For the non-brits - the Queen acknowledges the work of a few hundred people a year (most famously sportspeople tend to get 'em) with one of three medals:
MBE - Member of the British Empire
OBE - Officer of the British Empire
CBE - Commander of the British Empire

Member is obviously the lowest of the three, but it's still pretty impressive. She got it for "Services to women and children", she works in the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit, which does research and educates the police, victim services, governments, etc about rape, domestic violence, trafficking, prostitution, etc. She also travels alot, mainly to developing nations (she's been all over Africa), to educate communities where women's rights aren't as prevalent as we're used to.
I've done some admin for my mum's work over the last few years, and I have to say it's so incredibly depressing I have no idea how she's managed to do it for 20 years.

Basically, my mum's a legend

That's really great.

Give her congrats from me.

I have a little understanding of what she goes through.

hey thats awesome!congrats to her

Wow, that's truly wonderful!

I was wondering maevie, how does KBE (Knight of the British Empire) factor into those awards? If I recall, Steven Spielberg was "knighted" a few years back, but he wasn't allowed to call himself sir, only he could use his title "KBE' in front of or after his name. Is that because he was American?

I have absolutely no idea! :p Knighthoods are a seperate thing though, more of a "lifetime achievement award". David Jason got one this year (Guardian headline: "Arise, Sir Del Boy"!)

he can call himself sir as long as hes in england

Tell your mom the next step is to be commander

Congratulations to your mommy!

i <3 your mom

your mom > you

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That's awesome maeve. Congrats to your mom.

why are you saying "mom" you heathen!!

and yeah, my mum >> me

I wish I was a knight.

Yay Maevie's Mum! That's great for her! And as for the depressing bit, my sister works in special services, which is entirely different, i know, but the thing is she's never had a problem with being sad or anything, and i can tell you its a very depressing sight for a lot of people. So what i guess i'm trying to say is that stuff effects people differently. But it's awesome that she's helping those people and can keep her head ok.

The last time I talked to my mum about the depressing side of it she just said that she's not the police officer or victim support worker or counsellor who has to actually deal with the individual cases - those are the people who really see the worst of it. Although she does deal with individual cases, it is mainly about the system as a whole. Nonetheless, I still have so much respect for anyone who can do that stuff. My mum has actually changed the world for the better. What's more impressive than that?

Would it help if we called you Sir Vinny? We can here in America

Oh, and congrats for you mum!

Congrates to your mum maeve.

You can only be knighted if you are UK citizen, for instance Terry Wogan has just been "Knighted" but it is an honorary knighthood as he's Irish, same can be said for Spielberg, not sure on the rule of when and where one can call one "Sir"...

My late uncle was given an OBE for his work on radar during WW2 and for the radar system designed on the Tornado...he wasn't able to give much detail on it but worked for the MOD/RAF all his life, sadly he died last year from Parkinson’s, however he's the person responsible for getting me interested in computers/physics and why I went to University...

The US constitution does not allow actual knighthood to be placed upon American citizens' heads. I am pretty sure.

'Titles of Noblity'

There she blows!

Ah, thankyou for that information. Not that it is very likely, but would I ever be eligible, seeing as I was born in England and still have British citizenship, but currently live in the U.S.?

I didn't know mummies were alowed medals, they stink very much...

do you have the queen's birthday weekend this weekend too maevie? We have it now dwn here in australia. (except western australia who had it last weekend.)

Yay for Mum-Maeve!

I think the problem isn't on Britain's end, its on the US side. US constiution, as said above, doesn't allow for titles of nobility to be placed on its citizens, so if you have a US citizenship, you can only receive honorary. If you're not a US Citizen or renounce it, i think you can claim it. Dunno, though, this is all jsut speculation.

Yeah, the thing in the paper called it the Queen's birthday honours or something like that.

Heyy, that's amazing. Congrat your mum for me too will you

Incredible. Congratulations.

I hereby acknowledge the awesomeness of your mum.

(Congrats, though, really!)