Ronnie Watt OBE ORS
The O.B.E.
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The 5th of July 2011 was a very special day. Her Majesty the Queen presented Ronnie Watt with Officer of the Order of the British Empire for Services to Karate.
The ceremony was held at the Palace of Holyrood house, the historical and beautiful classical building in Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. Also attending the presentation was Ronnie’s wife Gail, daughter Roxanne, and very special guest Dr Fritz Wendland, long time friend and colleague. Last year Ronnie was given another great honour only given to only a very few European people — the Order of the Rising Sun with Gold and Silver Rays from the Emperor of Japan. The OBE Officer of the British Empire award ceremony lasted approximately one and a half hours with several hundred guests and a full military orchestra. The Queen presented the awards to the well-deserved recipients and was so well briefed that she had a knowledgeable and kind word to all receiving their awards. Ronnie’s good friend Lord Charles Bruce was a body guard for the Queen at the Garden Party in the afternoon and had heard from several people at the investiture, that apparently the Order of the Rising Sun made quite an impact! He doubted that the Queen is often in the position of conferring an order on one of her subjects whose work already has been recognised so prominently by the Emperor of Japan! Ronnie was delighted and greatly honoured by receiving the award in the form of a beautiful gold medal, which was the highlight of 46 years of very hard work. Ronnie organised the third world championships in 2001 and has worked with the WKC from the beginning of this organisation. This was a very special occasion for Ronnie’s Family and the Federation. Ronnie is now one of the highest awarded instructors in the world but this does not distract him from his every day work at his club in Aberdeen. |
The O.R.S. (Order of the Rising Sun)
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On the 25th May 2010, Consul General of Japan Mr Tarahara, on behalf of the Emperor and Government of Japan, presented the Order of the Rising Sun with Gold and Silver Rays to Burgess Ronnie Watt 8th Dan WKC .
Twenty special guests attended the ceremony headed by the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Peter Stephen, Gordon McIntosh, Director of Enterprise Planning & Infastructure with Aberdeen City Council, close friends of Ronnie. This award makes Ronnie only the second Scot to receive Japan's highest honour after the First Scottish Samurai Thomas Blake Glover. 
Honorary Masters Degree for Ronnie Watt |
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On 20th June 2019 Ronnie Watt received and Honorary Masters Degree from Aberdeen University.