Patrick Stewart Awarded UK Honour

As Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Next Generation he may have been honoured by Starfleet, but yesterday Patrick Stewart received an official honour from the British Monarchy.

Stewart was presented with an OBE - The Order of The British Empire - from Prince Charles in the ornate Ballroom at Buckingham Palace. Steward accepted the award for services to acting and cinema. The actor attended with his wife Wendy Neuss, the former Next Generation and Voyager co-producer, and his two children.

"I'm very touched and very pleased with this and it was a delightful morning," Stewart commented after the ceremony. On Prince Charles, the actor said: "He attended one of our premieres of Star Trek: The Next Generation and we were at an event together on Tuesday for arts and business, so I've seen him twice this week now."

On Monday, Stewart was awarded an honourary fellowship by Cardiff University (story). He is currently appearing on stage at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, in a production of 'Johnson Over Jordan' and a one-man show entitled 'Shylock: Shakespeare's Alien'.

The OBE is available to all who give service to the United Kingdom. Honours are awarded by the Queen twice a year to those who have made a significant contribution in an area of life. They are decided on the advice of the Prime Minster, but nominations can be made by any British subject - there is even a nomination form available online.

You can find more details of the event and a photograph here at BBC News Online.

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