Honorifics

Richard Sharp had to make further concessions en route to getting his mate Sir Damon Buffini in place as Deputy Chairman of the BBC.  The role had already been watered down at a meeting of the Nominations Committee in November 2022.  By the time the proposal reached the main board meeting in December, it had become an honorary position, "in order to reflect the integral part that BBC Commercial plays in the overall success of the Corporation". 

Other 'honorary' positions to consider: Chief Butler of England, a contested position, discontinued in the view of RAB Butler in 1957: "The holder of this office had the duty to hand a cup of wine to the King at the Coronation banquet and receives the cup as his right after the banquet was over. The reason why this office is not continued is that the last Coronation banquet was that of George IV in 1821, and when certain persons desired to be Chief Butler of England they asked in the time of Edward VII but, as there was no Coronation banquet, the Court of Claims disallowed their appeal."

Of course, Richard Sharp is entitled to use the style "The Honourable...", as the son of life peer Baron Sharp of Grimsdyke...