Order of the Companions of Honour
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The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded on 4 June 1917 by King George V as a reward for outstanding achievements. It was founded on the same date as the Order of the British Empire.[1][2]
The order was originally intended to be conferred upon a limited number of persons for whom this special distinction seemed to be the most appropriate form of recognition, constituting an honour dissociated from either the acceptance of title or the classification of merit.[1] It is now described as being "awarded for having a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or government lasting over a long period of time".[3] The first recipients of the order were all decorated for "services in connection with the war" and were listed in The London Gazette.[4]
Composition
The order consists of the monarch of the Commonwealth realms, who is the Sovereign of the Order of the Companions of Honour, and a maximum of 65 members. Additionally, foreigners or Commonwealth citizens from outside the Commonwealth realms may be added as honorary members. Members are organised into a single class and are appointed by the monarch of the Commonwealth realms in their capacity as sovereign of the order. While membership of the order confers no title or precedence, those inducted into the order are entitled to use the post-nominal letters CH.
Appointments to the order are generally made on the advice of prime ministers of the Commonwealth realms.[2] For Canadians, the advice to the Sovereign can come from a variety of officials.[5] Originally, the order was limited to 50 ordinary members, but in 1943 it was enlarged to 65, with a quota of 45 members for the United Kingdom, seven for Australia, two each for New Zealand and South Africa, and nine for India, Burma, and the other British colonies. The quota numbers were altered in 1970 to 47 for the United Kingdom, seven for Australia, two for New Zealand, and nine for other Commonwealth realms. The quota was adjusted again in 1975 by adding two places to the New Zealand quota and reducing the nine for the other countries to seven.[6]
Whilst still able to nominate candidates to the order, the Cabinet of Australia has effectively stopped the allocation of this award to that country's citizens in preference to other Australian honours. The last Australian member, Doug Anthony, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, died on 20 December 2020.[7] Companions from other Commonwealth realms continue to be appointed: Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, a New Zealand soprano, was given the award in 2018 and Canadian author Margaret Atwood was given the award in 2019.
Lord Coe represented the Order at the 2023 Coronation.[8]
Insignia
The insignia of the order is an oval medallion, surmounted by a royal crown (but, until recently,Script error: No such module "Unsubst". surmounted by an imperial crown), and with a rectangular panel within, depicting on it an oak tree, a shield with the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom hanging from one branch, and, on the left, a mounted knight in armour. The insignia's blue border bears in gold letters the motto "in action faithful and in honour clear", Alexander Pope's description (in iambic pentameter) in his Epistle to Mr Addison of James Craggs the Younger, later used on Craggs's monument in Westminster Abbey. Men wear the badge on a neck ribbon (red with golden border threads) and women on a bow at the left shoulder.
Current members
Sovereign
| Name | Year of appointment | Present age |
|---|---|---|
| King Charles III (ex officio) | Sovereign since 2022 | Script error: No such module "age". |
Royal Companion
| Name | Year of appointment | Present age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catherine, Princess of Wales Script error: No such module "If empty". | 2024 | Script error: No such module "age". | First Royal Companion |
Members
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| Member number[n 1] | Name | Known for | Year of appointment | Present age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-(270) | Kenneth Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking Script error: No such module "If empty". | Secretary of State for the Home Department | 1992 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 2-(278) | Tom King, Baron King of Bridgwater Script error: No such module "If empty". | Secretary of State for Defence | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 3-(282) | Dame Janet Baker Script error: No such module "If empty". | Opera singer | 1993 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 4-(287) | David Owen, Baron Owen Script error: No such module "If empty". | Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | 1994 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 5-(289) | Sir David Attenborough Script error: No such module "If empty". | Television broadcaster and conservationist | 1995 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 6-(291) | Douglas Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell Script error: No such module "If empty". | Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Secretary of State for the Home Department | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 7-(294) | David Hockney Script error: No such module "If empty". | Artist | 1997 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 8-(296) | Michael Heseltine, Baron Heseltine Script error: No such module "If empty". | Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Secretary of State for Defence | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 9-(297) | Chris Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes Script error: No such module "If empty". | Governor of Hong Kong, Chairman of the BBC Trust, and Chancellor of the University of Oxford | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 10-(299) | Sir John Major Script error: No such module "If empty". | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom | 1998 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 11-(300) | Bridget Riley Script error: No such module "If empty". | Artist | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 12-(305) | General John de Chastelain Script error: No such module "If empty". | Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada) and Chairman of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 13-(317) | Dan McKenzie Script error: No such module "If empty". | Geophysicist | 2003 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 14-(318) | David Hannay, Baron Hannay of Chiswick Script error: No such module "If empty". | Permanent Representative to the United Nations | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 15-(320) | Dame Judi Dench Script error: No such module "If empty". | Actress | 2005 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 16-(321) | Sir Ian McKellen Script error: No such module "If empty". | Actor | 2007 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 17-(323) | Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne Script error: No such module "If empty". | Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition and Secretary of State for the Home Department | 2011 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 18-(324) | George Young, Baron Young of Cookham Script error: No such module "If empty". | Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Leader of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom | 2012 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 19-(325) | Sebastian Coe, Baron Coe Script error: No such module "If empty". | President of World Athletics and Chairman of the British Olympic Association | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 20-(327) | Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde Script error: No such module "If empty". | Leader of the House of Lords and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | 2013 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 21-(329) | Sir Nicholas Serota Script error: No such module "If empty". | Curator and Director of the Tate | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 22-(331) | Onora O'Neill, Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve Script error: No such module "If empty". | President of the British Academy | 83 | |
| 23-(333) | Kenneth Clarke, Baron Clarke of Nottingham Script error: No such module "If empty". | Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for the Home Department | 85 | |
| 24-(336) | Lady Mary Peters Script error: No such module "If empty". | Olympic gold medallist and Lord Lieutenant of Belfast | 2015 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 25-(339) | Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf Script error: No such module "If empty". | Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 26-(341) | Sir Roy Strong Script error: No such module "If empty". | Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum and National Portrait Gallery, London | 2016 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 27-(343) | Robert Smith, Baron Smith of Kelvin Script error: No such module "If empty". | Governor of the British Broadcasting Corporation | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 28-(344) | Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos Script error: No such module "If empty". | United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Leader of the House of Lords and Secretary of State for International Development | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 29-(345) | George Osborne Script error: No such module "If empty". | Chancellor of the Exchequer and First Secretary of State | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 30-(347) | Sir Richard Eyre Script error: No such module "If empty". | Director | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 31-(348) | Dame Evelyn Glennie Script error: No such module "If empty". | Musician | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 32-(349) | Sir Alec Jeffreys Script error: No such module "If empty". | Geneticist | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 33-(353) | Sir Mark Elder Script error: No such module "If empty". | Conductor | 2017 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 34-(355) | Sir Paul McCartney Script error: No such module "If empty". | Musician | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 35-(356) | J. K. Rowling Script error: No such module "If empty". | Author | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 36-(358) | Delia Smith Script error: No such module "If empty". | Cook and author | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 37-(359) | Nicholas Stern, Baron Stern of Brentford Script error: No such module "If empty". | President of the British Academy and Chief Economist of the World Bank | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 38-(361) | Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg Script error: No such module "If empty". | Broadcaster and Chancellor of the University of Leeds | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 39-(362) | Lady Antonia Fraser Script error: No such module "If empty". | Author | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 40-(363) | Margaret MacMillan Script error: No such module "If empty". Script error: No such module "If empty". Script error: No such module "If empty". Script error: No such module "If empty". | Historian, author and Provost of Trinity College, Toronto | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 41-(364) | Richard Henderson Script error: No such module "If empty". | Biologist | 2018 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 42-(365) | Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Script error: No such module "If empty". | Opera singer | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 43-(366) | Margaret Atwood Script error: No such module "If empty". Script error: No such module "If empty". Script error: No such module "If empty". | Author | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 44-(367) | Patrick McLoughlin, Baron McLoughlin Script error: No such module "If empty". | Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Secretary of State for Transport | 2019 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 45-(368) | Sir Elton John Script error: No such module "If empty". | Musician | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 46-(369) | Sir Keith Thomas Script error: No such module "If empty". | Historian and President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 47-(370) | Sir Paul Smith Script error: No such module "If empty". | Fashion designer | 2020 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 48-(371) | Sir David Chipperfield Script error: No such module "If empty". | Architect | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 49-(372) | Sir Paul Nurse Template:Postnominals | Geneticist and Nobel Laureate | 2021 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 50-(374) | Sir Quentin Blake Script error: No such module "If empty". | Illustrator | 2022 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 51-(375) | Sir Salman Rushdie Script error: No such module "If empty". | Author | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 52-(376) | Dame Marina Warner Script error: No such module "If empty". | Author | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 53-(377) | Sir Michael Marmot Script error: No such module "If empty". | Academic | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 54-(379) | Sir Bill Cash Script error: No such module "If empty". | Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales | 2023 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 55-(380) | Sir John Bell Script error: No such module "If empty". | President of the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 56-(381) | Ian McEwan Script error: No such module "If empty". | Author | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 57-(382) | Dame Anna Wintour Script error: No such module "If empty". | Media executive | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 58-(383) | Dame Shirley Bassey Script error: No such module "If empty". | Singer | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 59-(385) | Gordon Brown Script error: No such module "If empty". | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom | 2024 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 60-(386) | Sir Kazuo Ishiguro Script error: No such module "If empty". | Novelist and screenwriter | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 61-(387) | Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell Script error: No such module "If empty". | Physicist | 2025 | Script error: No such module "age". |
| 62-(388) | Sir Antony Gormley Script error: No such module "If empty". | Sculptor | Script error: No such module "age". | |
| 63- | Vacant following the death of Norman Tebbit, Baron Tebbit, on 7 July 2025 | |||
| 64- | Vacant following the death of Dame Stephanie Shirley, on 9 August 2025 | |||
| 65- | Vacant following the death of Menzies Campbell, Baron Campbell of Pittenweem, on 26 September 2025 |
Honorary Members
| Member number | Name | Known for | Year of appointment | Present age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-(261) | Amartya Sen Script error: No such module "If empty". | Economist | 2000 | Script error: No such module "age". |
See also
Notes
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- ↑ The number shown in brackets is the individual's place in the wider sequence of appointment since the Order's inception.
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References
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External links
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- The Order of the Companions of Honour – UK Cabinet Office
- Additional Orders – Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood
- The British honours system – UK Government
- The King and Honours – Royal Household website
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- Pages with script errors
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- Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour
- British honours system
- Awards established in 1917
- Civil awards and decorations of the United Kingdom