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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
TypOrder
Established4 June 1917
MottoIn Action Faithful and in Honour Clear
EligibilityAll living citizens of the Commonwealth realms
CriteriaNationally important service
StatusCurrently constituted
GründerGeorge 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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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.

The Lord 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 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, 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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Royal companion

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Member number Name Post-nominals Known for Date of appointment Age
1 (384) The Princess of Wales GCVO, CH Royal family 23 April 2024 42

Mitglieder

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Member
number[n 1]		 Name Post-nominals Known for Date of appointment Age
1 (267) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Tebbit CH, PC Politician 31 July 1987 93
2 (270) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Baker of Dorking CH, PC Politician 13 April 1992 89
3 (278) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord King of Bridgwater CH, PC Politician 13 April 1992 91
4 (282) Vereinigtes Königreich Dame Janet Baker CH, DBE Opera singer 31 December 1993 90
5 (287) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Owen CH, PC Politician 11 June 1994 86
6 (289) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir David Attenborough OM, GCMG, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FSA, FRSA, FLS, FZS, FRSGS, FRSB Broadcaster; naturalist 30 December 1995 98
7 (291) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Hurd of Westwell CH, CBE, PC Politician 30 December 1995 94
8 (294) Vereinigtes Königreich David Hockney OM, CH Artist 14 June 1997 87
9 (296) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Heseltine CH, PC Politician 2 August 1997 91
10 (297) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Patten of Barnes KG, CH, PC Politician; Governor of Hong Kong 31 December 1997 80
11 (299) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir John Major KG, CH, PC Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 31 December 1998 81
12 (300) Vereinigtes Königreich Bridget Riley CH, CBE Artist 31 December 1998 93
13 (305) Kanada John de Chastelain CC, CMM, CH, CD Canadian Army officer; diplomat 31 December 1998 87
14 (317) Vereinigtes Königreich Dan McKenzie CH, FRS Geophysicist 14 June 2003 82
15 (318) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Hannay of Chiswick GCMG, CH Diplomat 14 June 2003 78
16 (320) Vereinigtes Königreich Dame Judi Dench CH, DBE Actress 11 June 2005 89
17 (321) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Ian McKellen CH, CBE Actor 31 December 2007 85
18 (323) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Howard of Lympne CH, PC, KC Politician 11 June 2011 83
19 (324) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Young of Cookham CH, PC Politician 20 September 2012 83
20 (325) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Coe CH, KBE, Hon FRIBA Politician; athlete; organiser of 2012 Olympics 29 December 2012 67
21 (327) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Strathclyde CH, PC Politician 7 January 2013 64
22 (328) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Campbell of Pittenweem CH, CBE, PC, KC Politician 15 June 2013 83
23 (329) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Nicholas Serota CH Curator 15 June 2013 78
24 (331) Vereinigtes Königreich The Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve CH, CBE, FBA, FRS, FMedSci Philosopher 31 December 2013 82
25 (332) Vereinigtes Königreich Dame Maggie Smith CH, DBE Actress 14 June 2014 89
26 (333) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Clarke of Nottingham CH, PC, KC Politician 22 July 2014 84
27 (336) Vereinigtes Königreich Lady Mary Peters LG, CH, DBE, DStJ Athlete 1 January 2015 85
28 (339) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Woolf CH, PC, FBA, FMedSci Judge 12 June 2015 91
29 (341) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Roy Strong CH, FRSL Art historian; museum director 1 January 2016 88
30 (343) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Smith of Kelvin KT, CH Businessman 11 June 2016 79
31 (344) Vereinigtes Königreich The Baroness Amos LG, CH, PC Politician; diplomat 11 June 2016 70
32 (345) Vereinigtes Königreich George Osborne CH, PC Politician; Chancellor of the Exchequer 4 August 2016 53
33 (347) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Richard Eyre CH, CBE Director 31 December 2016 81
33 (348) Vereinigtes Königreich Dame Evelyn Glennie CH, DBE Musician 31 December 2016 59
35 (349) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Alec Jeffreys CH, FRS Geneticist 31 December 2016 74
36 (353) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Mark Elder CH, CBE Conductor 17 June 2017 77
37 (355) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Paul McCartney CH, MBE Musician 17 June 2017 82
38 (356) Vereinigtes Königreich J. K. Rowling CH, OBE Author 17 June 2017 59
39 (357) Vereinigtes Königreich Dame Stephanie Shirley CH, DBE, FREng Entrepreneur; philanthropist 17 June 2017 90
40 (358) Vereinigtes Königreich Delia Smith CH, CBE Cook; author 17 June 2017 83
41 (359) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Stern of Brentford CH, FRS, FBA Economist 17 June 2017 78
42 (361) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord Bragg CH, FRS, FBA, FRSL Broadcaster 30 December 2017 84
43 (362) Vereinigtes Königreich Lady Antonia Fraser CH, DBE, FRSL Author 30 December 2017 91
44 (363) Kanada Margaret MacMillan OM, CC, CH Historian 30 December 2017 80
45 (364) Vereinigtes Königreich Richard Henderson CH, FRS, FMedSci Biologist 9 June 2018 79
46 (365) Neuseeland Dame Kiri Te Kanawa ONZ, CH, DBE, AC Opera singer 9 June 2018 80
47 (366) Kanada Margaret Atwood CC, OOnt, CH, FRSC, FRSL Author 29 December 2018 84
48 (367) Vereinigtes Königreich The Lord McLoughlin CH, PC Politician 10 September 2019 66
49 (368) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Elton John CH, CBE Musician 28 December 2019 77
50 (369) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Keith Thomas CH, FBA, FLSW, FRHistS Historian 28 December 2019 91
51 (370) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Paul Smith CH, CBE, RDI Fashion designer 10 October 2020 78
52 (371) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir David Chipperfield CH, CBE, RA, RDI, RIBA Architect 31 December 2020 70
53 (372) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Paul Nurse OM, CH, FRS, FMedSci, HonFREng, HonFBA, MAE Geneticist 31 December 2021 75
54 (374) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Quentin Blake CH, CBE, FCSD, FRSL, RDI Illustrator 1 June 2022 91
55 (375) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Salman Rushdie CH, FRSL Autor 1 June 2022 77
56 (376) Vereinigtes Königreich Dame Marina Warner CH, DBE, FRSL, FBA Autor 1 June 2022 77
57 (377) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Michael Marmot CH, FRCP, FFPM, FMedSci, FBA Academic 31 December 2022 79
58 (379) Vereinigtes Königreich Sir Bill Cash CH Politician 9 June 2023 84
59 (380) Vereinigtes KönigreichKanada Sir John Bell GBE, CH, FMedSci, FREng Physician 16 June 2023 72
60 (381) Vereinigtes Königreich Ian McEwan CH, CBE, FRSA, FRSL Autor 16 June 2023 76
61 (382) Vereinigtes Königreich Dame Anna Wintour CH, DBE Media executive 16 June 2023 74
62 (383) Vereinigtes Königreich Dame Shirley Bassey CH, DBE Singer 29 December 2023 87
63 (385) Vereinigtes Königreich Gordon Brown CH, PC, HonFRSE Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 14 June 2024 73
64 (-) Vacant following the death of Peter Higgs, on 8 April 2024
65 (-) Vacant following the death of The Lord Field of Birkenhead, on 23 April 2024

Honorary members

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Member number Name Post-nominals Known for Date of appointment Age
1 (261) Indien Amartya Sen CH, FBA Economist 11 May 2000 90

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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