Sir, Mr Anjan Banerjee (letter, February 12) cites the knighthood conferred on Sir John Alcock in 1919 at the age of 26, after his pioneering transatlantic flight, to assert that Ellen MacArthur is not the youngest person to be honoured at this level.
“At this level” are key words. The honour conferred on Sir John Alcock was that of knight bachelor. That conferred on Dame Ellen MacArthur is Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, which ranks higher than knight bachelor.
The anomaly is that there is no female equivalent, in ranking terms, to the honour of knight bachelor. This is why, for example, women appointed to be high court judges receive the DBE, whereas their male counterparts become knights bachelor.
Yours faithfully,
CHRISTOPHER WALFORD,
7 Campions Court,
Berkhamsted,
Hertfordshire HP4 3PD.
crwalford@aol.com
February 13.