Birthday Honours 2017
William (Billy) Connolly
Knight Bachelor
“For services to Entertainment and charity.”
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London Gazette notice
Knights Bachelor
Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood
St. James’s Palace, London SW1
17 June 2017
THE QUEEN has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of the Celebration of Her Majesty’s Birthday, to signify her intention of conferring the honour of Knighthood upon the undermentioned:
William (Billy) CONNOLLY C.B.E.
For services to Entertainment and charity.
Source: The London Gazette, issue 61961 · Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0
Location
East Sussex
In context
Each honour in context
Role, region and citation as recorded for each award.
Knight Bachelor
Birthday Honours 2017- Region
- East Sussex
“For services to Entertainment and charity.”
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Birthday Honours 2017
William (Billy) Connolly
Knight Bachelor
“For services to Entertainment and charity.”
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Birthday Honours 2017
William (Billy) Connolly
Knight Bachelor
“For services to Entertainment and charity.”
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William (Billy) Connolly
Knight Bachelor
“For services to Entertainment and charity.”
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In context
The bigger picture
How common is this award?
The Knight Bachelor was awarded 17 times in the Birthday Honours List 2017 — about 1% of the list.
How widely is this recognised?
12,550 people have been recognised for Community & Voluntary Service.
Counts reflect the 2000–2026 honours lists in our records; earlier years are not yet included.
Honoured alongside them
Others awarded the Knight Bachelor in the Birthday Honours 2017
Alimuddin Zumla
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
London
“For services to Public Health and Protection from Infectious Disease.”
Dr John Menzies Low
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
Hertfordshire
“For charitable services.”
Frank Lowy
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
“For services to business and philanthropy.”
George William John Benjamin
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
London
“For services to Music.”
Graham Thornicroft
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
London
“For services to Mental Health.”
Leonard Blavatnik
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
London
“For services to Philanthropy.”
Malcolm Walker
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
Flintshire
“For services to Retailing, Entrepreneurship and charity.”
Mark Boleat
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
Hertfordshire
“For services to the Financial Services Industry and to Local Government in London.”
Mir Zahedi
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
London
“For services to Engineering and Innovation.”
Peter Thornton
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
London
“For services to the Administration of Justice and the Coroner Service.”
Professor Hugh Charles Jonathan Godfray
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
Oxfordshire
“For services to Scientific Research and for Scientific Advice to Government.”
Simon Lovestone
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
London
“For services to Neuroscience Research.”
Trevor Pears
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
“For services to philanthropy.”
Vito Muscatelli
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
Dunbartonshire
“For services to Economics and Higher Education.”
William Bailhache
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
“For services to The Crown and the community in Jersey.”
William Timpson
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2017
Cheshire
“For services to Business and Fostering.”
In the same field
Others recognised for Community & Voluntary Service
Across the 2000–2026 honours lists in our records, 12,550 people have been recognised for Community & Voluntary Service. See the full list →
Clive Leslie Gritten
PersonMember Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Norwich, Norfolk
“For services to Children, Young People and the community in Norfolk.”
Peter Alan Smith
PersonMember Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Lymington, Hampshire
“For services to British Maritime History and to the community in Southampton.”
Meena Upadhyaya
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Cardiff, South Glamorgan
“For services to Community Cohesion in Wales and to Medical Genetics.”
Nigel Travis
PersonMember Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Manchester, Greater Manchester
“For services to Boxing and the community in Moss Side, Greater Manchester.”
David Dein
PersonOfficer Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Football and to Charity.”
Gabrielle Logan
PersonOfficer Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Buckinghamshire
“For services to Sports Broadcasting and to Charity.”
Alexander Gibson
PersonMember Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Brentwood, Essex
“For Charitable Service.”
Michael Cooper
PersonOfficer Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Swindon, Wiltshire
“For services to Charity and to Sustainability.”
Moira Chrystal
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to Local Government and to the community in Ramsey, Isle of Man.”
Alison Hickman
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to the community in Sierra Leone.”
Charles Entwisle
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to Charity and to Vulnerable People in Mallorca.”
Simon Wootton
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Rayleigh, Essex
“For services to the community in South Essex.”
David Workman
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Ballynahinch, County Down
“For services to Rugby and to Community Relations in Ballynahinch.”
Diane Willson
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Bognor Regis, West Sussex
“For services to the Education Community in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.”
Michael West
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
“For services to the community in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.”
Ruth Verner
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Antrim, County Antrim
“For services to the community in County Antrim.”
Christine Wheatley
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Haywards Heath, West Sussex
“For services to the community in Horsted Keynes, West Sussex.”
Darren Ward
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Olney, Buckinghamshire
“For Charitable Service, particularly to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.”
John Turner
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Wigan, Greater Manchester
“For voluntary services to Young People and to Charitable Fundraising.”
Nicholas Ward
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Carnforth, Lancashire
“For services to the community in Over Kellet, Lancashire.”
Craig Trail
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire
“For services to the community in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.”
Jean Todd
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Windsor, Berkshire
“For services to the community in Windsor, Berkshire.”
Donald Todd
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Windsor, Berkshire
“For services to the community in Windsor, Berkshire.”
Hazel Tomkins
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Glasgow, City of Glasgow
“For Charitable Service.”
Source & provenance
Where this record comes from
Knight Bachelor · 2017
London Gazette (official record), issue 61961, notice 2803360. View the official notice ↗
Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list (Birthday Honours List 2017).
Published 16 June 2017.
Location (East Sussex) comes from the Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list, not the Gazette notice, which records no recipient home location.
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