Zaha Hadid became a commander of the Order of the British Empire

London - Queen Elizabeth II has honored actress Kate Winslet for her contribution to the arts. The film star, who portrayed the lead character Rose in the box office hit Titanic (1997) and won an Oscar in 2009 for her performance in The Reader, has been awarded the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the British monarch. This is indicated by the list of personalities published today, who have been awarded significant titles on the occasion of the queen's official birthday celebrations.
      Among the approximately one thousand honorees is designer Sarah Burton from the Alexander McQueen fashion house, who designed the wedding dress of Prince William's current wife and Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine, or the British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, who designed the Olympic swimming pool with a wave-shaped roof. Musician Gary Barlow, who organized the recent concert for the sixtieth anniversary of the queen's accession to the throne, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services. Shakespearean actor and director Kenneth Branagh has been knighted by Elizabeth II.
      The queen awards honors twice a year, on New Year's Day and during the official celebrations of her birthday. She actually has her birthday on April 26, but the official celebrations are always moved to June due to the weather. Future title holders are selected by officials from the names submitted by the government and the public. The tradition dates back to the 13th century when British monarchs began rewarding their subjects with noble titles.
     The title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire is awarded as recognition for remarkable achievements. It is given to those who have significantly benefited society or achieved excellent results in their field. The award of the title is associated with the right to use the abbreviation CBE after their name. Among Czech artists, conductor Jiří Bělohlávek received it in May.

London Aquatic Centre (photo: Hufton + Crow)