Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Classes

The six classes of appointment to the order are, from highest to lowest:

Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE);

Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE or DBE);

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE);

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE);

Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE);

Recipient of the British Empire Medal (BEM).

The two highest ranks, Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander, entitle the holder to use the title Sir or Dame before their forename, except in the case of honorary appointments.

History

King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system:

The Orders of the Garter, the Thistle and St Patrick honoured royals, peers, statesmen and eminent military commanders;

The Order of the Bath honoured senior military officers and civil servants;

The Order of St Michael and St George honoured diplomats and colonial officials;

The Order of the Star of India and the Order of the Indian Empire honoured Indian rulers and British and Indian officials of the British Indian Empire; and

The Royal Victorian Order, in the personal gift of the monarch, honoured those who had personally served the royal family.

In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War.

From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and was open to both men and women; provision was also made for conferring honorary appointments on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower appointment granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium, as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as a GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the conferral of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker.

The order had been established primarily as being for civilians; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of appointments were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to the order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920, appointment as an MBE "for an act of gallantry" was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from a burning building containing explosives.

Composition

The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to the numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders.

From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of the junior post-nominal letters.

Sovereign and Grand Master

The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of the same Order').

Officers

In addition to the sovereign and the grand master, the order has six officers:

Prelate: Bishop of London, vacant

Dean: Dean of St Paul's (ex officio), The Very Rev. Andrew Tremlett

Secretary: Secretary of the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Segrave

Registrar: Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service, Dame Antonia Romeo

King of Arms: Lieutenant General Sir Simon Mayall

Lady Usher of the Purple Rod: Dame Amelia Fawcett

At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922, the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary: the former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957.

The King of Arms is not a member of the College of Arms, as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords.

Commonwealth awards

Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals.

Following the creation of the Order of Australia in 1975, the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia ceased finally to make recommendations for the Order of the British Empire in 1983, though various Australian state governments continued to make recommendations up to the 1989 New Year Honours.

The Government of New Zealand ceased to make recommendations to the Order of the British Empire with the creation of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996.

A number of Commonwealth realms and territories continue to make recommendations for appointments to the Order of the British Empire. In 2025–2026, appointments to the order were made by the governments of:

Antigua and Barbuda

The Bahamas

Belize

Cook Islands

Grenada

Papua New Guinea

Saint Christopher and Nevis

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Lucia

Solomon Islands

Tuvalu

Honorary awards

Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or other Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame. Honorary appointees who later become a citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order.

Gallantry awards

Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach the standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear). In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry.

Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously, and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade.

Insignia

When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929, mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of the highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937.

Badge

The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within a circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and a gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver.

Riband

From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on a broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder.

Star

An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to the left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of "four equal points and four lesser". The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ("For God and the Empire"); since 1937, the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within the circlet.

Mantles and collars

In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars.

The mantle is a cloak-like garment of rose-pink satin lined with pearl-grey silk (prior to 1937 it was of purple satin). On the left side is a representation of the star of the order (as pictured below).

Initially a purple plumed hat was also provided to be worn with the mantle; in 1937, the colour of the hat was changed to black.

The collar is made of gold. It consists of six medallions depicting the Royal Arms, alternating with six medallions depicting the Royal and Imperial Cypher of George V (GRI, which stands for "Georgius Rex Imperator"). The medallions are linked with gold cables depicting 'sea-lions' and crowns. When collars are worn the badge is suspended from the collar.

Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations). The mantle is always worn with the collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years.

On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as "collar days", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office.

Collars are returned upon the death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained.

The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey silk mantles lined with rose-pink satin, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck.

Chapel

The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral. It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of the British Empire. Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George. Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services.

Precedence and privileges

Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir, and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame, to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when the names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England and the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained), as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use the title Dame.

Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM.

Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence. Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of the Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges.

Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters. They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of the latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet.

Current Knights and Dames Grand Cross

Honorary Knights and Dames Grand Cross

See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire

Forfeiture

Only the monarch can annul an honour, based on recommendations from the Honours Forfeiture Committee, which considers cases such as criminal convictions or actions that bring the honours system into disrepute. An individual can symbolically renounce their honour by returning the insignia to Buckingham Palace and ceasing to reference their title. However, the honour remains officially held unless formally annulled by the monarch.

For instance, John Lennon returned his MBE insignia in 1969 as a form of protest, but the honour was not formally annulled and remained officially in place.

People who declined Order of the British Empire honours

In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie, John Cleese, Nigella Lawson, Elgar Howarth, L. S. Lowry, George Melly, and J. G. Ballard. In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to the honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade".

The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having a connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire. Benjamin Zephaniah, a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted that the word "empire" reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality – it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised".

The author C. S. Lewis (1898–1963) was named on the last list of honours by George VI in December 1951. Despite being a monarchist, he declined in order to avoid association with any political issues.

In 2019, comedian John Oliver turned down an offer of appointment as an OBE, which would have been part of the Queen's New Year Honours list, later saying: "Why on Earth would I want that?".

The members of the rock band The Beatles were appointed Members in 1965. John Lennon justified his investiture by comparing military membership in the Order: "Lots of people who complained about us receiving the MBE [status] received theirs for heroism in the war – for killing people ... We received ours for entertaining other people. I'd say we deserve ours more". Lennon later returned his MBE insignia on 25 November 1969, as part of his ongoing peace protests.

Other criticism centres on the view that many recipients of the Order are being rewarded with honours for simply doing their jobs; critics say that the Civil Service and Judiciary receive far more orders and honours than leaders of other professions.

Chin Peng, a veteran guerrilla fighter of the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army, was appointed as an Officer for his role in fighting against the Japanese occupation of Malaya during World War II, in close co-operation with the British commando Force 136. Several years after the war, his OBE membership was withdrawn by the British government (and became undesirable to Chin Peng himself) when the Communist leader headed his party's guerrilla insurgency against the British Empire during the Malayan Emergency.