Philip Jones has been honoured by his late Holiness Pope Francis as a Knight of the Pontifical and Equestrian Order of Pope St Sylvester. 

The honour was given personally to him by Pope Francis and gazetted by the Secretary of State at the end of last year. Mr Jones is designated KSS in the United Kingdom and was invested at St George’s, Worcester, at a ceremony on Wednesday 25 June by His Grace, Archbishop Bernard Longley.

One of the former privileges was the right for a Knight to ride a horse up the steps of St Peter’s Square in Rome and into the Basilica, although having had the offer from five friends of an elderly “nag” at his age it does demand a degree of dexterity and practice Mr Jones does not possess!

Mr Jones is a retired Chartered Surveyor, resident in Worcester and has been recognised for his work in Ecumenical Outreach in the cause of Christian Unity as well as his professional work on behalf of charities in the fields of education, the Arts and relief of poverty in the city and county, his parish and Archdiocese.

He was born in Kidderminster in 1942, the son of a well known scratch and former international golfer Kenneth Jones, who was also a former Deputy Chairman of the West Midlands Gas Board.

Philip and family moved to Worcester in 1950. He was educated at Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire and then articled to the Old Established firm of Auctioneers Bentley Hobbs and Mytton and completed his training at Cheshire Gibson in Birmingham.

He established his own practice in Birmingham, later opening offices in Manchester and London specialising in industrial and commercial property throughout the UK and some work in the US. He was instrumental in the expansion of a Midlands-based public company as well as acting for other major PLCs.

Mr Jones later merged with Michael Guise and Philip Sawyer in Worcester to form Guise Jones Sawyer, specialising in consultancy for industrial and commercial companies, charities and family trusts.

Over 10 years ago he merged with John Dillon to form the well established Worcestershire practice of GJS Dillon.

In 1963 Mr Jones was, at the age of 21, elected as the youngest member of Worcester City Council, and later was trustee of various local charities including Worcester and Dudley Historic Churches Trust.

He is a member and past High Master of the Worshipful Company of Clothiers (established Worcester 1590) and was a recipient (through the Diocese of Worcester) of the Royal Maundy from HM the Queen, on behalf of HM King Charles, at Worcester Cathedral in 2024.

Mr Jones has three sons and seven grandchildren and remains involved with his parish, the Arts and charities.