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Glasgow Times
a day ago
- General
- Glasgow Times
King's Birthday Honours: What MBE, OBE and others mean
The honours celebrate individual outstanding achievements and contributions to British society. This year's list ranges from politicians, musicians and actors to senior diplomats and elite sports stars, all recognised for their field or perhaps services to charity. But what does each honour mean and how are people nominated? How the British honours system works The British honours system recognises people who have 'made achievements in public life' and 'committed themselves to serving and helping Britain'. This can range from volunteers, innovators, entrepreneurs or individuals across a range of fields, such as sport, education, business, the arts and media. Gallantry awards recognising bravery can also be given to members of the armed forces and the emergency services, as well as civilians. Any member of the public or an official body can nominate someone for an honour, with UK nationals and Commonwealth citizens eligible. People living or working overseas, whose achievements were made in another country or in the UK and have a significant international element, can be nominated too. Non-British or Commonwealth country citizens can also be considered for 'honorary' awards. The suitability of nominees is submitted to the Honours and Appointments Secretariat, before a group of 10 independent honours committees, each covering a specialist subject area such as sport or health, consider them. The recommendations of these groups of independent experts and senior civil servants are passed on to the Prime Minister and, ultimately, the King for approval. The Prime Minister helps to decide on the honours (Image: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire) The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) oversees the Diplomatic Service and Overseas List. Honours are revealed twice a year, at New Year and in June on the King's official birthday. Ceremonies to award medals are held later, about 30 times a year, at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and, occasionally, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, and are hosted by senior royals. What MBE, OBE, CBE and others honours mean The honours ranking in descending order is as follows: Companions of Honour (CH) - for those who have made a long-standing contribution to arts, science, medicine or government Dame and Knights Grand Cross (GBE) - the highest rank in many of the orders Order of the Bath (GCB/KCB/DCB/CB) - recognises the work of senior military officials and civil servants Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG/KCMG/DCMG/CMG) - recognises service in a foreign country or in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs Knights and Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE/DBE) - typically for people who have made a major contribution at national level Knights Bachelor - an appointment, for men only, which originates from the medieval period Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) - for those who have a prominent but lesser role at national level or a leading role at regional level Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - those who have a major local role in any activity, including people whose work has made them known nationally Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) - recognises outstanding achievements or service to the community with a significant long-term impact British Empire Medal (BEM) - reintroduced in 2012 by the then-prime minister David Cameron as part of his bid to make the honours system 'classless', saying too few people making a difference in their areas were made MBEs. Who is on the King's Birthday Honours list? There are a number of famous faces recgonised in this year's King's Birthday Honours list. These include TV stars Claudia Winkleman and Strictly Come Dancing co-host Tess Daly, both awarded MBEs for services to broadcasting. Winkleman, 53, said she is "incredibly grateful" for honour. She added: 'It's a real privilege to work with extraordinarily talented people and I have only got this because of them. So this is for the BBC, the traitors and the faithful, for pianos and for the cha cha. 'I will buy a hat and am taking my mum. I am ridiculously lucky and will celebrate with Tess by doing a paso doble.' Various sports stars have been recognised too, including Sir David Beckham, and England darts players Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. David Beckham is set to receive a knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours list! 🎖️ — Sky Sports (@SkySports) June 6, 2025 Sir David, who has been in the running for a knighthood for more than a decade, said in a statement to the PA news agency: 'Growing up in east London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British, I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour. 'To have played for and captained my country was the greatest privilege of my career, and literally a boyhood dream come true. 'Off the pitch I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to represent Britain around the world and work with incredible organisations that are supporting communities in need and inspiring the next generation. Recommended reading: 'I'm so lucky to be able to do the work that I do and I'm grateful to be recognised for work that gives me so much fulfilment. 'It will take a little while for the news to sink in but I'm immensely proud and it's such an emotional moment for me to share with my family.' Other stars recognised include The Who singer Roger Daltrey, actor Gary Oldman and former MP Penny Mordaunt.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
King's Birthday Honours: What MBE, OBE and others mean
This year's list ranges from politicians, musicians and actors to senior diplomats and elite sports stars, all recognised for their field or perhaps services to charity. But what does each honour mean and how are people nominated? How the British honours system works The British honours system recognises people who have 'made achievements in public life' and 'committed themselves to serving and helping Britain'. This can range from volunteers, innovators, entrepreneurs or individuals across a range of fields, such as sport, education, business, the arts and media. Gallantry awards recognising bravery can also be given to members of the armed forces and the emergency services, as well as civilians. Any member of the public or an official body can nominate someone for an honour, with UK nationals and Commonwealth citizens eligible. People living or working overseas, whose achievements were made in another country or in the UK and have a significant international element, can be nominated too. Non-British or Commonwealth country citizens can also be considered for 'honorary' awards. The suitability of nominees is submitted to the Honours and Appointments Secretariat, before a group of 10 independent honours committees, each covering a specialist subject area such as sport or health, consider them. The recommendations of these groups of independent experts and senior civil servants are passed on to the Prime Minister and, ultimately, the King for approval. The Prime Minister helps to decide on the honours (Image: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire) The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) oversees the Diplomatic Service and Overseas List. Honours are revealed twice a year, at New Year and in June on the King's official birthday. Ceremonies to award medals are held later, about 30 times a year, at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and, occasionally, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, and are hosted by senior royals. What MBE, OBE, CBE and others honours mean The honours ranking in descending order is as follows: Companions of Honour (CH) - for those who have made a long-standing contribution to arts, science, medicine or government Dame and Knights Grand Cross (GBE) - the highest rank in many of the orders Order of the Bath (GCB/KCB/DCB/CB) - recognises the work of senior military officials and civil servants Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG/KCMG/DCMG/CMG) - recognises service in a foreign country or in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs Knights and Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE/DBE) - typically for people who have made a major contribution at national level Knights Bachelor - an appointment, for men only, which originates from the medieval period Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) - for those who have a prominent but lesser role at national level or a leading role at regional level Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - those who have a major local role in any activity, including people whose work has made them known nationally Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) - recognises outstanding achievements or service to the community with a significant long-term impact British Empire Medal (BEM) - reintroduced in 2012 by the then-prime minister David Cameron as part of his bid to make the honours system 'classless', saying too few people making a difference in their areas were made MBEs. Who is on the King's Birthday Honours list? There are a number of famous faces recgonised in this year's King's Birthday Honours list. These include TV stars Claudia Winkleman and Strictly Come Dancing co-host Tess Daly, both awarded MBEs for services to broadcasting. Winkleman, 53, said she is "incredibly grateful" for honour. She added: 'It's a real privilege to work with extraordinarily talented people and I have only got this because of them. So this is for the BBC, the traitors and the faithful, for pianos and for the cha cha. 'I will buy a hat and am taking my mum. I am ridiculously lucky and will celebrate with Tess by doing a paso doble.' Various sports stars have been recognised too, including Sir David Beckham, and England darts players Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. David Beckham is set to receive a knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours list! 🎖️ — Sky Sports (@SkySports) June 6, 2025 Sir David, who has been in the running for a knighthood for more than a decade, said in a statement to the PA news agency: 'Growing up in east London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British, I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour. 'To have played for and captained my country was the greatest privilege of my career, and literally a boyhood dream come true. 'Off the pitch I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to represent Britain around the world and work with incredible organisations that are supporting communities in need and inspiring the next generation. Recommended reading: 'I'm so lucky to be able to do the work that I do and I'm grateful to be recognised for work that gives me so much fulfilment. 'It will take a little while for the news to sink in but I'm immensely proud and it's such an emotional moment for me to share with my family.' Other stars recognised include The Who singer Roger Daltrey, actor Gary Oldman and former MP Penny Mordaunt.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
The King's Birthday Honours: Who decides who gets what?
The release of the King's Birthday Honours provides an opportunity to celebrate individual outstanding achievements and contributions to British society. But who decides how honours are handed out, and what exactly do they recognise? Here The Herald takes a look at the inner workings of the honours system: - What are honours for? Honours as part of orders of chivalry have been given by monarchs since the Middle Ages. In recent times, the British honours system has recognised people who have "made achievements in public life" and "committed themselves to serving and helping Britain". It acknowledges long-term volunteers, innovators, entrepreneurs, individuals displaying "moral courage", those making a difference in their community or field of work or people improving life for others less able to help themselves. Honours are given to people involved in a range of fields, including sport, health, science and technology, education, business, and the arts and media. Gallantry awards recognising bravery can also be given to members of the armed forces and the emergency services, as well as civilians. - How are people nominated for honours? Any member of the public or an official body can nominate someone for an honour. UK nationals and citizens of 15 Commonwealth "realms" of which the King is head of state are eligible for nomination. People living or working overseas, whose achievements were made in another country or in the UK and have a significant international element, can be nominated too. Nominations are submitted to the Cabinet Office's Honours and Appointments Secretariat, which oversees the honours system. Non-British or Commonwealth country citizens can also considered for "honorary" awards. King Charles II (Image: Henry Nicholls/PA Wire) - Who approves nominations? Consideration of nominations can take 12 to 18 months. The suitability of nominees submitted to the Honours and Appointments Secretariat is established through "merit" and "probity and propriety" checks. This vetting process, to avoid bringing the system into "disrepute", can involve the input of Government departments, regulatory bodies, professional organisations, HM Revenue and Customs and the Acro Criminal Records Office. A group of 10 independent honours committees, each covering a specialist subject area such as sport or health, consider nominations. The recommendations of these groups of independent experts and senior civil servants are passed on to the Prime Minister and, ultimately, the King for approval. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) oversees the Diplomatic Service and Overseas List. - When are honours announced? Twice a year - at new year and in June on the King's official birthday. The lists are published in the official newspaper of the Crown, The Gazette. Once all recipients have been decided and checked, the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood at St James's Palace arranges investitures for the presentation of medals. These ceremonies, held about 30 times a year at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and, occasionally, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, and are hosted by senior royals. The Honours are a British tradition (Image: Henry Nicholls/PA Wire) - What are the types of honours? Lists typically comprise knights and dames, appointments to the Order of the British Empire and gallantry awards. The most senior ranks of the Order of the British Empire are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) and Knight or Dame Commander (KBE or DBE). These ranks permit the use of the title "Sir" for men and "Dame" for women, with the honour given to those who have made major contributions in any field, usually at a national level. - Companion of Honour (CH) - The honour recognises significant contributions to the arts, science, medicine or government over a long period of time. It is limited to just 65 people at any one time. - British Empire Medal (BEM) - Evolved from a medal associated with the creation of the Order of the British Empire, the BEM honours local community service that has made a significant difference. Honour recipients are appointed to one of the orders of chivalry made up of different ranks, with most appointments made to the Order of the British Empire. Others include the Royal Victorian Order (RVO), to which the King personally appoints people for services to the British sovereign. The Order of the Bath is for senior civil servants and military officers, while the Order of St Michael and St George recognises service in a foreign country, or in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs.
