Britain's Queen Elizabeth has bestowed an honorary knighthood on Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
In the days immediately after the September 11 attacks, then-New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani became as well known in Britain as he was in the United States, with people here tuning into broadcasts to follow the latest developments.
The queen awarded him the knighthood Wednesday for the way he led the city in those difficult days. After the ceremony, a smiling Mr. Giuliani emerged from the palace and told reporters what he said to the queen. "I told her that I was receiving it on behalf not of myself, but of all the police officers and the fire fighters and rescue workers, the heroic people of New York," he said. "I thanked her very much for the support, the love and generosity of the people of Britain because more than most, they really came to our aid and our comfort. I said at times like that, when you are under tremendous stress and attack, you need friends. And we had no better friend than Great Britain."
Mr. Giuliani added that he gained great inspiration from Winston Churchill, the prime minister who guided Britain through the darkest days of World War II.
The former mayor later visited Churchill's restored war rooms in central London, from where the British leader oversaw much of the war effort.
Because he is not a British citizen, Rudolph Giuliani cannot be referred to as a sir, but from now on he is considered a Knight of the British Empire.