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Order of the Companions of Honour

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Order of the
Companions of Honour
Badge and ribbon of the order
Awarded by Charles III
TypeOrder
Established4 June 1917
MottoIn Action Faithful and in Honour Clear
EligibilityAll living citizens of the Commonwealth realms
CriteriaNationally important service
StatusCurrently constituted
FounderGeorge V
SovereignCharles III
GradesMember (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

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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.

Sebastian Coe, Baron Coe CH represented the Order at the 2023 Coronation.[8]

Insignia

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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

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Sovereign

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Name Year of appointment Present age
King Charles III (ex officio) Sovereign since 2022 76

Royal Companion

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Name Year of appointment Present age Notes
Catherine, Princess of Wales GCVO, CH 2024 42 First Royal Companion

Members

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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 93
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 94
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 91
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 81
12-(300) Bridget Riley CH, CBE Artist 93
13-(305) General John de Chastelain CC, CMM, CH, CStJ, CD Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada) and Chairman of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning 87
14-(317) Dan McKenzie CH, FRS Geophysicist 2003 82
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 89
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 64
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 70
31-(345) George Osborne CH, PC Chancellor of the Exchequer and First Secretary of State 53
32-(347) Sir Richard Eyre CH, CBE Director 81
33-(348) Dame Evelyn Glennie CH, DBE Musician 59
34-(349) Sir Alec Jeffreys CH, FRS, MAE Geneticist 74
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 80
44-(364) Richard Henderson CH, FRS, FMedSci Biologist 2018 79
45-(365) Dame Kiri Te Kanawa ONZ, CH, DBE, AC Opera singer 80
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 77
49-(369) Sir Keith Thomas CH, FBA, FLSW, FRHistS Historian and President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford 91
50-(370) Sir Paul Smith CH, CBE, RDI Fashion designer 2020 78
51-(371) Sir David Chipperfield CH, CBE, RA, RDI, RIBA, HRSA Architect 70
52-(372) Sir Paul Nurse OM, CH, FRS, FMedSci, HonFREng, HonFBA, MAE Geneticist and Nobel Laureate 2021 75
53-(374) Sir Quentin Blake CH, CBE, FCSD, FRSL, RDI Illustrator 2022 91
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 79
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 87
62-(385) Gordon Brown CH, PC, HonFRSE Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 2024 73
63 Vacant following the death of Peter Higgs on 8 April 2024
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

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Member number Name Known for Year of appointment Present age
1-(261) Amartya Sen CH, FBA Economist 2000 91

See also

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Notes

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

References

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  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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  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.
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