Order of the Companions of Honour

Commonwealth order

Order of the
Companions of Honour

Badge and ribbon of the order

Awarded by Charles III
Type| Order
Established| 4 June 1917
Motto| In Action Faithful and in Honour Clear
Eligibility| All living citizens of the Commonwealth realms
Criteria| Nationally important service
Status| Currently constituted
Founder| George V
Sovereign| Charles III
Grades| Member (CH)

Ribbon bar of the order

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

[edit]

John Buchan, Lord Tweedsmuir, as Governor General of Canada, wearing the Order of the Companions of Honour badge around his neck

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

[edit]

The insignia of the order is in the form of an oval medallion, surmounted by a royal crown (but, until recently, 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

[edit]

### Sovereign

[edit]

Name  | Year of appointment | Present age

|
|

King Charles III (ex officio)  | Sovereign since 2022  | 76

### Royal Companion

[edit]

Name  | Year of appointment | Present age | Notes

|
|
|

Catherine, Princess of Wales GCVO, CH | 2024  | 43  | First Royal Companion

### Members

[edit]

Member number[n 1] | Name  | Known for  | Year of appointment  | Present age

|
|
|
|

1-(267)  | Norman Tebbit, Baron Tebitt CH, PC | Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Secretary of State for Employment | 1987  | 94
2-(270)  | Kenneth Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking CH, PC | Secretary of State for the Home Department | 1992  | 90
3-(278)  | Tom King, Baron King of Bridgwater CH, PC | Secretary of State for Defence | 91
4-(282)  | Dame Janet Baker CH, DBE, FRSA | Opera singer  | 1993  | 91
5-(287)  | David Owen, Baron Owen CH, PC | Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | 1994  | 86
6-(289)  | Sir David Attenborough OM, GCMG, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FSA, FRSA, FLS, FZS, FRSGS, FRSB | Television broadcaster and conservationist  | 1995  | 98
7-(291)  | Douglas Hurd, Lord Hurd of Westwell CH, CBE, PC | Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Secretary of State for the Home Department | 95
8-(294)  | David Hockney OM, CH, RA | Artist  | 1997  | 87
9-(296)  | Michael Heseltine, Baron Heseltine CH, PC | Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Secretary of State for Defence | 92
10-(297)  | Chris Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes KG, CH, PC | Governor of Hong Kong, Chairman of the BBC Trust, and Chancellor of the University of Oxford | 80
11-(299)  | Sir John Major KG, CH, PC | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom | 1998  | 82
12-(300)  | Bridget Riley CH, CBE | Artist  | 93
13-(305)  | General John de Chastelain CC, CMM, CD, CH, CStJ | Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada) and Chairman of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning | 87
14-(317)  | Dan McKenzie CH, FRS | Geophysicist  | 2003  | 83
15-(318)  | David Hannay, Baron Hannay of Chiswick GCMG, CH | Permanent Representative to the United Nations | 79
16-(320)  | Dame Judi Dench CH, DBE, FRSA | Actress  | 2005  | 90
17-(321)  | Sir Ian McKellen CH, CBE | Actor  | 2007  | 85
18-(323)  | Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne CH, PC, KC | Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition and Secretary of State for the Home Department | 2011  | 83
19-(324)  | George Young, Baron Young of Cookham CH, PC | Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Leader of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom | 2012  | 83
20-(325)  | Sebastian Coe, Baron Coe CH, KBE | President of World Athletics and Chairman of the British Olympic Association | 68
21-(327)  | Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde CH, PC | Leader of the House of Lords and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | 2013  | 65
22-(328)  | Menzies Campbell, Baron Campbell of Pittenweem CH, CBE, PC, KC | Chancellor of the University of St Andrews and Leader of the Liberal Democrats | 83
23-(329)  | Sir Nicholas Serota CH | Curator and Director of the Tate | 78
24-(331)  | Onora O'Neill, Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve CH, CBE, FBA, FMedSci, MRIA | President of the British Academy | 83
25-(333)  | Kenneth Clarke, Baron Clarke of Nottingham CH, PC, KC | Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for the Home Department | 2014  | 84
26-(336)  | Lady Mary Peters LG, CH, DBE, DStJ | Olympic gold medallist and Lord Lieutenant of Belfast | 2015  | 85
27-(339)  | Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf CH, PC, FBA, FMedSci | Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales | 91
28-(341)  | Sir Roy Strong CH, FRSL | Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum and National Portrait Gallery, London | 2016  | 89
29-(343)  | Robert Smith, Baron Smith of Kelvin KT, CH, FRSGS | Governor of the British Broadcasting Corporation | 80
30-(344)  | Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos LG, CH, PC | 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 | 71
31-(345)  | George Osborne CH, PC | Chancellor of the Exchequer and First Secretary of State | 53
32-(347)  | Sir Richard Eyre CH, CBE | Director  | 82
33-(348)  | Dame Evelyn Glennie CH, DBE | Musician  | 59
34-(349)  | Sir Alec Jeffreys CH, FRS, MAE | Geneticist  | 75
35-(353)  | Sir Mark Elder CH, CBE | Conductor  | 2017  | 77
36-(355)  | Sir Paul McCartney CH, MBE | Musician  | 82
37-(356)  | J. K. Rowling CH, OBE, FRSL | Author  | 59
38-(357)  | Dame Steve Shirley CH, DBE, FREng | Entrepreneur and philanthropist  | 91
39-(358)  | Delia Smith CH, CBE | Cook and author  | 83
40-(359)  | Nicholas Stern, Baron Stern of Brentford CH, FRS, FBA, FAcSS | President of the British Academy and Chief Economist of the World Bank | 78
41-(361)  | Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg CH, FRS, FBA, FRSL | Broadcaster and Chancellor of the University of Leeds | 85
42-(362)  | Lady Antonia Fraser CH, DBE, FRSL | Author  | 92
43-(363)  | Margaret MacMillan OM CC CH FRSL, FRSC, FBA, FRCGS | Historian, author and Provost of Trinity College, Toronto | 81
44-(364)  | Richard Henderson CH, FRS, FMedSci | Biologist  | 2018  | 79
45-(365)  | Dame Kiri Te Kanawa ONZ, CH, DBE, AC | Opera singer  | 81
46-(366)  | Margaret Atwood CC OOnt CH FRSC FRSL | Author  | 85
47-(367)  | Patrick McLoughlin, Baron McLoughlin CH, PC | Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Secretary of State for Transport | 2019  | 67
48-(368)  | Sir Elton John CH, CBE | Musician  | 78
49-(369)  | Sir Keith Thomas CH, FBA, FLSW, FRHistS | Historian and President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford | 92
50-(370)  | Sir Paul Smith CH, CBE, RDI | Fashion designer  | 2020  | 78
51-(371)  | Sir David Chipperfield CH, CBE, RA, RDI, RIBA, HRSA | Architect  | 71
52-(372)  | Sir Paul Nurse OM, CH, FRS, FMedSci, HonFREng, HonFBA, MAE | Geneticist and Nobel Laureate | 2021  | 76
53-(374)  | Sir Quentin Blake CH, CBE, FCSD, FRSL, RDI | Illustrator  | 2022  | 92
54-(375)  | Sir Salman Rushdie CH, FRSL | Writer  | 77
55-(376)  | Dame Marina Warner CH, DBE, FRSL, FBA | Writer  | 78
56-(377)  | Sir Michael Marmot CH, FRCP, FFPM, FMedSci, FBA | Academic  | 80
57-(379)  | Sir Bill Cash CH | Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales | 2023  | 84
58-(380)  | Sir John Bell GBE, CH, FRS, FMedSci, FREng | President of the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research | 72
59-(381)  | Ian McEwan CH, CBE, FRSA, FRSL | Author  | 76
60-(382)  | Dame Anna Wintour CH, DBE | Media executive  | 75
61-(383)  | Dame Shirley Bassey CH, DBE | Singer  | 88
62-(385)  | Gordon Brown CH, PC, HonFRSE | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom | 2024  | 74
63-(386)  | Sir Kazuo Ishiguro CH, OBE, FRSA, FRSL | Novelist and screenwriter  | 70
64  | Vacant following the death of Frank Field, Baron Field of Birkenhead on 23 April 2024 |  |  |
65  | Vacant following the death of Dame Maggie Smith on 27 September 2024 |  |  |

### Honorary Members

[edit]

Member number  | Name  | Known for | Year of appointment  | Present age

|
|
|
|

1-(261)  | Amartya Sen CH, FBA | Economist  | 2000  | 91

## See also

[edit]

* List of members of the Order of the Companions of Honour
* List of honorary British knights and dames
* List of people who have declined a British honour

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The number shown in brackets is the individual's place in the wider sequence of appointment since the Order's inception.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "A New Order". The Times. 25 August 1917. p. 7.
2. ^ a b "The Monarch of the Today > Queen Ann arbor to the new one w public > Honours > Companions of Honour". Royal.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
3. ^ "The honours system: Types of honours and awards". UK Government. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
4. ^ "No. 30250". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 August 1917. p. 8799.
5. ^ McCreery, Christopher (2005a). The Canadian Honours System. Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 100\. ISBN 978-1-55002-554-5.
6. ^ Rayment, Leigh. "Companions of Honour". Archived from the original on 26 September 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
7. ^ Barbour, Lucy (20 December 2020). "Doug Anthony, former Nationals leader and deputy prime minister, dies aged 90". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
8. ^ "Coronation order of service in full". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Order of the Companions of Honour.

* The Order of the Companions of Honour – UK Cabinet Office
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* The British honours system – UK Government
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Level 4|

* Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct
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See also
Order of Wear
British campaign medals
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Imperial Service Order|

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Order of the
Companions of Honour|

* Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)

Miscellaneous|

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Military
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Not the face
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Distinguished
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|

Not the face
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Nursing service|

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Meritorious service|

* / British Empire Medal (BEM)
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