Perks of being a KNIGHT....or being knighted

Have you ever wondered what the benefits are if ever you were to be knighted? You hear of these people that are now called "SIR" or "DAME" and perhaps there are great benefits to that honour....as many movies have depicted these elite soldiers as important members of the society with wealth and prestige.

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Firstly, lets take a look at them historically:

Knights were not born to being a knight. In fact even kings were knighted after they ascended to the throne. These included William I, Edward III, Henry VII, and Edward VI.
It was done by a monarch, bishop or in times of war even another knight for those that showed exceptional bravery or great service to the crown or church especially in a military aspect.
Exceptionally brave squires sometimes were knighted due to their great feats on the battlefield, thus changing from a squire to a knight. I can understand how this may inspire many squires to fight like men possessed on the field of battle in the hope of moving up in life.

Some of the oaths that the squire would then take upon themselves would be:

• He would always defend a lady.
• He would speak only the truth.
• He would be loyal to his lord.
• He would be devoted to the church.
• He would be charitable and defend the poor and helpless.
• He would be brave.
• When on a quest, he would remove his armor and arms only while sleeping.
• He would never avoid dangerous paths out of fear.
• He would be on time for any engagement of arms, like a battle or tournament.
• Upon returning to his home or lord's court from an adventure, he would always tell of his escapades.
• If taken prisoner, he would give up his arms and horse to his opponent and not fight the opponent again without the opponent's consent.
• He would fight only one-on-one against an opponent.

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Thus I suppose this became mostly something that was done to the men, due to their involvement in war and fighting.

However other men would receive their knighthood during their military service. There were many expectations from knights due to the honours and religious rites associated with it.
The were expected to undergo and follow strict and rigorous military training. Chivalry, generosity, bravery, self-denial, fighting skills, faithfulness and control of all financial aspects like the assistants, horses armor etc. were all expected of knights.

They received a good sum of money, land and prestige by their lords for their service as well, which is most probably a large motivator to many.

I don't want to go into the different orders of knighthood, but let's just mention that there are a few orders that one may be knighted into.

Suffice it to say, it seemed to be quite a good 'business' to go into as it offered the lowly man the ability to rise up and move through the ranks of society.

Modern day knights

But is this so today.What do they get for being knights in the modern day and age? Because it is no longer really an honour for battle and strength, but now for honouring those that have done great thigns in peace time as well, this is now given to many women as well, and they are referred to as Dame.

Honestly, the only real things that men and women get today are the titles and the honour. The prestige that came from it of old no longer exists, and riding off to war for your lord, and getting paid for those services are long gone.

However, some knights and ladies do get appointed to boards and positions within organisations due to their extensive knowledge in those fields which may financially benefit them.
For example, lets say a dame was given the knighthood for her great work in the fight against cancer, was appointed to the board of the cancer association because of her knighthood and great work...this would benefit her, but the knighting wasn't really the factor here.....am I making sense?

Other 'benefits' are:

1. The clothing one could wear to signify the knighthood "Knights and Dames Grand Cross get to wear special gear to formal events like coronations. This getup includes a pink-with-gray-edges satin mantle and a collar of six gold medallions. All members of the Order are allowed to wear the group’s badge. The badge is basically a cross hanging from a pink ribbon with gray edges, although various ranks wear their badges in unique ways. Members and Officers simply wear their badges like military medals pinned to their chests, while higher-ups wear theirs on sashes or around their necks."
2. Ceremonial increase in the British order of precedence, which will help for where you sit at state dinners
3. The honour of being called "sir" or "dame". Remember that it is used in conjunction only with your first name. So in my case it would be Sir Justin. NOT Sir Armstrong....never the surname, only the first name
4. The additional honour of your wife being called "Lady"
5. Can modify your coat of arms to reflect the honour of being knighted

For the lay man on the streets, the only real thing we have noticed by the knighting of people we know is that they are now "Sir Elton John" and not just "Elton John".

the rest I'm sure you would never really make use of, or have a need of.

Aslo due to the fact that people are now knighted just because they are well known rock stars from the UK is hardly a great advert for the old honour and lore of the knights in times past.
I think the entertainment world is exactly the opposite to the values of the knights of old that were referred to above, so for them to be added to the list just says a lot about where this has gone.

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However, allowing that men and women can in fact change and be other than the establishment they are part of is also a possibility I have to allow for.

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For all those aspiring knights out there, I hope I have not dented your aspirations :), but I found it interesting to know what a knight is in fact getting by being a knight.

Kevin is also now known as Sir Kevin, and he was greatly appreciative of the honour. Perhaps I am just being a party pooper?

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[Information credit is here, Wikipedia]