▁Knight ▁Bach elor ▁by ▁the ▁Queen ▁in ▁the ▁Queen ' s ▁B irth day ▁Hon ours , ▁and ▁he ▁received ▁the ▁acc ol ade ▁on ▁ 6 ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁At ▁this ▁point ▁he ▁was ▁thinking ▁about ▁ord ination ▁and , ▁since ▁Church ▁of ▁England ▁cler gy ▁are ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁receive ▁the ▁acc ol ade , ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁imp olit ic ▁of ▁him ▁to ▁accept ▁the ▁honour . ▁ ▁However , ▁correspond ence ▁with ▁Buck ingham ▁Palace ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁accepted ▁Sir ▁D erek ' s ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁acc ol ade ▁without ▁setting ▁a ▁preced ent ▁for ▁others . ▁ ▁A ▁less ▁formal ▁honour ▁mark ing ▁his ▁ret irement ▁was ▁the ▁singing , ▁in ▁the ▁General ▁Syn od , ▁of ▁a ▁variation ▁on ▁the ▁Major - General ' s ▁Song ▁from ▁The ▁Pir ates ▁of ▁P enz ance ▁with ▁the ▁line , ▁" He ▁was ▁the ▁very ▁model ▁of ▁a ▁Secretary - General ". ▁ ▁Ord ination ▁Despite ▁not ▁having ▁attended ▁a ▁b ish ops ' ▁selection ▁conference , ▁he ▁was ▁accepted ▁for ▁ord ination . ▁He ▁trained ▁for ▁two ▁terms ▁at ▁St ▁De ini ol ' s ▁Library ▁and ▁was ▁ord ained ▁de acon ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁by ▁Graham ▁Leonard . ▁The ▁service ▁was ▁threatened ▁with ▁inter ruption ▁by ▁a ▁journalist ▁from ▁The ▁Daily ▁Mail ▁who ▁wanted ▁to ▁know ▁whether ▁Sir ▁D erek ▁was ▁gay . ▁Following ▁a ▁further ▁term ▁at ▁the ▁College ▁of