President meets Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace before talks with Prince Charles, Brown.
By JONNY PAUL, JPOST.COM STAFFPeres knighthood 248.88(photo credit: GPO )
President Shimom Peres received an honorary knighthood from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday afternoon.
Peres met the queen at Buckingham Palace where he was awarded a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George (KCMG), the sixth-most senior award in the British system, used to honor individuals who have rendered important services in relation to foreign nations.
Among past recipients of the knighthood are former US presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and U2 front-man Bono.
After the audience with the queen, the president was set have a private meeting with Prince Charles, who celebrated his 60th birthday this week.
Later Thursday evening, a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, at his residence at 10 Downing Street, followed by dinner in his honor hosted by the prime minister and his wife in the State Dining Room, will mark the end of Peres's first official visit to the UK.
The president will return to Israel on Friday morning.
