PHILADELPHIA -- In May, Oliver St. Clair Franklin received word he was going to be appointed a Commander of the British Empire, the honor just below knighthood, for his service to further U.S.-U.K. relations as the third Honorary British Consul for Greater Philadelphia for the last 24 years.
But Franklin, 76, was sworn to secrecy until Queen Elizabeth II signed the official paperwork. When she died Sept. 8, he assumed the documents would be signed by her son, King Charles III.
“Then I received a call that it had been signed. I was told that it was signed by the queen three days before she passed away,” Franklin said. “I’m still trying to get my head around it.”
