It seems an unlikely collision of worlds--the Queen of England brushing shoulders with rock 'n' roll royalty.
However, someone in Buckingham Palace must like their fill of jukebox classics--because rock legends keep popping in on Liz Windsor.
Just weeks after Rolling Stone Mick Jagger dropped by for his knighting, both guitar legend Eric Clapton and Kinks founder Ray Davies were royally honored, named 2004 recipients of the award of Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
The CBE trophy is one rung below the knighthood honor, but it's still a weighty prize.
Perhaps the Queen felt she had knighted enough rockers for the time being--in addition to Jagger, Paul McCartney and Elton John have also earned the distinction of a "Sir" before their names.
In any case, both Clapton and Davies have more than earned their stars in the music world.
Clapton began his career as part of the 1960s R&B band the Yardbirds and went on to found the rock trio Cream. A Rock and Roll Hall of Famer three times over--as a member of the Yardbirds and Cream and as a solo artist--he's won 16 Grammys and gained enormous renown for such hits as "Layla," "Cocaine," "After Midnight" and "Tears in Heaven."
Davies, along with brother Dave, founded guitar-laden rock band the Kinks. Through the 1960s and beyond, the group's hard-edged sound attracted a following with hits like "Lola," "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night." The Kinks were enshrined in the Rock Hall in 1990.
The two musicians were among the 981 people singled out on the Queen's annual New Year's Honors list.
Actress Joan Plowright, wife of the late Laurence Olivier, was made a dame (the female equivalent of knighthood), while tennis star Tim Henman--a four-time Wimbledon semifinalist was honored as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Other honor recipients included a milkman, a roller coaster enthusiast and a former crossing guard.
This year's honors were somewhat shrouded in scandal after it became evident that many Britons have become disillusioned by the awards, feeling that the selection process is both too secretive and arbitrary. Prime Minister Tony Blair responded to the criticism by announcing his plans to make the process more open to the public.
Adding fuel to the fire was a list published by the London Sunday Times of 300 well-known individuals who had turned down various honors proffered by their government.
According to the list, rocker David Bowie, actor Kenneth Branagh and comedian John Cleese are among those who have snubbed nods from their queen for one reason or another over the years.