Her BBC colleague Corrie Corfield wrote: “My friend & colleague @alicearnold1 has done something today which, frankly, deserves Dame hood at least.

In 1998, she was awarded an honorary damehood by the British government.

Unless a damehood is coming, the chances are that private gig was free.

But many women still regard the prospect of damehood with mixed feelings.

The male equivalent of a damehood is a knighthood.

A knighthood (or a damehood, its female equivalent) is one of the highest honours.

The children's book author, Jacqueline Wilson, was awarded a damehood for services to literature.

So, no chance of a Damehood then, Virginia?

A new star has risen on the horizon of theatrical damehood, and she is wondrous to behold.

Only one woman, Angela Watkinson, has received a damehood.

This profile was filmed in 2000 at the time of Taylor receiving a damehood from the Queen.

And what, for that matter, about all the ones in the middle - caught in the hinterland between being a hot young thing and damehood?

She herself refused a damehood from Margaret Thatcher.

On leaving Royal Holloway she declined the damehood normally offered to former female principals.

London Gazette notice of Mary Austin's damehood for "distinguished service to the community"

Sometimes it seems that Paralympians have to win lots and lots of medals to get a damehood or a knighthood.

Under the usual rules governing the Honours List, only one knighthood or damehood for sport is usually allowed per announcement.

In Call the Midwife, she has transcended herself and canonisation - or a damehood at least - must be imminent.

Awards of Knighthood and Damehood of the Order have been made in the general division only.

Ms Clark, who scrapped titles linked to the British honours system in 2000, said she would not have accepted a damehood.

The word "damehood" is rarely used but it is shown, on the official British Monarchy website, as being the correct term.

She was awarded a Damehood for "services to Further Education" in the 2000 Honours List.

London Gazette notice of damehood; london-gazette.

She also caused a stir by wearing no knickers when collecting both her damehood and an earlier OBE.

In the New Year Honours list of 2001 she was awarded a Damehood for services to London and to local government.

There is a damehood for Janet Finch, vice chancellor of Keele University.