Elizabeth Strips Honorary Knighthood From Mugabe
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II has stripped Zimbabwe’s leader, Robert Mugabe, of his honorary knighthood.
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The highly unusual move is meant to show Britain’s revulsion with human rights abuses by his regime.
The queen acted today on the advice of the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband.
Mr. Miliband said Mr. Mugabe should have the honor revoked because of widespread violence and intimidation of Zimbabwe’s opposition before a presidential runoff this week. The opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has withdrawn from the vote.
Britain, the former colonial power in Zimbabwe, says it will not recognize the result. Mr. Mugabe was made an honorary knight in 1994, when he was considered an anti-colonial hero.