J.K. Rowling Receives a Rare Honor from Prince William at Buckingham Palace

J.K. Rowling was awarded a rare distinction①distinction 英 [d?'st??(k)?(?)n]美 [d?'st??k??n] n. 區(qū)別；差別；特性；榮譽、勛章by the royal family — so extraordinary that there are only 64 other people currently holding the title.

The Harry Potter author, 52, was made a Companion of Honor by Prince William at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday for her contributions to literature and philanthropy②philanthropy 英 [f?'l?nθr?p?]美 [f?'l?nθr?pi] n. 博愛，慈善；慈善事業(yè).

The Order of the Companions of Honor was founded in 1917 by George V and is given to those who have made a major contribution in their field,according to the royal family's website. There are only 65 members at any one time, and current members include Maggie Smith (who also has a Harry Potter connection — she played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the film series based on Rowling's books) and Stephen·Hawking.