Jeffrey Donaldson, who served as MP for Lagan Valley from 1997 until 2024, previously denied all charges
King Charles has formally cancelled and annulled the knighthood bestowed upon former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, who was found guilty in June of 18 historic child sexual abuse offences, including rape.
A notice published in The Gazette on Thursday confirmed the decision, stating: "The King has directed the cancellation and annulment of the knighthood conferred upon Jeffrey Mark Donaldson on the 11 June 2016 as a Knight Bachelor."
The honour had been awarded as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Honours that year in recognition of his political and public service.
Donaldson can no longer style himself "Sir," and his wife, Eleanor Donaldson, also loses the courtesy title "Lady Donaldson" as a consequence of the revocation.
The convictions, handed down unanimously by a jury of seven men and five women at Newry Crown Court, related to the sexual abuse of two women when they were children.
The offending took place over a period spanning from 1985 to 2008.
Donaldson, who served as MP for Lagan Valley from 1997 until 2024, had denied all charges.
The case represented one of Northern Ireland's most prominent criminal trials in recent memory.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson subsequently described the crimes as "the most heinous and despicable."
The 18 offences included a single count of rape. The trial judge warned Donaldson that he faces a "lengthy" custodial sentence, with sentencing anticipated in September.
Donaldson himself initiated the removal of his honours following the guilty verdicts. He signed a letter requesting both his resignation from the Privy Council and the forfeiture of his knighthood, amid mounting public pressure for the titles to be stripped.
His name was struck from the Privy Council, one of the oldest institutions in British governance, serving as a formal advisory body to the Sovereign, earlier this month.
Under the UK's honours system, the process for removing a title involves the Honours Forfeiture Committee, which assesses whether a recipient has brought the system into disrepute.
The committee's recommendation is then passed to the Prime Minister, who advises the Sovereign. The King gives formal approval, though constitutional convention dictates he acts on ministerial advice rather than making a personal determination.
Donaldson's solicitor, John McBurney, confirmed that appeal papers were filed with the Court of Appeal in Belfast on July 17.
Legal observers anticipate that a preliminary hearing to determine whether leave to appeal is granted could take place around September, with any full appeal likely scheduled for a later date.
His wife Eleanor Donaldson underwent a trial of the facts after being deemed unfit for a conventional trial on mental health grounds.
A jury determined she had committed the acts alleged in five charges, including four of aiding and abetting her husband's offending, though she cannot be formally convicted through the standard process.
Both the DUP and the Ulster Unionist Party, which Donaldson previously represented, have commissioned independent reviews into how allegations against him were handled during his membership.
