Congratulations to Charles Saumarez Smith and Simon Schama, both Honorary Fellows of the College, who have been made Knights Batchelor in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Also many congratulations to Tim Hitchens (m.1980) who was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victoria Order.
Charles is the Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Arts and has been knighted for his services to Art, Architecture and Culture in the UK. The citation says: 'Dr Charles Saumarez-Smith CBE, Secretary and Chief Executive at the Royal Academy of Arts, is a historian, cultural commentator, writer and academic who has demonstrated unwavering dedication to the advancement of the creative industries in the UK. In his ten year tenure at the RA, he has placed particular emphasis on cultural diplomacy, fostering a culture of sharing exhibitions with international institutions, showcasing the skill of British artists such as David Hockney, Thomas Heatherwick and Anish Kapoor. He has overseen the multi-million pound Burlington Gardens project, which has doubled the footprint of the RA and which has allowed the RA to have a free exhibition offer for the first time in its history. Reflecting his personal commitment to opening up the arts to everyone and marking the RA's 250th anniversary, the RA's collection (which includes works by Constable, Gainsborough and Michelangelo) will go on permanent public display for the first time in centuries, and with no entry cost'.
Simon Schama is a Historian and Broadcaster and has been knighted for his services to history. The citation says: 'Professor Simon Schama CBE FBA is a prolific and internationally acclaimed Professor of History and Art History. A natural storyteller, his books have been translated into 15 languages and cover an extraordinary breadth, from slavery and the American Revolution, the history of Britain, and the French Revolution. His award winning documentary series have been lauded for their quality and accessibility. He has made 10 major documentary series including a 15 part History of Britain, and the Story of the Jews, a five part look at 3000 years of Jewish History. He is the writer and presenter of more than 40 documentaries on art, history and literature. He writes on cooking and food, and is a contributing editor for the Financial Times. He is currently working on Civilisations, a television history of world art. He is a patron of the Art History in Schools charity which is dedicated to promoting art history education in states schools across the UK'. Professor Schama very kindly gave a Lady Margaret lecture here in College on Tuesday 24th April 'Civilisations: What was I thinking?'.
Tim Hitchens matriculated at Christ's in 1980, was Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Summit Unit and British Ambassador to Tokyo. and is now President of Wolfson College, Oxford. He was appointed KCVO for distinguished personal service to the Queen.