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

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]

While 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 CH represented the Order at the 2023 Coronation.[8]

Insignia

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

Member
number[n 1]
NamePost-nominalsCurrent or former occupationDate of appointmentAge
1 (267)United Kingdom The Lord TebbitCH, PCPolitician31 July 198792
2 (270)United Kingdom The Lord Baker of DorkingCH, PCPolitician13 April 199289
3 (278)United Kingdom The Lord King of BridgwaterCH, PCPolitician13 April 199290
4 (282)United Kingdom Dame Janet BakerCH, DBEOpera singer31 December 199390
5 (287)United Kingdom The Lord OwenCH, PCPolitician11 June 199485
6 (289)United Kingdom Sir David AttenboroughOM, GCMG, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FSA, FRSA, FLS, FZS, FRSGS, FRSBBroadcaster; naturalist30 December 199597
7 (291)United Kingdom The Lord Hurd of WestwellCH, CBE, PCPolitician30 December 199593
8 (294)United Kingdom David HockneyOM, CHArtist14 June 199786
9 (296)United Kingdom The Lord HeseltineCH, PCPolitician2 August 199790
10 (297)United Kingdom The Lord Patten of BarnesKG, CH, PCPolitician; former Governor of Hong Kong31 December 199779
11 (299)United Kingdom Sir John MajorKG, CH, PCFormer Prime Minister of the United Kingdom31 December 199880
12 (300)United Kingdom Bridget RileyCH, CBEArtist31 December 199892
13 (305)Canada John de ChastelainCC, CMM, CH, CDCanadian Army officer; diplomat31 December 199886
14 (317)United Kingdom Dan McKenzieCH, FRSGeophysicist14 June 200381
15 (318)United Kingdom The Lord Hannay of ChiswickGCMG, CHDiplomat14 June 200378
16 (320)United Kingdom Dame Judi DenchCH, DBEActress11 June 200589
17 (321)United Kingdom Sir Ian McKellenCH, CBEActor31 December 200784
18 (323)United Kingdom The Lord Howard of LympneCH, PC, KCPolitician11 June 201182
19 (324)United Kingdom The Lord Young of CookhamCH, PCPolitician20 September 201282
20 (325)United Kingdom The Lord CoeCH, KBE, HonFRIBAPolitician; athlete; organiser of 2012 Olympics29 December 201267
21 (326)United Kingdom Peter HiggsCH, FRSPhysicist29 December 201294
22 (327)United Kingdom The Lord StrathclydeCH, PCPolitician7 January 201363
23 (328)United Kingdom The Lord Campbell of PittenweemCH, CBE, PC, KCPolitician15 June 201382
24 (329)United Kingdom Sir Nicholas SerotaCHCurator15 June 201377
25 (331)United Kingdom The Baroness O'Neill of BengarveCH, CBE, FBA, FRS, FMedSciPhilosopher31 December 201382
26 (332)United Kingdom Dame Maggie SmithCH, DBEActress14 June 201489
27 (333)United Kingdom The Lord Clarke of NottinghamCH, PC, KCPolitician22 July 201483
28 (336)United Kingdom Lady Mary PetersLG, CH, DBE, DStJAthlete1 January 201584
29 (339)United Kingdom The Lord WoolfCH, PC, FBA, FMedSciJudge12 June 201590
30 (341)United Kingdom Sir Roy StrongCH, FRSLArt historian; museum director1 January 201688
31 (343)United Kingdom The Lord Smith of KelvinKT, CHBusinessman11 June 201679
32 (344)United Kingdom The Baroness AmosLG, CH, PCPolitician; diplomat11 June 201669
33 (345)United Kingdom George OsborneCHPolitician; former Chancellor of the Exchequer4 August 201652
34 (347)United Kingdom Sir Richard EyreCH, CBEDirector31 December 201680
35 (348)United Kingdom Dame Evelyn GlennieCH, DBEMusician31 December 201658
36 (349)United Kingdom Sir Alec JeffreysCH, FRSGeneticist31 December 201674
37 (353)United Kingdom Sir Mark ElderCH, CBEConductor17 June 201776
38 (355)United Kingdom Sir Paul McCartneyCH, MBEMusician17 June 201781
39 (356)United Kingdom J. K. RowlingCH, OBEAuthor17 June 201758
40 (357)United Kingdom Dame Stephanie ShirleyCH, DBE, FREngEntrepreneur; philanthropist17 June 201790
41 (358)United Kingdom Delia SmithCH, CBECook; author17 June 201782
42 (359)United Kingdom The Lord Stern of BrentfordCH, FRS, FBAEconomist17 June 201777
43 (361)United Kingdom The Lord BraggCH, FRS, FBA, FRSLBroadcaster30 December 201784
44 (362)United Kingdom Lady Antonia FraserCH, DBE, FRSLAuthor30 December 201791
45 (363)Canada Margaret MacMillanOM, CC, CHHistorian30 December 201780
46 (364)United Kingdom Richard HendersonCH, FRS, FMedSciBiologist9 June 201878
47 (365)New Zealand Dame Kiri Te KanawaONZ, CH, DBE, ACOpera singer9 June 201879
48 (366)Canada Margaret AtwoodCC, OOnt, CH, FRSC, FRSLAuthor29 December 201884
49 (367)United Kingdom The Lord McLoughlinCH, PCPolitician10 September 201966
50 (368)United Kingdom Sir Elton JohnCH, CBEMusician28 December 201976
51 (369)United Kingdom Sir Keith ThomasCH, FBA, FLSW, FRHistSHistorian28 December 201991
52 (370)United Kingdom Sir Paul SmithCH, CBE, RDIFashion designer10 October 202077
53 (371)United Kingdom Sir David ChipperfieldCH, CBE, RA, RDI, RIBAArchitect31 December 202070
54 (372)United Kingdom Sir Paul NurseOM, CH, FRS, FMedSci, HonFREng, HonFBA, MAEGeneticist31 December 202174
55 (373)United Kingdom The Lord Field of BirkenheadCH, PC, DLPolitician31 December 202181
56 (374)United Kingdom Sir Quentin BlakeCH, CBE, FCSD, FRSL, RDIIllustrator1 June 202291
57 (375)United KingdomIndia Sir Salman RushdieCH, FRSLWriter1 June 202276
58 (376)United Kingdom Dame Marina WarnerCH, DBE, FRSL, FBAWriter1 June 202277
59 (377)United Kingdom Sir Michael MarmotCH, FRCP, FFPM, FMedSci, FBAAcademic31 December 202278
60 (378)United Kingdom Sir Bill CashCHPolitician9 June 202383
61 (379)United KingdomCanada Sir John BellGBE, CH, FMedSci, FREngPhysician16 June 202371
62 (380)United Kingdom Ian McEwanCH, CBE, FRSA, FRSLWriter16 June 202375
63 (381)United Kingdom Dame Anna WintourCH, DBEMedia executive16 June 202374
64 (382)United Kingdom Dame Shirley Bassey CH, DBESinger29 December 202387
65 (-)Vacant following the death of The Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville, on 13 May 2023

Honorary members

Member numberNamePost-nominalsOccupationDate of appointmentAge
1 (261)India Amartya SenCH, FBAEconomist11 May 200090

See also

Notes

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

References

  1. 1 2 "A New Order". The Times. 25 August 1917. p. 7.
  2. 1 2 "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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