What honorific title did Queen Elizabeth II bestow upon Jane Goodall?

Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the honorific title Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire on Jane Goodall. The title is commonly abbreviated DBE, and it permits Goodall to use “Dame” before her name.

Goodall was first appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or CBE, in the 1995 New Year Honours for services to zoology. In the 2003 Birthday Honours, she was promoted to Dame Commander for her services to the environment and conservation. Her investiture took place at Buckingham Palace in 2004.

A common mix-up is confusing the CBE with the later DBE. “Member” and “Officer” are also grades within the order, but neither is the title associated with Goodall's damehood. The award recognized both her scientific research and her expanding conservation work.