Soon-to-Be Apple Head of Retail, Angela Ahrendts, to Become Dame of the British Empire

Apple’s forthcoming head of retail, former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts, will soon receive a major honour. She is slated to collect a DBE sometime in the forthcoming weeks, meaning Ahrendts will become a Dame of the British Empire, reports Vogue.

Although the award was confirmed back in October, it was publicized neither by Ahrendts, nor the British Government, maybe because everyone was focusing on her move to quit her position at Burberry and join Apple as head of retail.

Awards from the Queen for British nationals are announced twice a year – with some considerable fanfare – as the Queen’s Birthday and New Year’s Honours Lists, in June and January respectively. Non-British nationals, however, receive their awards at various times throughout the year and, although they are approved by the Queen, they are not awarded by a member of the royal family.

The DBE will be awarded this year to Ahrendts, Melinda Gates, businesswoman and philanthropist wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, while Camila Batmanghelidjh, London-based charity campaigner and founder of Kids Company will receive a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).