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114-407: Catherine Isabel Audrey Kidston MBE (born 6 November 1958) is an English fashion designer, businesswoman and author whose company, Cath Kidston Limited sold home furnishings and related goods online, through franchises and by mail order. She is particularly known for her nostalgic floral patterns. Kidston's paternal grandparents were Glen Kidston , a successful racing driver for Bentley in
228-615: A test case , the Wensleydale Peerage Case (1856), which established that non-statutory life peers would not have the right to sit in the House of Lords. At that time, life peerages were intended only for law lords , who would introduce appellate legal expertise into the chamber without conferring rights on future generations, which might not have legal experts. Subsequently, under the Life Peerages Act 1958 , life peerages became
342-527: A Commonwealth realm). There is no law in the UK preventing foreigners from holding a peerage (e.g., Newburgh ), though only Commonwealth and Irish citizens may sit in the House of Lords. This has yet to be tested under the new arrangements. However, some other countries have laws restricting the acceptances of awards granted to would-be recipients by foreign powers. In Canada , where the House of Commons of Canada (but not
456-527: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
570-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
684-538: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
798-449: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
912-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
1026-483: A departing prime minister is allowed to nominate Prime Minister's Resignation Honours , to reward political and personal service. In recent history, only Tony Blair , Gordon Brown and Rishi Sunak have not taken up this privilege (although Brown did issue the 2010 Dissolution Honours and Sunak issued the 2024 Dissolution Honours to similar effect). As part of the British honours system, Special Honours are issued at
1140-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
1254-589: A life peerage with the title Lord Menuhin. Sir Tony O'Reilly , who holds both British and Irish nationality , uses the style "Sir", but has also gained approval from the Irish Government to accept the award as is necessary under the Irish Constitution . Elisabeth Schwarzkopf , the German soprano, became entitled to be known as "Dame Elisabeth" when she took British nationality. Irish-born Sir Terry Wogan
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#17330925774481368-526: A minority stake and remaining the company's Creative Director. Prince George wore one of her outfits, which quickly sold out. Kidston has worked with Millets to design tents (2005–6), Nokia / Carphone Warehouse mobile phones (2006), and Roberts radios (2005 onwards). In 2008, she collaborated with Tesco to produce shopping bags made from plastic bottles , which were sold to raise almost £500,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care and saved about six million plastic bottles from landfill. Kidston's partner
1482-610: A new system of military decorations created in 1991. Imperial honours continued to be conferred on Australians through 1989, when the last recommendations were made. With effect from 5 October 1992, the Australian government discontinued the awarding of imperial honours. In 1975, New Zealand also instituted its first indigenous honour, the Queen's Service Order , followed by the Order of New Zealand in 1987. In 1996, it replaced imperial honours with
1596-488: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
1710-561: A recipient is subsequently convicted of a serious criminal offence . The Honours Forfeiture Committee is an ad hoc committee convened under the chairmanship of the Head of the Home Civil Service , to consider cases where information has been received which indicates an individual is unsuitable to hold an award. Sometimes the original decision to grant an honour was made on the basis of inaccurate information (including through manipulation of
1824-574: A substantive award of an imperial honour for service in the United Kingdom or to its government. There continue to be numerous examples of Canadians, New Zealanders, and Australians who the British government have honored and can use the honour or its accompanying style when they are resident in their own nation or the United Kingdom. Citizens of countries that do not have the King as their head of state sometimes have honours conferred upon them, in which case
1938-416: A traditional honour for former prime ministers. Macmillan's grandson succeeded him on his death in 1986. No hereditary peerages have been created since, and Thatcher's own title was a life peerage (see further explanation below). The concession of a baronetcy (i.e., hereditary knighthood), was granted to her husband Denis following her resignation (explained below). Hereditary peerages are not "honours under
2052-618: A year to discuss the candidates and make recommendations for appropriate honours to be awarded by the King. A list of approximately 1,350 names are published twice a year, at the New Year and on the date of the Sovereign's (official) birthday . Since decisions are inevitably subjective, the twice-yearly honours lists often provoke criticism from those who feel strongly about particular cases. Candidates are identified by public or private bodies, by government departments, or are nominated by members of
2166-550: Is record producer Hugh Padgham . Kidston has two pets, a Sealyham terrier named Billie and a Lakeland terrier named Stanley, who feature in her designs. Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside
2280-512: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
2394-837: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
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#17330925774482508-480: Is the lowest hereditary title in the United Kingdom. It carries the title sir . In order of precedence, a Baronetcy is below a Barony but above most knighthoods. Baronetcies are not peerages. When a baronetcy becomes vacant on the holder's death, the heir is required to register the proofs of succession if he wishes to be addressed as "Sir". The Official Roll of Baronets is kept at the Ministry of Justice, transferred from
2622-533: The Bahamas continues to solely use imperial honours. In 2007, it passed a National Honours Act establishing a Bahamian honours system; however, it had not come into effect as of 2015. In practice, legislation across the Commonwealth realms regulating the awarding of imperial honours to citizens of a realm, including knighthoods and damehoods, does not necessarily prevent a citizen of a Commonwealth realm from receiving
2736-619: The British Indian Empire are also dormant. The senior order, the Order of the Star of India, was divided into three grades, Knight Grand Commander, Knight Commander and Companion, of which the first and highest was conferred upon the Princes and Chiefs of Indian states and upon important British civil servants working in India. Women were not eligible to receive the award. The junior order, the Order of
2850-620: The Commander-in-Chief in India . Upon Indian independence in 1947, appointments to all these orders ceased. HH Maharaja Tej Singh Prabhakar Bahadur of Alwar , who was a KCSI and the last surviving member of the Order of the Star of India , died in February 2009, aged 97. The last surviving member of the Order of the Indian Empire , HH Maharaja Meghrajji III of Dhrangadhra-Halvad , a KCIE died in August 2010, aged 87. Queen Elizabeth II
2964-593: The Monarch 's pleasure at any given time. The Special Honours refer to the awards made within royal prerogative, operational honours, political honours and other honours awarded outside the New Years Honours and Birthday Honours . The current system is made up of six orders of chivalry and four orders of merit. The statutes of each order specify matters such as the size of the order, the use of post-nominal letters and insignia design and display. These are ordered by
3078-528: The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (founded 1888) may wear the Order's insignia, but the ranks within the Order of St John do not confer official rank in the order of precedence. Likewise, the abbreviations or post-nominal initials associated with the various grades of membership in the Order of St John do not indicate precedence among the other orders. Thus, someone knighted in
3192-705: The New Zealand Order of Merit , and replaced imperial gallantry and bravery decorations with New Zealand decorations in 1999. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to apply the imperial honours system together with their own honours systems. Jamaica established its own honours system in 1969, passing the National Honours and Awards Act. Saint Lucia followed in 1980; the Solomon Islands in 1981; Belize in 1991; Antigua and Barbuda in 1998; Papua New Guinea in 2004; and Grenada in 2007. The government of
3306-484: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
3420-706: The Order of the Garter , the Order of the Thistle , the Royal Victorian Order , and the Order of Merit . The honours' insignia are then presented by the Sovereign or his representative at investitures held at Buckingham Palace , Windsor Castle or the Palace of Holyroodhouse ; Prince Charles , Prince William and Princess Anne deputised for Queen Elizabeth II with William and Anne continuing to do so for King Charles III since his September 2022 accession. By convention,
3534-593: The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh (during Holyrood Week ), and some happen at Windsor Castle . There are approximately 120 recipients at each Investiture. In recent years the King , the Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal have all held investitures. During the ceremony, the monarch enters the ballroom of Buckingham Palace attended by two Gurkha orderly officers, a tradition begun in 1876 by Queen Victoria . On duty on
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3648-656: The Senate of Canada ) has opposed the granting of titular honours with its (non-binding) Nickle Resolution , then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien advised the Queen not to grant Conrad Black a titular honour while he remained a Canadian citizen (see Black v Chrétien ). Each year, around 2,600 people receive their awards personally from the monarch or another member of the Royal Family . The majority of investitures take place at Buckingham Palace , but an annual ceremony also takes place at
3762-576: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . After the Irish Free State 's secession in 1922, only members of the royal family were appointed to the order, the last in 1936. The last surviving knight was Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester , who died on 10 June 1974. Although dormant, the order technically still exists, and may be used as an award at any time. Orders relating to the British Raj or
3876-546: The civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition
3990-416: The national anthem has been played, he stands to the right of the King and announces the name of each recipient and the achievement for which they are being decorated. The King or his representative is provided with a brief background for each recipient by their equerry as they approach to receive their decorations. Men who are to be knighted kneel on an investiture stool to receive the accolade , which
4104-420: The orders of chivalry and in a class known as Knights Bachelor . Regular recipients include High Court judges and, to a lesser extent, Chief Constables of larger police forces. Knighthood carries the title Sir ; the female equivalent Dame exists only within the orders of chivalry—Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) is usually awarded as an equivalent of a Knight Bachelor. Members of
4218-457: The 1920s, and Nancy Soames. Nancy is also Samantha Cameron 's paternal grandmother, making them half first cousins. Television presenters Kirstie Allsopp and Sofie Allsopp are her maternal second cousins, daughters of Charles Allsopp, 6th Baron Hindlip , the former chairman of Christie's . Kidston opened her first shop in London's Holland Park in 1993, selling hand-embroidered tea-towels. By
4332-464: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
4446-788: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
4560-443: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
4674-456: The Canadian government officially ended all awards of imperial honours to Canadians. In 1967, Canada established its own honours system with the Order of Canada , created its own system of bravery decorations in 1972, and its own system of military decorations for valour in 1993. Canadian service personnel remained eligible to receive the imperial Victoria Cross until 1993, when a Canadian version
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4788-509: The Crown", it cannot normally be withdrawn once granted. Thus, while knighthoods have been withdrawn as "honours under the Crown", convicted criminals who have served their sentences have returned to the House of Lords. In the case of Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare , he has chosen only to exercise dining rights and has not spoken in Parliament since released from his perjury conviction. A baronetcy
4902-578: The Hanoverian Guelphic Order, was an honour founded by George, Prince Regent in the name of his father King George III in 1815. In the United Kingdom, it was used only briefly, until the death of William IV in 1837. That is when the personal union with the Kingdom of Hanover ended due to the Hanover throne succession, which followed Salic Law , unlike the United Kingdom, where women could inherit
5016-694: The Home Office in 2001, by the Registrar of the Baronetage. Anyone who considers that he is entitled to be entered on the roll may petition the Crown through the Lord Chancellor . Anyone succeeding to a baronetcy must exhibit proofs of succession to the Lord Chancellor. A person who is not entered on the roll will not be addressed or mentioned as a baronet or accorded precedence as a baronet, effectively declining
5130-425: The House of Lords, viewed as "the best club in London". All life peers hold the rank of baron and automatically have the right to sit in the House of Lords. The title exists only for the duration of their own lifetime and is not passed to their heirs, although the children of life peers enjoy the same courtesy titles as those of hereditary peers. Some life peerages are created as an honour for achievement, some for
5244-582: The Indian Empire, was divided into the same ranks and also excluded women. The third order, the Order of the Crown of India, was used exclusively to honour women. Its members, all sharing a single grade, consisted of the wives and close female relatives of Indian Princes or Chiefs; the Viceroy or Governor-General ; the Governors of Bombay , Madras and Bengal ; the Principal Secretary of State for India ; and
5358-457: The King bestows. Elizabeth II used the sword used by her father, George VI as Duke of York and Colonel of the Scots Guards . Only men are knighted. Women receive their honours in the same fashion as men receiving decorations or medals, even if they are receiving a damehood. Occasionally an award for gallantry may be made posthumously and in this case, the King or his representative presents
5472-693: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
5586-604: The Order of Merit or the lower grades of the Royal Victorian Order. In 1917 and 1919, the Canadian House of Commons passed the Nickle Resolutions , which although non-binding gradually ended the conferment of titular honours—peerages, baronetcies, and knighthoods—to Canadians. Occasional conferments of knighthoods (in 1934 and 1935) and imperial honours, notably after the Second World War, continued until 1955, when
5700-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
5814-456: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
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#17330925774485928-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
6042-690: The Queen's grandson Prince Harry , made the Duke of Sussex on the morning before his marriage to Meghan Markle on 19 May 2018. No hereditary peerages were granted to commoners after the Labour Party came to power in 1964, until Margaret Thatcher tentatively reintroduced them by two grants to men with no sons in 1983: Speaker of the House of Commons George Thomas and former deputy prime minister William Whitelaw . Both titles died with their holders. She followed this with an earldom in 1984 for former prime minister Harold Macmillan not long before his death, reviving
6156-560: The UK in 1993, as was the companion level award of the Imperial Service Order (although its medal is still used). The British Empire Medal was revived, however, in 2012 with 293 BEMs awarded for the 2012 Birthday Honours , and has continued to be awarded in some other Commonwealth nations. The Order of St Patrick was founded in 1783 by George III for the Kingdom of Ireland , and after the Acts of Union 1800 continued for Irish peers in
6270-696: The United Kingdom In the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories , personal bravery, achievement, or service are rewarded with honours. The honours system consists of three types of award: Appointments to the various orders and awards of other honours are usually published in The London Gazette . Although the Anglo-Saxon monarchs are known to have rewarded their loyal subjects with rings and other symbols of favour, it
6384-460: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
6498-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
6612-555: The armed forces killed in action or by terrorist attack since World War II. The cross itself is given to the deceased's family. These decorations have not been awarded since the Independence of India in 1947. There are five ranks of hereditary peerage : duke , marquess , earl , viscount , and baron . Until the mid-20th century, peerages were usually hereditary . Until the end of the 20th century, English, Scottish, British, and UK peerages (except, until very recent times, those for
6726-472: The awards are "honorary". In the case of knighthoods, the holders are entitled to place initials after their name but not style themselves "Sir" as they are not entitled to receive the accolade . Examples of foreigners with honorary knighthoods are Billy Graham , Bill Gates , Bob Geldof , Bono and Rudolph Giuliani , while Arsène Wenger and Gérard Houllier are honorary OBEs. Honorary knighthoods are of Orders of Chivalry rather than as Knights Bachelor as
6840-413: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
6954-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
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#17330925774487068-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
7182-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
7296-405: The crown" and cannot normally be withdrawn. A peerage can be revoked only by a specific Act of Parliament, and then only for the current holder, in the case of hereditary peerages. A hereditary peer can disclaim his peerage for his own lifetime under Peerage Act 1963 within a year of inheriting the title. Modern life peerages were introduced under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 , following
7410-406: The dais are five members of the King's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard , which was created in 1485 by Henry VII ; they are the oldest, but not most senior, military corps in the United Kingdom. Three Lady or Gentleman Ushers are on duty to help look after the recipients and their guests. The King or his representative is escorted by either the Lord Chamberlain or the Lord Steward . After
7524-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
7638-427: The decoration or medal to the recipient's next-of-kin in private before the public investiture begins. The Elizabeth Cross was created especially for this purpose. After the investiture ceremony, those honoured are ushered out of the ballroom into the Inner Quadrangle of Buckingham Palace, where the royal rota's photographers are stationed. Here recipients are photographed with their awards. In some cases, members of
7752-445: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
7866-453: The end of 2013, she had 136 outlets, including a flagship store on Piccadilly next to Fortnum & Mason and four stores in China. Appearing on BBC Radio 4 's Desert Island Discs programme, Kidston described her shops as provoking a ' Marmite reaction ': "People either love it and want a little bit of it very much, or want to stab us." In 2010, she sold a majority stake of the company to private equity investors TA Associates , retaining
7980-694: The form of decorations or medals. Most medals are not graded. Each one recognises specific service so there are normally set criteria which must be met. These criteria may include a period of time and will often delimit a particular geographic region. Medals are not normally presented by the Sovereign. A full list is printed in the "order of wear", published (infrequently) by the London Gazette . Honours are split into classes ("orders") and are graded to distinguish different degrees of achievement or service, according to various criteria. Nominations are reviewed by honours committees made up of government officials and private citizens from different fields, who meet twice
8094-403: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
8208-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
8322-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
8436-557: The honour. The baronetcy can be revived at any time on provision of acceptable proofs of succession. As of 2017, 208 baronetcies are listed as presumedly not extinct but awaiting proofs of succession. As with hereditary peerages, baronetcies generally ceased to be granted after the Labour Party came to power in 1964. The sole subsequent exception was a baronetcy created in 1990 for the husband of Margaret Thatcher , Sir Denis Thatcher , later inherited by their son Mark Thatcher . Descended from medieval chivalry , knights exist both within
8550-583: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". Orders, decorations, and medals of
8664-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
8778-624: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
8892-606: The latter confers no postnominal letters. Recipients of honorary awards who later become subjects of His Majesty may apply to convert their awards to substantive ones. Examples of this are Marjorie Scardino , American CEO of Pearson PLC , and Yehudi Menuhin , the American-born violinist and conductor. They were granted an honorary damehood and knighthood respectively while still American citizens, and converted them to substantive awards after they assumed British nationality, becoming Dame Marjorie and Sir Yehudi. Menuhin later accepted
9006-519: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
9120-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
9234-569: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
9348-547: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
9462-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
9576-508: The member to the postnominal letters OB but no title. It was originally intended to reward long and faithful service by military and police. In 1945 the Royal Warrant was altered to allow for membership for acts of gallantry as well as meritorious service. The Order was one of the rarest awarded with only 33 appointments by the time appointments were discontinued in 1948 when Burma declared independence. The Royal Guelphic Order , also known as
9690-469: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
9804-515: The norm for all new grants outside the Royal Family. This was viewed as a modest reform of the second legislative chamber. However, its effects were gradual because hereditary peers and their successors retained their rights to attend and vote with the life peers. All hereditary peers, except 92 chosen in a secret ballot of all hereditary peers, have now lost their rights to sit in the second chamber. All hereditary peers, however, retain dining rights to
9918-399: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
10032-546: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
10146-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
10260-403: The order does not take precedence over the knights of other British orders, nor should they be addressed as "Sir" or "Dame". Other British and Commonwealth orders, decorations, and medals exist that do not carry titles but entitle the holder to place post-nominal letters after his or her name, as do a small number of Royal Family Orders. Until the mid-20th century, the British honours system
10374-456: The order of wear. Orders were created for particular reasons at particular times. In some cases these reasons have ceased to have any validity and orders have fallen into abeyance , primarily due to the decline of the British Empire during the twentieth century. Reforms of the system have sometimes made other changes. For example, the British Empire Medal temporarily ceased to be awarded in
10488-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
10602-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
10716-508: The permissibility of its conferment varies from government to government. The British honours system comprises both dynastic honours , the personal gift of the Sovereign, and British state honours or decorations (known as imperial honours or decorations outside the UK), which are not. Dynastic honours continue to be conferred by the Sovereign across the Commonwealth realms, although outside the United Kingdom they are typically non-titular honours, such as
10830-492: The personal union of the United Kingdom and Hanover, it originally had three classes. Today, after several reorganizations since 1841, it is a house order with four classes and an additional Cross of Merit. Current awarded decorations in order of wear: Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (in abeyance) On 1 July 2009, BBC News reported that the Queen had approved a new posthumous award, the Elizabeth Cross , honouring members of
10944-487: The press may interview some of the more well-known people who have been honoured. In 2003, Sunday Times published a list of almost 300 people who had declined an honour between 1951 and 1999. In 2020, the Guardian reported based on a Freedom of Information request, that the number of people refusing an honour had more than doubled in the previous nine years. Honours are sometimes revoked (forfeited), for example if
11058-460: The public. Depending on their roles, those people selected by the honours committee are submitted either to the Prime Minister , Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs , or Secretary of State for Defence for their approval before being sent to the Sovereign for final approval. Certain honours are conferred solely at the Sovereign's discretion, such as appointments to
11172-534: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
11286-482: The specific purpose of introducing legislators from the various political parties (known as working peers ), and some under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876, with a view to judicial work. There is a discrete number appointed as "People's Peers", recommended by the general public. Twenty-six Church of England bishops have a seat in the House of Lords. As a life peerage is not technically an "honour under
11400-455: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
11514-449: The throne. The order continued for some time as a national order of Hanover, until the Kingdom of Hanover’s defeat against Prussia and forced dissolution in 1866. Since then, it has been a house order to be awarded by the House of Hanover . The order's current head is Ernst August Prinz von Hanover , head of the House of Hanover. The Order includes two Divisions, Civil and Military. During
11628-438: The time being held by women) carried the right to a seat in the House of Lords . Hereditary peerages are now normally given only to Royal Family members. The most recent were the grants to: Queen Elizabeth II's youngest son, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex , on his marriage in 1999; the Queen's grandson Prince William , made the Duke of Cambridge on the morning before his marriage to Catherine Middleton on 29 April 2011; and
11742-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
11856-577: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
11970-538: Was appointed to the Order of the Crown of India (then as Princess Elizabeth) and was the last surviving former member of that order until her death in September 2022, aged 96. The Order of Burma was created in May 1940 by King George VI of the United Kingdom to recognise subjects of the British colony of Burma ( Myanmar ) after it became a distinct colony, separate from British India . This order had one class which entitled
12084-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
12198-505: Was initially awarded an honorary knighthood, but by the time he collected the accolade from the Queen in December 2005, he had obtained dual nationality and the award was upgraded to a substantive knighthood. Bob Geldof is often erroneously referred to as "Sir Bob"; he is not entitled to this style as an honorary knight as he is a citizen of the Republic of Ireland (i.e., he is not a citizen of
12312-519: Was instituted. Canadian citizens remain eligible for imperial honours, including peerages and knighthoods, presumably for achievements within Great Britain, however such conferment may involve individual approval by the Canadian government. In 1975, the Australian government established its own honours system, creating the Order of Australia and its own system of bravery decorations. Indigenous police and fire service decorations followed from 1986, with
12426-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
12540-508: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
12654-515: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
12768-674: Was the Normans who introduced knighthoods as part of their feudal government . The first English order of chivalry , the Order of the Garter , was created in 1348 by Edward III . Since then, the system has evolved to address the changing need to recognise other forms of service to the United Kingdom. As the head of state , the Sovereign is the fount of honour , but the system for identifying and recognising candidates to honour has changed considerably over time. Various orders of knighthood have been created (see below) as well as awards for military service, bravery, merit, and achievement which take
12882-477: Was the primary—and generally the sole—honours system utilised across the various dominions and territories of the British Empire , which became the Commonwealth of Nations from 1949. Today, British honours and decorations continue to be awarded to citizens of Commonwealth realms and British Overseas Territories . Within the Commonwealth realms, however, the nature of the British honour or decoration awarded and
12996-526: Was to be given for services rendered in the UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
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