Bono Receives Honorary Knighthood

U2 frontman Bono has received an honorary knighthood, an award previously bestowed on such luminaries as Bob Geldof, Bill Gates, Placido Domingo, Rudolf Giuliani and Steven Spielberg.

The global aid and trade campaigner received the honor from British Ambassador David Reddaway in Dublin.

Fellow band members The Edge and Adam Clayton joined the frontman’s wife and four children at the ambassador’s official residence.

Bono, 46, isn’t entitled to be called "Sir" because he is not a British citizen, although he soon made light of that.

"You have permission to call me anything you want except Sir," he explained, suggesting that "Lord of Lords" or "Your Demi-Godness" might be reasonable alternatives.

The U2 singer’s new title is Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE), an accolade he believes will open doors for him and help him secure talks about Third World debt with politicians around the world.

"An award like this actually really helps me get through a few doors I wouldn’t get through and that’s the truth, that’s the way the world is," he said.

"It has been a great year for this award to happen in, and it does feel like this country and Great Britain are closer than they have ever been."