Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The United Kingdom and its overseas territories give out special awards called honours. These awards recognize people for their bravery, achievements, or service. There are three main types of awards:

Honours are for great achievements and service to the country.
Decorations are for specific brave actions.
Medals are for serving in a particular operation, for long service, or for good behavior.

The names of people who receive these awards are usually printed in The London Gazette, which is an official newspaper.

A Quick Look Back

Long ago, Anglo-Saxon monarchs gave out rings and other gifts to loyal people. But it was the Normans who brought in knighthoods as part of their government system. The very first English order of chivalry, the Order of the Garter, was started in 1348 by Edward III. Over time, the system has changed to recognize different kinds of service to the UK.

Modern Awards

The King or Queen is seen as the "fount of honour," meaning they are the source of all honours. However, how people are chosen for these awards has changed a lot. Many different orders of knighthood have been created. There are also awards for military service, bravery, and other achievements, which are called decorations or medals.

Most medals are not ranked. Each one is for a specific service. So, there are clear rules about who can get them. These rules might include how long someone served or where they served. Medals are usually not given out by the King or Queen directly. A full list of how to wear them is published in the London Gazette.

Types of Honours

Honours are divided into groups called "orders." They are also ranked to show different levels of achievement or service. Committees made of government officials and regular citizens review the nominations. They meet twice a year to suggest who should get an honour from the King.

New Year and Birthday Honours

About 1,350 names are announced twice a year. This happens at the New Year and on the King's official birthday. Sometimes, people disagree with the choices, as decisions can be a bit personal.

People are suggested for honours by public groups, government offices, or even by regular citizens. The honours committee sends their choices to the Prime Minister or other top government officials for approval. Then, the King gives the final approval.

Some honours are chosen only by the King. These include awards like the Order of the Garter and the Order of the Thistle. The awards are then given out by the King or his representatives. These ceremonies, called investitures, happen at places like Buckingham Palace. Prince William and Princess Anne often help with these ceremonies.

Special Honours

Special Honours can be given out by the King at any time. These are awards given outside the regular New Years Honours and Birthday Honours lists.

Current Orders of Chivalry

The current system has six orders of chivalry and four orders of merit. Each order has its own rules about how many members it can have. They also have rules about what post-nominal letters (letters after your name) you can use and what the awards look like. These orders are listed by when they were created.

Complete name	Ranks (letters)	Established	Founder	Motto	Awarded to/for/by
Most Noble Order of the Garter	Knight Companion (KG) Lady Companion (LG)	23 April 1348	King Edward III	Honi soit qui mal y pense ('Shame upon him who thinks evil of it')	For people connected to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The King chooses these people himself.
Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle	Knight (KT) Lady (LT)	29 May 1687	King James VII & II	Nemo me impune lacessit ('No one provokes me with impunity')	For people connected to Scotland. The King chooses these people himself.
Most Honourable Order of the Bath	Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GCB) Knight/Dame Commander (KCB/DCB) Companion (CB)	18 May 1725	King George I	Tria iuncta in uno ('Three joined in one')	For senior government workers (civil division) and senior military officers (military division). The King makes appointments based on government advice.
Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George	Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GCMG) Knight/Dame Commander (KCMG/DCMG) Companion (CMG)	28 April 1818	George, Prince Regent	Auspicium melioris ævi ('Token of a better age')	For diplomats and colonial service. The King makes appointments based on government advice.
Distinguished Service Order	Companion (DSO) - plus bars	6 September 1886	Queen Victoria		For military officers who show leadership during active service. The King makes appointments based on government advice.
Royal Victorian Order	Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GCVO) Knight/Dame Commander (KCVO/DCVO) Commander (CVO) Lieutenant (LVO) Member (MVO)	21 April 1896	Queen Victoria	Victoria ('Victory')	For services to the Crown (the Royal Family). The King chooses these people himself.
Order of Merit	Member (OM)	23 June 1902	King Edward VII	'For merit'	For achievements in military, science, art, literature, and culture. Limited to 24 members. The King personally appoints them.
Imperial Service Order	Companion (ISO)	8 August 1902	King Edward VII	'For faithful service'	For civil servants with 25 years of service.
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire	Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight/Dame Commander (KBE/DBE) Commander (CBE) Officer (OBE) Member (MBE)	4 June 1917	King George V	'For God and the Empire'	For many different types of service (military and civilian). The King makes appointments based on government advice.
Order of the Companions of Honour	Member (CH)	4 June 1917	King George V	'In action faithful and in honour clear'	For achievements in arts, science, politics, industry, and religion. The King makes appointments based on government advice.

Orders No Longer Active

Some orders were created for specific reasons that no longer exist. Many stopped being used as the British Empire became smaller. For example, the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded in the UK for a while in 1993, but it was brought back in 2012.

Order of St Patrick

Complete name	Ranks (letters)	Ribbon	Established	Founder	Motto	Awarded to/for
Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick	Knight (KP)		17 March 1783	King George III	Quis separabit? ('Who will separate us?')	For people connected to Ireland.

The Order of St Patrick was started in 1783 for the Kingdom of Ireland. After Ireland became independent in 1922, only members of the royal family were appointed. The last person to be appointed was in 1936. The order still technically exists but is not used.

Imperial Orders

Complete name	Ranks (letters)	Established	Founder	Motto	Awarded to/for
Most Exalted Order of the Star of India	Knight Grand Commander (GCSI) Knight Commander (KCSI) Companion (CSI)	25 June 1861	Queen Victoria	'Heaven's light our guide'	For Indian rulers, British officials, and military officers in India.
Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire	Knight Grand Commander (GCIE) Knight Commander (KCIE) Companion (CIE)	1 January 1878	Queen Victoria	Imperatricis auspiciis ('Under the auspices of the Empress')	For Indian rulers, British officials, and military officers in India.
Imperial Order of the Crown of India	Companion (CI)	1 January 1878	Queen Victoria		For British Princesses, wives of Indian Princes, and wives of important British officials in India.
Order of Burma	Member (OB)	10 May 1940	King George VI		For long and faithful service by members of certain armed forces in Burma.

These orders were connected to the British Raj (British rule in India) or the British Indian Empire. They are also no longer active. The Order of the Star of India was for important British and Indian leaders. The Order of the Indian Empire was similar. The Order of the Crown of India was only for women. When India became independent in 1947, no more appointments were made to these orders.

The Order of Burma was created in 1940 for people in the British colony of Burma. It was for long and faithful service by military and police. It was very rare, with only 33 people receiving it before Burma became independent in 1948.

Decorations

Here are some important decorations, listed in the order they should be worn:

Complete name	Post-nominal letters	Ribbon	Established	Founder	Awarded to/for
Victoria Cross	VC		29 January 1856	Queen Victoria	For extreme bravery or self-sacrifice by military personnel in the presence of the enemy.
George Cross	GC		24 September 1940	King George VI	For acts of great heroism or courage in very dangerous situations, for civilians and military not facing the enemy.
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross	CGC		October 1993	Queen Elizabeth II	For acts of clear bravery during active operations against the enemy.
Royal Red Cross, Class I	RRC		27 April 1883	Queen Victoria	For exceptional services in military nursing.
Distinguished Service Cross	DSC		15 June 1901	King Edward VII	For bravery by forces at sea during active operations against the enemy.
Military Cross	MC		28 December 1914	King George V	For bravery by forces on land during active operations against the enemy.
Distinguished Flying Cross	DFC		3 June 1918	King George V	For bravery by forces in the air during active operations against the enemy.
Air Force Cross	AFC		3 June 1918	King George V	For bravery while flying, but not during active operations against the enemy.
Royal Red Cross, Class II (Associate)	ARRC		November 1915	King George V	For exceptional services in military nursing.
Order of British India	OBI	1837–1838 Original ribbon 1838–1939 Second ribbon 1939–1947 First Class 1939–1947 Second Class	17 April 1837 Not awarded since 1947.	East India Company	For "long, faithful and honourable service."
Indian Order of Merit	IOM		1 May 1837 Not awarded since 1947.	East India Company	For bravery by Indian armed forces and civilians.
Kaisar-i-Hind Medal			10 April 1900 Not awarded since 1947.	Queen Victoria	For distinguished service to the British Raj by civilians of any nationality.
Indian Distinguished Service Medal	IDSM		25 June 1907 Not awarded since 1947.	King Edward VII	For Indian armed forces and police.

In 2009, the Elizabeth Cross was created. It is a special award given to the families of armed forces members who died in action or from terrorist attacks since World War II.

Other Awards

Hereditary Peerage

There are five ranks of hereditary peerage: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. Until the mid-1900s, these titles were usually passed down through families. For a long time, people with these titles could sit in the House of Lords, part of the UK Parliament.

Today, hereditary peerages are usually only given to members of the Royal Family. For example, Prince Edward became the Earl of Wessex when he married. Prince William became the Duke of Cambridge before his wedding.

Hereditary peerages cannot usually be taken away easily. They can only be removed by a special Act of Parliament. A person can also choose to give up their peerage for their lifetime.

Life Peerage

Modern life peerages were introduced in 1876. At first, they were only for senior judges, so they could share their legal knowledge in the House of Lords. These titles only last for the person's lifetime and are not passed on to their children.

Since 1958, life peerages have become the normal way to create new peers outside the Royal Family. People with life peerages automatically have the right to sit in the House of Lords. All life peers hold the rank of baron. Their children can use certain courtesy titles. Some life peerages are given for great achievements, while others are for people to work as lawmakers.

Baronetcy

A baronetcy is the lowest hereditary title in the UK. It gives the holder the title "Sir." It is below a Barony but above most knighthoods. Baronetcies are not peerages. When a baronet dies, their heir must register to use the title "Sir."

Like hereditary peerages, baronetcies are rarely given out now. One recent exception was in 1990 for Margaret Thatcher's husband, Sir Denis Thatcher.

Knighthood

Ribbon of a Knight Bachelor

Knights come from the old tradition of chivalry. They can be part of the orders of chivalry or be "Knights Bachelor." High Court judges often receive knighthoods. A knighthood gives a man the title "Sir." The female equivalent is "Dame," which is usually given within the orders of chivalry, like Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).

Order of St John

Ribbon of the Order of St John

Members of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem can wear their order's badges. However, being a member of this order does not give you an official rank in the order of precedence. Also, if you are knighted in this order, you do not get the title "Sir" or "Dame."

British Honours in the Commonwealth

For a long time, the British honours system was used across the British Empire. Today, British honours are still given to citizens of Commonwealth realms (countries where the King is still head of state) and British Overseas Territories.

Some Commonwealth countries, like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, have created their own honours systems. For example, Canada stopped giving out British titles like knighthoods to its citizens in 1955. In 1967, Canada started its own Order of Canada. Australia and New Zealand also created their own systems in the 1970s and 1990s.

Other Commonwealth countries, like Jamaica and Belize, have also started their own honours systems. However, some countries, like the Bahamas, still mainly use the British honours system.

Even if a country has its own system, a citizen might still receive a British honour if they do something important for the UK government.

Honorary Awards

People from countries where the King is not their head of state can sometimes receive "honorary" awards. If they receive an honorary knighthood, they can use the letters after their name but cannot call themselves "Sir." For example, Billy Graham and Bill Gates received honorary knighthoods.

If someone with an honorary award later becomes a British citizen, they can apply to have their award changed to a full one. Then, they can use the title "Sir" or "Dame." For example, Yehudi Menuhin was an American violinist who became "Sir Yehudi" after he became a British citizen.

Bob Geldof is often mistakenly called "Sir Bob." However, he is a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, so his knighthood is honorary, and he cannot use the title "Sir."

Ceremony

Each year, about 2,600 people receive their awards in person from the King or another member of the Royal Family. Most of these ceremonies, called investitures, happen at Buckingham Palace. Some also take place at Windsor Castle or the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland.

During the ceremony, the King or his representative enters the room. An official announces the name of each person and what they are being honored for. The King is given a short background about each person as they come forward.

Men who are being knighted kneel to receive the award. The King touches them on the shoulders with a sword. Only men are knighted. Women receive their honours standing, just like men receiving decorations or medals, even if they are becoming a "Dame."

Sometimes, an award for bravery is given after someone has died. In these cases, the King gives the award to the person's family in private before the main ceremony. The Elizabeth Cross was created for this special purpose.

After the ceremony, those who received awards are photographed with their honours. Sometimes, famous people who have been honored are interviewed by the press.

Refusal

People can refuse an honour. In 2003, a newspaper reported that almost 300 people had turned down an honour between 1951 and 1999. By 2020, the number of people refusing honours had more than doubled.

Some famous examples of people who declined honours include:

Neville Chamberlain, a former Prime Minister, declined an earldom.
Winston Churchill, another former Prime Minister, declined a dukedom.
John Cleese, an actor, declined a CBE and later a life peerage.
T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) declined a knighthood.
David Bowie, the musician, declined a knighthood.
Stephen Hawking, the physicist, reportedly turned down a knighthood because he "does not like titles."
Benjamin Zephaniah, a poet, declined an OBE, saying it was linked to colonialism.
George Bernard Shaw, a writer, declined an Order of Merit.
Honor Blackman, an actress, declined a CBE because she was a republican.
John Lennon returned his MBE in 1969.

Revocation

Honours can sometimes be taken away, or "revoked." This often happens if someone who received an honour is later found guilty of a serious crime. A special committee looks at cases where someone might not be suitable to hold an award anymore. The King has the final say on whether an honour is taken away.

Here are some well-known examples of honours being revoked:

Kaiser Wilhelm II lost his knighthood at the start of World War I.
Roger Casement lost his knighthood after being found guilty of treason in 1916.
Benito Mussolini was stripped of his honorary knighthood when Italy went to war with the UK.
Anthony Blunt, an art expert, lost his knighthood when it was revealed he was a spy.
Robert Mugabe, a former leader, had his knighthood taken away due to problems in Zimbabwe.
Fred Goodwin, a former bank CEO, had his knighthood removed after his bank's failure.

Order of Wear

Honours, decorations, and medals are arranged in a specific "Order of Wear." This is an official list that shows the correct order to wear them. The list is updated when needed. The Victoria Cross and George Cross are at the very top. Then come the orders of knighthood, listed by when they were created.

People with a higher rank in an order come before those with a lower rank. If people have the same rank, those from a higher-ranked Order come first.

How to Address People

For baronets, the style is "Sir John Smith, Bt." Their wives are called "Lady Smith." A female baronet is "Dame Jane Smith, Btss."

For knights, the style is "Sir John Smith" followed by any special letters. Their wives are called "Lady Smith." A dame is called "Dame Jane Smith" followed by her special letters. When speaking to them, you would say "Sir John" or "Dame Joan."

People who receive medals or other decorations do not get the title "Sir" or "Dame." But they can put special letters after their name, like "John Smith, VC."

Changes Over Time

The honours system changes from time to time. In 1925, a review happened because some people were found to be selling honours. Selling British Honours is now against the law.

In 1993, big changes were made to make the system more about merit and achievement. This also made it easier for regular people to nominate others for honours. There is now more focus on recognizing people who do volunteer work.

Reviews of the system happen regularly to make sure it is fair and reflects the diversity of British society. A special process was even created during the COVID-19 pandemic to recognize people who helped during that time.