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FORMER DUP LEADER Jeffrey Donaldson has been stripped of his knighthood by Britain’s King Charles following his sex abuse convictions.

Donaldson was last month found guilty at Newry Crown Court of 18 historical sexual offences, including one count of rape, against two women when they were children.

He was recognised by the late Queen Elizabeth in her 2016 Birthday Honours and given a knighthood.

Donaldson had sent a letter to the office of the British prime minister requesting that his knighthood be renounced and forfeited.

Honours can only be revoked by the monarch and the process for the removal of honours is separate from the British government.

However, an honours recipient convicted under the Sexual Offences Act will automatically be considered for forfeiture and it’s understood that the formal process to do so had been underway before Donaldson’s letter.

In a notice published today in The Gazette, one of the UK’s official journals of record, it was announced that Charles had directed the cancellation and annulment of Donaldson’s knighthood.

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