This leaflet is intended as a brief outline of the titles, honours and distinctions which may be awarded to citizens, and does not include military awards or the hereditary peerage. Further information may be found in the HMSO publication Honours and Titles (1996, ISBN 0 11 702027 3). Please see British Publications for ordering details.
Choosing Recipients
British honours are awarded on merit, for exceptional achievement or service. The Queen chooses the recipients of honours on the advice of the Prime Minister and other relevant ministers, to whom recommendations are made by their departments or members of the public. Private nominations - those made by individuals or by representatives of organisations to the Prime Minister's Office - account for about a quarter of all recommendations. Honorary awards to foreigners are recommended by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and certain of the orders of chivalry are conferred on the sole personal decision of the Sovereign (the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle, the Order of Merit and the Royal Victorian Order).
In 1993 the practice of automatically conferring awards on the holders of certain posts was ended, opening the honours system to more individuals who qualify on merit, particularly those in the voluntary sector.
For more information:
Cabinet Office, Ceremonial Branch
The half-yearly Honours Lists are posted on the 10 Downing Street site, at
Investiture
Most honours are awarded on the Queen's official birthday in early June, and at the New Year. Following the publication of the Honours List, investitures are held at which recipients of honours (other than life peers) receive, usually from the Queen, the insignia of the honour (robes, badges, ribbons, etc). Knights receive the accolade (see below). Knights and Dames may adopt the prefix 'Sir' or 'Dame' from the date of the official announcement of the honour.
For more information:
Monarchy: Investitures:
Life Peers
Life peerages are the only form of peerage regularly created by the Sovereign nowadays. All life peers hold the rank of baron, and sit in the House of Lords on conferment of the peerage. These titles exist only during their own lifetime and are not passed to their heirs. As of August 2000 there were 580 life peers, including 108 women.
Baronetcies
Like knights, baronets are styled 'Sir', and their wives 'Lady', but, unlike a knighthood, this is a heritable honour. The suffix 'Baronet', usually abbreviated to 'Bt', is also added to the name. The only creation since 1964 has been Sir Denis Thatcher, Bt, husband of former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher. He was made a baronet in 1991.
Knighthoods
The honour of knighthood derives from the usages of mediaeval chivalry, as does the method normally used to confer the knighthood: the accolade, or the touch of a sword by the Sovereign.
Although Knights Bachelor do not comprise an order of chivalry, knighthood is a dignity which has its origin in Britain in Saxon times.
Knighted members of the orders of chivalry (outlined below) place initials after their names denoting the class of the order received. (Note that not all recipients of orders are necessarily Knights or Dames but only those denoted as such, usually the first or second classes of orders.)
All knighted men, including Knights Bachelor, are styled 'Sir' (except clergymen, who do not receive the accolade) and their wives 'Lady'. Women receiving the honour are styled 'Dame' but do not receive the accolade.
For more information:
Monarchy
FAQ: What are the orders of chivalry? How does somebody get a Knighthood?
Orders of Chivalry
The principal orders are listed as follows in order of precedence, noting initials to be placed after the name.
The Most Noble Order of the Garter (1348). The Queen is Sovereign of the Order. Five members of the royal family are Ladies of the Order or Royal Knights, and there are 24 Knights and Lady Companions including 3 ex-Prime Ministers. Seven foreign monarchs are at present Extra Knights Companions and Ladies. Initials KG or LG.
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle (revived 1687). The Queen is Sovereign of the Order and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Lady of the Thistle. There are two Royal Knights and 16 Knights. Initials KT.
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (1725) is awarded in recognition of conspicuous services to the Crown and has two divisions, military and civil. The Order takes its name from the symbolic bathing which in former times often formed part of the preparation of a candidate for knighthood. Ranks in the order are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCB), Knight or Dame Commander (KCB or DCB) and Companion (CB).
The Order of Merit (1902) is awarded in recognition of eminent services rendered in the armed forces, or towards the advancement of art, literature and science. Except for honorary members from overseas, the Order is limited to 24 persons. Initials OM.
The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (1818) honours service overseas or in connection with foreign or Commonwealth affairs. Ranks in the Order are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCMG), Knight or Dame Commander (KCMG or DCMG) and Companion (CMG).
The Royal Victorian Order (1896) is awarded in recognition of services to the royal family. Ranks are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCVO), Knight or Dame Commander (KCVO or DCVO), Commander (CVO), Lieutenant (LVO) and Member (MVO).
The Royal Victorian Chain (1902) has a current membership of 18, in addition to the Queen and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (1917) is awarded mainly to civilians and service personnel for public service or other distinctions and has a military and a civil division. Ranks in the Order are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GBE), Knight or Dame Commander (KBE or DBE), Commander (CBE), Officer (OBE) and Member (MBE).
The Order of the Companions of Honour (1917) is awarded for service of conspicuous national importance. The Order is limited to 65 people. Initals CH.
The Most Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem (1888)is not a state order, and membership does not confer rank or title. It is usually known as the Order of St John and recognises services rendered to the charitable works of the Order. In addition to being an order of chivalry it is the parent body of a charitable organisation.
Awards to Foreign Nationals
Foreign nationals and citizens of Commonwealth countries of which the Queen is not head of state may be admitted to honorary membership of British orders but do not style themselves 'Sir' because they do not receive the accolade. They may, however, place the appropriate letters after their name.
American recipients of honours include former president Ronald Reagan (Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath), Generals Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell (Knights Commanders of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath), Walter Annenberg and André Previn (Knights Commanders of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).
Forms of address
For further information on the protocol of addressing holders of honours and titles and their spouses, see the volumes Debrett's Correct Form (Headline Book Publishing, 1999, ISBN 0 7472 2330 0) and the annual Whitaker's Almanac (The Stationery Office). Advice on how to obtain books from Britain is contained in British Publications.
Lordships of Manors
Misleading advertisements for lordships of manors sometimes appear in the press. A manorial lordship is not an aristocratic title, but a semi-extinct form of landed property. Lordship in this sense is a synonym for ownership. According to John Martin Robinson, Maltravers Herald Extraordinary and co-author of The Oxford Guide to Heraldry, "Lordship of this or that manor is no more a title than Landlord of the Dog and Duck". It cannot be stated on a passport, and does not entitle the owner to a coat of arms.
The sale of British titles of honour is proscribed by the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act, 1925.
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