The list of women who have received a knighthood already includes Dame Helen Mirren as well as Dame Shirley Bassey, the chief executive of Maggie’s Cancer Charity, and Dame Laura Lee.
The public has revealed their top choices for this prestigious award, including real heavyweights from fields as diverse as literature and sports.
One Poll conducted a survey for TV channel HISTORY to launch the second series of historical fiction drama Knightfall, which premieres on July 2nd. 45 per cent of the respondents said that receiving a damehood or knighthood was the highest honour a human being could receive.
A quarter of respondents also said that the person should be a role model for kids.
Four out of 10 people also stated that they believe that a person must have done something to better mankind in order to be awarded a knighthood.
Below is a list of the top British dame candidates (excluding potential knights) and we believe they all meet the criteria.
- JK Rowling
- Joanna Lumley
- Dawn French
- Paula Radcliffe
- Annie Lennox
- Helena Bonham-Carter
- Adele
- Kate Winslet
- Karren Brady
The survey also revealed that 35 percent of respondents believe that women should be knighted in the same way as men and not made dames.
A spokesperson for the channel said: “Many Brits think a knighthood to be the ultimate honor, and it is no surprise that national treasures such as Stephen Fry and JK rowling are at the top of the list.”
They both appear to be hardworking, decent people that the public values highly.
‘However the British public wanting something doesn’t make it happen, as there is a complicated procedure in place for making people knights or dame.
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