Kenneth Branagh knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
Kenneth Branagh has played royalty on stage and screen, and now he's been made a real-life knight by Queen Elizabeth II.
The actor, 51, was knighted in London at a Buckingham Palace ceremony Friday for services to drama and for his charity work in Northern Ireland.
The Belfast-born Branagh said he was pleased to be honored in the year of the queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics.
"It's been a hell of a year for the U.K. and I feel very honored to be a tiny part of it," he added.
Best known as a Shakespearean actor and as TV detective "Wallander," Branagh joins the pantheon of theatrical knights alongside the late Sir Laurence Olivier - whom Branagh played in "My Week With Marilyn."
He has also directed films including "Henry V."