Queen presents Prince Philip with Australian knighthood
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Version 0 of 1. The Queen has officially presented her husband, Prince Philip, with his Australian knighthood badge during a ceremony at Windsor Castle. Australia’s high commissioner in the UK, Alexander Downer, was present at the castle, where the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are currently staying. “The Queen today invested the Duke of Edinburgh with the insignia of a Knight of the Order of Australia at Windsor Castle,” Buckingham Palace said in a short statement. The investiture took place in the castle’s so-called white drawing room. Related: How giving Prince Philip a knighthood left Australia's PM fighting for survival The Queen agreed in early January to the recommendation by Tony Abbott, Australia’s prime minister, to knight Philip. But senior Australian ministers only found out about the Australian knighthood when it was announced publicly on 26 January. At the time, Abbott said: “Prince Philip’s long life of service and dedication should be honoured by Australia.” But a subsequent public and party backlash triggered a leadership crisis that threatened to end Abbott’s premiership and forced the prime minister to give up the power to create knights and dames. Decisions are now to be made by the Council for the Order of Australia, an independent body, rather than the prime minister of the day. Abbott restored knights and dames to Australia’s honours system in early 2014, nearly 30 years after they were abolished in 1986. Labor is committed to scrapping them again if it wins power. |