Apple: Jony Ive Gets Knighted

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Steve Jobs left Apple in good hands when he relinquished control of the company to key executives. Even after his eventual death, the company has continued coming up with top-selling products. It’s probably no wonder that Jonathan Ive, who heads the company’s design team, is being knighted this New Year’s for his contributions to design.

The BBC reports that Jony Ive — known as a close friend and “spiritual partner” of Steve Jobs when it came to design philosophies — will be made a Knight Commander of the British Empire in this new year’s Honours List. Ive, born and raised in the UK before moving to the U.S., responded by saying the knighthood was “absolutely thrilling,” and that he was “both humbled and sincerely grateful.”

Currently serving as Apple’s Senior Vice President of Design, Ive cites that design had been his passion even from a young age. “I am keenly aware that I benefit from a wonderful tradition in the UK of designing and making. I discovered at an early age that all I’ve ever wanted to do was design.”

Jony Ive figured in Steve Jobs’ official biography as one of the driving forces behind the design philosophies of the company. At some points, he expressed hurt over Jobs taking credit for most of the design works, although Ive has often credited the company’s successes as a team effort.

But even with the knighthood, this is not actually the first time that Ive had been recognized in the UK’s honours list. He was made a Commander of the British Empire in 2005. Though with the KBE, Ive can now style himself “Sir Jonathan,” as per custom. In fact, it’s not only Ive who has been recognized by such honors, as Steve Jobs himself was reportedly in the final stages of receiving a knighthood, although former Prime Minister Gordon Brown blocked it at the last minute over Jobs’ refusal to speak at an event.

Next time you buy an iPad, iPod, Mac or iPhone, you can perhaps say it was designed by a knight.