Don McKinnon knighted

  • Breaking
  • 10/07/2009

Former Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon has been invested with a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in a private audience with the Queen in Buckingham Palace.

Sir Don was accompanied at the investiture by his wife, Lady McKinnon, and sons Peter and James.

After the brief ceremony was over, Sir Don and his family chatted with the Queen for about half an hour covering a range of subjects from the Commonwealth to cattle and horses. Sir Don headed the Commonwealth - a 53-nation group of mostly ex-British colonies - for eight years before he stood down last year.

He was a member of Parliament from 1978 to 2000 for the National Party and served as foreign minister from 1990 to 1999, as well as deputy prime minister and leader of the House.

NZPA

source: newshub archive