Washington - Queen Elizabeth II has decided to bestow honorary knighthood on longtime US Senator Edward Kennedy, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Wednesday.

Speaking before a joint session of Congress, Brown praised Kennedy for his efforts to bring peace to Northern Ireland and expand health care to millions of Americans.

"For all those things we owe a great debt to the life and courage of Senator Edward Kennedy," Brown said.

Kennedy, 77, has represented Massachusetts in the Senate since 1962, longer than any lawmaker except for West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd.

Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer last year and has largely been out of the public spotlight. Kennedy is the younger brother of former president John Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.