Actress, director, mother, humanitarian, Academy Award winner, the highest paid actress in Hollywood according to Forbes Magazine, Angelina Jolie has added yet another title and accolade to her long list of accomplishments. The 39-year-old star of Girl, Interrupted, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, A Mighty Heart was received at the Buckingham Palace on Saturday afternoon to receive the Insignia of an Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George.
Jolie attended the reception with husband Brad Pitt and the couple’s six children as Her Majesty received the actress and presented her with the honour granted for her campaign against rape in war zones and services to UK foreign policy. The award was first announced in June during the week when Jolie was co-chairing the End Sexual Violence in Conflict (ESVC) global summit in London with then foreign secretary, William Hague.
At the time Jolie had said, ‘To receive an honour related to foreign policy means a great deal to me, as it is what I wish to dedicate my working life to. Working on the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative and with survivors of rape is an honour in itself. I know that succeeding in our goals will take a lifetime, and I am dedicated to it for all of mine.”
Jolie is co-founder with William Hague of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) and she is also special envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. It was in 2012, after Hague saw Jolie’s film Land of Blood and Honey about Bosnian rape camps, where women were kept prisoner and only released when they were pregnant, the two co-founded the initiative.
As she is a foreign citizen Jolie may not be addressed as Dame, though she can use the initials DCMG after her name. it is a rare occurrence for a foreign national to be recognised by Britain and equally rare for a damehood to be bestowed upon someone so young.
In a statement Buckingham Palace said: ‘Ms Angelina Jolie was received by The Queen today when Her Majesty presented her with the Insignia of an Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George.”
Angelina looked elegant in a wool crepe peplum jacket and matching pencil skirt in dove grey at the ceremony custom-made for the occasion inspired by Ralph & Russo inspired by a piece from the label’s Spring/Summer 2014 couture collection.
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