Wodehouse Knighthood

A fellow National Trust volunteer of mine contacted me in 2020, cognizant of my esteem for Jeeves, Bertie Wooster, and their creator, Sir P G Wodehouse, KBE.

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Robin sent me a cutting from The Times newspaper concerning the death of the Lord Armstrong of Ilminster, GCB, CVO, a very distinguished civil servant who served as Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to two Prime Ministers, viz. Harold Wilson and Edward Heath.

Lord Armstrong was also the Cabinet Secretary, from 1979 until 1987, during which period Margaret Thatcher served as Prime Minister.

While Wodehouse was in hospital in 1974, Armstrong, PPS to Harold Wilson at the time, persuaded the Prime Minister to 'fast-track' a knighthood for him.

Insignia: Knight Commander of the
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

In this case the honour was Knight Commander of the British Empire ~ KBE.

So in the New Year Honours List of 1975, P G Wodehouse was appointed KBE, a mere six weeks before his death.

First published in April, 2020.