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The Order ranks - The reigning monarch is the sovereign of the Order and is the only one who can award the honor, though she likely has counsels for this type of thing. The Order has five ranks: Knight and Dame Grand Cross (GBE), Knight and Dame Commander (KBE and DBE, respectively), Commander (CBE), Officer (OBE), and Member (MBE). Knighthood is only achieved among the first two ranks. The honor can be given to non-Brits on an honorary basis, and that’s why they aren’t Sirs and Dames, unless they choose to apply for British citizenship, which the honor allows them to pursue. So, who are America’s most famous KBEs and DBEs? Check it out.

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Michael Bloomberg - The billionaire philanthropist and former mayor of New York was made an honorary knight by the Queen in 2014 for his "prodigious entrepreneurial and philanthropic endeavors."

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Angelina Jolie - The actor was made an honorary dame by the Queen in 2014 for "for services to UK foreign policy and the campaign to end warzone sexual violence," according to the country's Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

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Bill Gates - The billionaire chairman of Microsoft and philanthropist was made an honorary knight in 2005 for his "charitable work and his achievement in creating the world's most successful software company."

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Melinda Gates - The co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and philanthropist was made an honorary dame in 2013 for her charitable work.

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Steven Spielberg - The film director become a knight of the British Empire in 2001 for his "extraordinary contribution to the entertainment industry and the British film industry over the last 25 years."

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Elizabeth Taylor - The Oscar-winning actor is in fact a Dame. That's because she's British-American, and so can officially use the title. She received the honor in 2000 for her "services to acting and charity—recognizing her fundraising for Aids research."

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Kevin Spacey - The actor was made an honorary knight by Prince Charles in 2016 for his "services to Theatre, the arts and international culture."

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Bob Hope - In spite of having been in London, the comedian was not a British citizen, so he wasn't a Sir. He received his honorary knighthood from the Queen in 1998 for his "work entertaining troops in several wars, including the 1990 Gulf War."

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Alan Greenspan - The former US Federal Reserve Chairman received the honorary knighthood in 2002 for his "contribution to global economic stability."

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George H. W. Bush - Unlike the others on this list who are KBEs or DBEs, the former president was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath—or GCB—the highest honorary rank Britain can give a foreigner. He received the honor in 1993.

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Ronald Reagan - Like Bush, the former president was also made an honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, which he received in 1989.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower - Eisenhower was the first US president to make the monarch's list as an honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath in 1943. He received it before he assumed the presidency as the Allied supreme commander in World War II. 

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Rudolph Giuliani - The former mayor of New York was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001 for his "outstanding help and support to the bereaved British families in New York."

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Walter Annenberg - The businessman and diplomat who served as US Ambassador to Britain between 1969 to 1974 was knighted in 1976 for his work in the country. 

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Billy Graham - The renowned Christian minister was made an honorary knight in 2001 for his "huge and truly international contribution to civic and religious life over 60 years."

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James Watson - The Nobel laureate scientist who co-discovered the DNA structure was knighted in 2002 for his commitment to "the global nature of science."

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Henry Winkler - The actor and comedian isn't actually a knight. He doesn't have the KBE suffix but the OBE, which stands for Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. He received the honor from Britain's secretary of state for education in 2011 for Winkler's "tireless campaigning to support the earlier identification of children with SEN or disabilities."

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Angela Lansbury - Like Liz Taylor, the actor is also a proper Dame since she has dual citizenship (actually triple, as she is also an Irish citizen). She received the honor in 2014 for her "lifetime of acting and her charity work."

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Jony Ive - Apple's chief design officer is the list's first proper Sir. The British native became an American natural before he was knighted for his "services to design and enterprise" in 2012, but he didn't relinquish his British citizenship.

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H. Norman Schwarzkopf - The general who led all coalition forces in the Gulf War was made an honorary knight by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 for his war efforts. 

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Douglas Fairbanks Jr. - The actor and decorated World War II naval officer was made an Honorary Knight of the British Empire for "furthering Anglo-American amity."

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J. Edgar Hoover - The detective and first director of the FBI was made an honorary knight by King George VI in 1950.

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Andre Previn - The Oscar-winning German-American pianist, conductor, and composer was bestowed an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in 1996.

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Ted Kennedy - The former US Sen. Edward Kennedy was made an honorary knight by the queen in 2009 for helping "bring peace to Northern Ireland, expand health care for Americans and improve access to education for children around the world."

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Paul Mellon - The philanthropist and breeder of thoroughbred racehorses was made an honorary knight 1974 for his "services and his generosity to numerous British institutions and universities."

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J.Paul Getty Jr. - The oil heir and philanthropist was knighted in 1998 by Queen Elizabeth II. He had already received the honorary knighthood in 1986 but was not allowed to enjoy the title's full benefits, including being addressed as Sir, because he was not a British citizen. He was granted dual citizenship in 1997 and was known as Sir Paul for the remainder of his life.

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Yehudi Menuhin - Widely considered one of the best violinists of the 20th century, Menuhin was made an honorary knight by Queen Elizabeth II in 1966 for his "special services to Britain."

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Elie Wiesel - The Nobel Laureate, activist, and Holocaust survivor was made an honorary knight on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 for his "contribution to Holocaust education in the UK."

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