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London (dpa) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II knighted her two youngest sons during a church ceremony Sunday, part of ongoing celebrations to mark her 80th birthday.
With their newly awarded knighthoods, Princes Andrew, 46, and Edward, 42, join the rest of the immediate royal family in holding Order of the British Empire titles.
Addressing the congregation at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, the Bishop of Windsor, David Conner, praised the queen's "sense of calmness, stillness and serenity."
He called her an inspiration to the nation, saying, "Your majesty, not so much by word as by unselfconscious good example, you encourage us, you give us heart."
Many attending the service had been awarded knighthoods and other British titles by the queen in previous years.
The eldest of her four children, 57-year-old Prince Charles, was given a title in 1958, while her only daughter Princess Anne was an honour recipient in 1994.
Prince Philip, 84, was knighted in 1947 shortly after his marriage to the queen.
Copyright 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
