Order of the British Empire. Notable Officers of the Order of the British Empire Awards of the British Empire

31.03.202427.05.2017

original name Motto Type Status

awarded

Statistics Establishment date Sequence Senior Award Junior Award

varies depending on class

Most Excellent Order of the British Empire(English) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire ) - an order of knighthood created by the British King George V on June 4, 1917. The Order consists of five classes of civil and military divisions (in descending order of seniority):

Knight Grand Cross(GBE) Knight Grand Cross) or Dame Grand Cross(GBE) Dame Grand Cross)
Knight Commander(KBE) Knight Commander) or Lady Commander(DBE) Dame Commander)
Commander(CBE) Commander)
Officer(OBE) Officer)
Cavalier (member)(MBE) Member)

Holders of only the first two ranks are eligible for knighthood.

There is also a British Empire Medal, the recipients of which are not members of the Order, but are associates of the Order. In Great Britain the medal is no longer awarded, but in some colonial possessions and Commonwealth states the awards continue.

The motto of the Order is “ For God and the Empire"(For God and Empire). This is the most junior order in the British awards system; at the same time, it has the largest number of members.

Story

Star of the Order of the British Empire

Ribbons of the Order of the British Empire (civil above, military below)

The Order was founded by George V to fill a gap in the British honors system: the Order of the Bath was given only to senior military officers and civil servants, the Order of St Michael and St George to diplomats, and the Royal Victorian Order to those who served the royal family personally. In particular, George V considered it necessary to reward several thousand who served in non-combat units during the First World War. At first the Order included only one division; shortly after its founding, in 1918 it was divided into military and civilian divisions. The Order of the British Empire is more democratic in nature than the Order of the Bath and the Order of Saints Michael and George, and was not highly valued in the beginning. Over the years the situation has changed.

Compound

The Charter of the Order provides for a limit of 100 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dame Commanders and 8960 Commanders. There is no limit on the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be awarded in a year. By custom, upon their appointment, female judges of the High Court of England and Wales become Dame Commanders and male judges become Knight Bachelors.

Badge of the officers of the order

Most Knight Commanders of the Order are honorary members or British subjects living abroad, and only a small proportion are residents of the United Kingdom. On the other hand, the degree of Dame Commander is the most common award in the British honors system and is awarded in cases where men receive the rank of Knight Bachelor.

Most members of the Order are subjects of Great Britain or other Commonwealth states. Citizens of other countries can be admitted to the Order as "honorary members" (and can become full members if they take British citizenship).

At the founding of the Order, the “Medal of the Order of the British Empire” was introduced (renamed the “British Empire Medal” in 1922). Recipients of the medal are not members of the Order and are also divided into civilian and military divisions. Only junior government and military officials are awarded the medal; senior officials are immediately admitted to the Order. The award of the medal has not been recommended by the UK Government since 1992, however some Commonwealth states continue to award the medal.

The Order has six offices: prelate, deacon, secretary, registrar, herald and gatekeeper. The Bishop of London, the senior bishop in the Church of England, is a prelate of the Order. Deacon of St. Paul - ex officio ( ex officio) deacon of the Order. The order's herald is not a member of the heraldic college, like other heraldic officers. The Doorkeeper of the Order is called the "Gentleman Gatekeeper of the Purple Rod"; he does not sit in the House of Lords.

Badges of the order

Robes and decoration

Robe of the Order

Obverse and reverse of the badge of members of the order

At important events (such as coronations and order services), members of the Order wear costumes depending on their rank (the appearance has undergone significant changes in). The badge of the order is worn on the left side of the chest.

On certain "collar days" specified by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the Order's collar on their military uniform or evening wear. When collars are worn, the badge of the Order is worn on the collar. After the death of the owner, the collars are returned, but other insignia remain.

Chapel

The Order's chapel is at the far eastern end of the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, but large services are held in the main section of the cathedral (the Cathedral also houses the chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George). Religious services for the entire Order are held every four years; at this service new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are announced. The chapel was dedicated in 1960.

Seniority and privileges

An example of the placement of the Order of the British Empire on a coat of arms

All members of the Order have their place in order of precedence. Seniority is also established for the wives of members of the Order of all classes, sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knight Commanders. There is no order of precedence for relatives of wives of members of the order.

Knights Grand Cross and Knight Commanders bear the title "Sir", and Dames Grand Cross and Dame Commanders bear the title "Dame" before their personal names. Wives of knights can add “Lady” to their surname; there is no such rule for the husbands of titled ladies. These titles are not used by members of the order if they are also peers or princes, other than writing their names in their fullest form. Honorary members and clerics are not knighted.

Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dame Commanders who are not subjects of the Queen are so-called. "honorary" members and may not use the prefix "sir" or "lady", but may use abbreviations after their names.

For example, Bill Gates, who was awarded the title of Knight Commander of the British Empire, did not receive the right to be titled "Sir William" or "Sir William Gates III", but may be written "William Henry Gates III, KBE".

A Guide to the British Awards System

What is the British award system and what do the numerous abbreviations of the names of insignia and medals that are often heard in English mean? Friends, you ask these questions in your letters to the Learn English section.

The British Honors System is a means of rewarding personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. The system consists of honors, medals and awards. Candidates for certain titles or awards are usually nominated by British public organizations, individuals or government departments. Recommendations regarding candidates are sent to the country's Prime Minister, who in turn submits candidates for final approval by the Queen. Applicants for honorary awards from among foreign citizens are represented by the Minister for the Affairs of the Commonwealth of Nations. Some honors, titles and awards are bestowed exclusively by the monarch.

At one time, a number of orders of chivalry were created in Britain, along with awards for military service, bravery, merit and achievement, which took the form of awards and medals.

Here are some of them:

Order of the Garter

(The Order of the Garter)

The highest English order of chivalry, established between 1344 and 1351.

The origin of the order is surrounded by numerous legends. One of them talks about the Countess of Salisbury, the mistress of King Edward III.

One day, while dancing with him at a ball, the Countess dropped her garter. The monarch picked it up and handed it to its owner. Hearing the chuckles of the courtiers, the king exclaimed in anger, “Shame on the one who thought badly about this!” and immediately announced the creation of the order. The royal phrase became his motto.

The Order of the Garter is the oldest order in the world. Its participants can be members of the British royal family and foreign monarchs.

Membership in the order is granted personally by the Sovereign (British monarch).

The equivalent of the Order of the Garter in Scotland is the Order of the Thistle, in Ireland - the Order of St. Patrick.

Order of the Bath

(The Order of the Bath)

A British order of chivalry established by King George I in 1725.

The name of the order comes from an ancient rite in which applicants were subjected to an all-night vigil of fasting, prayer and bathing on the eve of receiving knighthood.

The Order consists of a Sovereign, a Grand Master and three classes:

Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCB)
Knight or Dame Commander (KCB/DCB)
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (Companion (CB))

The Order of the Bath was founded as a military order of chivalry. Currently, its knights belong to either the civilian or military division.

Ordinary membership of the order is limited to citizens of the United Kingdom or countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Foreigners from non-Commonwealth states may be honorary members of the order.

Victoria Cross

(The Victoria Cross (VC))

The highest award for bravery that can be awarded to citizens of Great Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations.

Established by Queen Victoria in 1856.

Victoria Crosses are made from bronze melted down from Russian cannons captured by the British as trophies during the Crimean War of 1853-1856.

You can receive a cross only for a feat performed under enemy fire.

The fact of the feat must be confirmed by at least three witnesses.

Order of Distinguished Service

(The Distinguished Service Order (DSO))

Award for British soldiers who distinguished themselves on the battlefield.

Established by Queen Victoria in 1886.

Royal Victorian Order

(The Royal Victorian Order)

In 1896, when the British government had almost complete control over the distribution of awards in the country, Queen Victoria decided to establish the order, which became the personal award of the Sovereign.

The Order consists of five classes:

Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCVO)
Knight or Dame Commander (KCVO or DCVO)
Commander of the Victorian Order (CVO)
Lieutenant of the Victorian Order (LVO)
Member of the Victorian Order (Member (MVO))

Membership in the order is granted to persons who have rendered personal service to the Sovereign.

Distinguished Service Cross

(The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC))

Established in 1901.

The cross, cast in silver, is awarded to citizens of Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations who bravely fight the enemy during military operations at sea.

Distinguished Service Medal

(The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM))

Established in 1914.

The medal recognizes the merits of British Navy personnel during their service.

Order of the British Empire

(The Order of the British Empire)

King George V founded this order of chivalry in 1917 to fill gaps that existed in the British honors system at the beginning of the 20th century.

In particular, the monarch wanted to reward the British who served on the home front during the First World War.

The Order includes five classes of civil and military divisions (in descending order of seniority):

Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GBE)
Knight or Dame Commander (KBE/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 (Member (MBE))

Only the first two ranks are knightly.

Knights Grand Cross and Knight Commanders add the prefix Sir, and Dames Grand Cross and Dame Commanders add the prefix Dame to their names.

Distinguished Flying Cross

(The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC))

Established in 1918.

The Cross is awarded to Royal Air Force personnel for courage and devotion to duty while on duty.

About noble titles

Hereditary Peerage

Peer is a title of the highest nobility, which is created by the monarch.

There are five ranks of hereditary peerage:

duke
marquis
earl
viscount
baron

Currently, hereditary peerages are created, as a rule, for members of the royal family.

Life Peerage

This title, like the hereditary peerage, is granted by the monarch.

Life peers can become members of the House of Lords of the British Parliament.

A life peerage cannot be inherited.

Baronetage

Baronet is an inherited noble title.

A baronetcy is not a type of peerage and does not give the holder of the title a seat in the House of Lords.

From December 1964 to the present, the title of baronet in Britain has been created only for Margaret Thatcher's husband, Sir Denis Thatcher. After his death in 2003, Denis and Margaret's eldest son, Mark Thatcher, inherited his father's title

British Honors System- a means of rewarding personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. The system consists of three types of awards: honors, medals and awards.

- Honors- to recognize virtues in terms of achievement and service;

- Medals- to recognize bravery, long and/or valuable service, and/or good behavior;

- Award badges usually given for specific cases.

Lost in translation

The main role of honors is not so much the award of someone who has distinguished themselves, but rather the formal recognition of merit (by the Sovereign or the estate). Honor is not synonymous with honesty, but synonymous with a good reputation for business qualities. Each class has its own concepts of honor and honors.

Short story

Although Anglo-Saxon kings were known to reward their loyal men with rings and other signs of respect, it was only the Normans who introduced knighthood as part of their feudal rule. The first English order of chivalry, the Order of the Garter was created in 1348 by Edward III, King of England. Since then the system has been modified to meet the need to allocate other forms of service to England (later Great Britain and the United Kingdom). Various orders of chivalry were created along with awards for military service, bravery, merit and achievement.

Modern honors

As head of state, the Sovereign remains the "source of honour", but the system of determining candidates for awards has changed significantly over time. Various orders of chivalry (see below) were created, along with awards for military service, bravery, merit and achievement, which took the form of decorations and medals.

Medals generally do not have degrees. Each is awarded for a specific service, and usually has specific criteria that must be met. These criteria may include a time period and often indicate a specific geographic region. Medals are not usually issued by the Sovereign. A full list of honorees is printed in a "wearing order" sometimes published by the London Gazette.

Honors are divided into classes ("orders") and degrees to distinguish greater or lesser degrees of achievement. There are no criteria for determining these levels; this is usually accomplished by committees of various honors meeting and deciding which candidates deserve which type of awards and which degree. Because their decisions are inevitably subjective, award lists often attract criticism from those who are strongly opposed to certain cases. Candidates are nominated by public or private organizations, by government departments, or by ordinary citizens. Depending on their roles, the people selected by the committees are submitted to either the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State or the Secretary of State for Defense for approval before being sent to the Sovereign for final approval. Some honors are given purely at the discretion of the Sovereign.

The full list of approximately 1,350 names is printed twice a year, on New Year's Day and on the Sovereign's (official) birthday. The awards are then presented by the Sovereign or the Prince of Wales at a presentation ceremony.

Refusal or revocation

A small number of people have declined the offer of rewards, usually for personal reasons. Honors are sometimes removed (withdrawn) if the recipient commits a criminal offence, for example, the rank of Officer of the Order of the British Empire was stripped from Kim Philby in 1965.

Modern orders of chivalry

The modern honor system consists of 10 cavalry orders. Each has its own degrees and some have associated medals, as can be seen in the articles below (listed in descending order of honor):

Order of the Garter (founded 1348)
Order of the Thistle (1687)
Order of the Bath (1725)
Order of St Michael and St George (Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, 1818)
Distinguished Service Order, 1886
Royal Victorian Order, 1896
Order of Merit, 1902
Imperial Service Order, 1903
Order of the British Empire (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 1917)
Order of the Companions of Honor, 1917

The statutes of each order specify the size of the order, the use of letters after the name, and the type and wearing of insignia. Except for the Order of Imperial Service, all orders have their own letters after the name.

Old orders of chivalry

Orders were created at certain times for certain purposes. In some cases the reasons were no longer valid and the orders fell into oblivion, mainly due to the fall of the British Empire in the twentieth century. Reforms of the system also led to changes, for example, the Order of the British Empire was no longer awarded in the UK in 1993, as well as the Order of the Imperial Service (although medals are still given). They were thought to maintain class distinctions.

Most Illustrious Order of St. Patrick

Founded in 1783, the single-grade order ceased to be used after Irish independence. The last living knight, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, died in 1974.

Royal Guelph Order

Also known as the Hanoverian Guelph Order, a three-class honor, was founded in 1815 and awards were made in military and civilian categories. The UK was occasionally used until 1837, when the death of William IV ended the personal union with Hanover.

Indian Orders

Most Exalted Order of the Star of India (founded 1861)
Most Excellent Order of the Indian Empire (1878)
Imperial Order of the Indian Crown (1878)

These orders belonged to the British Raj (rule) and are now also lifeless. The senior order, the Indian Star, is divided into three grades, Knight Grand Commander, Knight Commander and Fellow, of which the first was awarded to princes and chiefs of Indian states, as well as to important British civil servants in India. Women were not allowed to receive awards. The junior order, the Indian Empire, was divided into the same ranks and also excluded women. The third order, the Crown of India, was used exclusively for women. Its members, of one level, consisted of wives and close relatives: - Indian princes and leaders; - Viceroy or Governor General; - Governors of Bombay, Madras and Bengal; - Chief Secretary of State for India; - Commander-in-Chief of India. After India gained independence in 1947, admission to these orders was discontinued.

Insignia

British insignia, in order of wear:
Victorian Cross (VC)
George's Cross (Britain) (GC)
Cross for Conspicuous Gallantry (CGC)
Royal Red Cross 1st Class (RRC)
George Medal (Britain) (GM)
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) (DSC)
Military Cross (MC)
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Sea Gallantry Medal (SGM)
Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM)
Air Force Cross (AFC)
Royal Red Cross 2nd Class (RRC)
Order of British India (OBI)
Kaiser-i-Hind Medal.

The last two have not been issued since 1947.

Other honors

Hereditary peerage

There are five ranks of hereditary peerage: Earl, Marquess, Duke, Viscount and Baron. Until the 19th century, all peerages were hereditary.

The hereditary peerage is currently granted, as a rule, only to members of the royal family (the most recent grant was to the Queen’s youngest son, the Duke of Wessex, upon his marriage in 1999. In the second half of the 20th century, several times, as an exception, the hereditary peerage was granted to persons of non-noble origin : on the initiative of Margaret Thatcher, in 1983, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, George Thomas, became Viscount Tonypandy, and his deputy, William Whitelaw, became Viscount Whitelaw; however, both had no sons, so both titles ceased to exist with the death of those granted the title. Earl of Stockton was granted shortly before the death of former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan - this honor was once traditional for former prime ministers. Since then, the hereditary peerage has not been complained about, and her own title of Baroness Thatcher is for life.

Life peerage

In the practice of ancient England, the sovereign limited the right of a peer to transfer a title or to sit in Parliament, but by the 19th century this practice had fallen out of use; According to the legal precedent in the case of Lord Wensleydale (1856), the sovereign could not by patent alone give such a life peer the right to sit with hereditary peers without the consent of Parliament.

The modern life peerage was introduced by the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876, which regulated the judicial appellate functions of the House of Lords. According to the act, life peerages were assigned to the so-called “lords of law” - professional lawyers whose duty was to sit on the Appeal Committee of the House of Lords, without participating in the meetings of the House. This rule was abolished in 1958 by the Life Peerage Act, which allowed professional politicians ("serving peers") and particularly distinguished public and cultural figures to sit in the House of Lords; as a result, the conferment of hereditary titles became very rare and was limited mainly to members of the royal family, which practically became a reform of the peerage; gradually the rights of hereditary peers were greatly limited, including the abolition of the automatic right to sit in Parliament.

Life peers are given the title of Baron, which is valid for life and is not passed on to heirs (however, children of life peers use the same honorary titles as children of hereditary peers.

Baronetcy

Hereditary honor with the title Sir. A baronetcy is not a peerage, but is usually considered a type of knighthood. Like hereditary peerages (above), baronets ceased to be granted after Labour's rise to power in 1964. The only exception was for Margaret Thatcher's husband, Denis, in 1991.

Chivalry

Descended from the medieval cavaliers, knights exist in cavalier orders and in a class known as knight bachelors. Regular recipients include Supreme Court judges and senior civil servants. Knighthood gives the title Sir; the female equivalent of Dame exists only in knightly orders.

Other orders

Other orders, badges and medals do not give titles, but give the bearer the right to put letters after the name - for example, some orders of the royal family.

Order of St. John of Jerusalem

Members of the Royal Knights of the Order of St John (founded 1888) may wear the insignia of the Order, but have no separate seniority or title.

Seniority

The Knights and Ladies of the Garter, the Thistle and St. Patrick go before those who have received other orders, regardless of degree. Among other orders, those with the highest rank come before those of the lowest rank. For example, the Knight Grand Cross is senior to the Knight Commander. For persons of equal rank, members of a higher Order go first. Within one order, seniority comes from the one who received the honor first. Knights bachelors come after the knights of all other orders, but before the rank of Commander or lower ones. The Orders of Virtues (1902), Companions of Honor (1917), St. John's (1888) and the Indian Crown (1878) are not ordered by seniority.

The wives of knights of a certain rank come immediately after the Ladies of this rank. For example, the wife of the most senior Knight Grand Cross of the Bath in rank just below the lowest Dame Grand Cross of the British Empire.

Appeal

For peers, see Forms of address in the United Kingdom. For baronets, the style is Sir John Smith, Bt., and for their wives simply Lady Smith. Rare baronesses require the address Dame Jane Smith, Btss. For knights, Sir John Smith style, [letters after the name], where the letters after the name depend on rank and order (for knight bachelors, letters are not placed). For their wives, Lady Smith style without letters. For Dames of the Order, Dame Jane Smith is used, [letters]. Those who receive Commonwealth Orders, medals and badges do not receive the title Sir or Dame, but may have a letter after their name, eg John Smith, VC Knights and Dames of the Order of St John do not receive any special treatment.

Reform

Reforms of the system happen from time to time. In the last century, significant changes to the system include a Royal Commission in 1925 following a scandal when it was discovered that Prime Minister Lloyd George was selling honours, and a review in 1993 when Prime Minister John Major created the public nominations system.

In July 2004, the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) of the House of Representatives and simultaneously Sir Hayden Phillips, Permanent Secretary in the Department of Constitutional Affairs, completed a review of the system. PASC recommended some radical changes; Sir Hayden focused on procedural issues and transparency. In February 2005 the Government responded to both revisions by issuing a Command paper detailing the changes adopted. These included diversifying and opening up the system of selection committees for candidates for honors on the Prime Minister's list, as well as the introduction of order bars.

original name Motto Type Status

awarded

Statistics Establishment date Sequence Senior Award Junior Award

varies depending on class

Knight Grand Cross(GBE) Knight Grand Cross) or Dame Grand Cross(GBE) Dame Grand Cross)
Knight Commander(KBE) Knight Commander) or Lady Commander(DBE) Dame Commander)
Commander(CBE) Commander)
Officer(OBE) Officer)
Cavalier (member)(MBE) Member)

Holders of only the first two ranks are eligible for knighthood.

The motto of the Order is “ For God and the Empire"(For God and Empire). This is the most junior order in the British awards system; at the same time, it has the largest number of members.

Story

Star of the Order of the British Empire

Ribbons of the Order of the British Empire (civil above, military below)

Compound

Badge of the officers of the order

Badges of the order

Robes and decoration

Robe of the Order

Obverse and reverse of the badge of members of the order

Chapel

Seniority and privileges

An example of the placement of the Order of the British Empire on a coat of arms

|
Order of the British Empire Peace, Order of the British Empire Shark
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

Motto

For God and Empire(eng. For God and the Empire)

A country

Great Britain

Type

Knight's order

Status

awarded

Statistics Establishment date Sequence Senior Award

Royal Victorian Order

Junior Award

varies depending on class

Most Excellent Order of the British Empire on Wikimedia Commons

Most Excellent Order of the British Empire(English: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) is an order of knighthood created by the British King George V on June 4, 1917.

The motto of the order is “For God and the Empire”. This is the most junior order in the British award system, while it has the largest number of members.

Most members of the order are subjects of Great Britain or other Commonwealth states. Citizens of other countries can be admitted to the order as "honorary members" (and can become full members if they take British citizenship).

1. History
2 Organization
- 2.1 Degrees
- 2.2 Charter
- 2.3 Seniority and privileges
- 2.4 Robes and distinctions
- 2.5 Chapel
3 Soviet and Russian holders of the order
- 3.1 Awards during World War II
- 3.2 Honorary Knights Grand Cross
- 3.3 Honorary Knight Commanders
- 3.4 Commanders
- 3.5 Some modern awards
4 Criticism
5 See also
6 Links
7 Notes

Story

Badges of the order (above - the badge of the order, covered with blue enamel, common to the commander, knight-commander and knight grand cross, worn on a neck ribbon; below - the star of the knight grand cross; in the center - the star of the knight commander; bottom left - the silver badge of the cavalier , worn on a ribbon on the chest; lower right - a gold officer’s badge, worn similarly to a cavalry one)

The Order was founded by George V to fill a gap in the British honors system: the Order of the Bath was given only to senior military officers and civil servants, the Order of St Michael and St George to diplomats, and the Royal Victorian Order to those who served the royal family personally. in particular, George V considered it necessary to reward several thousand who served in non-combat units during the First World War. The Order of the British Empire is more democratic in nature than the Order of the Bath or the Order of Saints Michael and George, and at first was not highly valued, but over time the situation changed.

Initially, the order included only one division, but soon after its founding, in 1918, it was divided into military and civilian divisions.

Organization

Degrees

Obverse and reverse of the badge of members of the order

The Order consists of five classes of civil and military divisions (in descending order of seniority):

Knight Grand Cross(GBE) (English: Knight Grand Cross)
or Dame Grand Cross(GBE) (English: Dame Grand Cross)
Knight Commander(KBE) (eng. Knight Commander)
or Lady Commander(DBE) (English: Dame Commander)
Commander(CBE) (English Commander)
Officer(OBE) (English Officer)
Cavalier (member)(MBE) (English Member)

Holders of only the first two ranks are eligible for knighthood.

Civil and military medals of the order

At the founding of the order, the “Medal of the Order of the British Empire” was introduced (in 1922, renamed the “British Empire Medal”). Medal holders are not members of the order (but are associated with it) and are also divided into civilian and military divisions. Only junior government and military officials are awarded the medal; senior officials are immediately accepted into the order. The UK Government has not recommended the award of the medal since 1992, although some Commonwealth states continue to award it.

Charter

Robe of the Order

The British Sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order and appoints all other members of the Order (by agreement, guided by the advice of the Government). The next most senior is the Grand Master (currently Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh).

The order's charter provides for a limit of 100 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dame Commanders and 8,960 Commanders. There is no limit on the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be awarded in a year. By custom, upon their appointment, female judges of the High Court of England and Wales become Dame Commanders, and male judges become Knight Bachelors.

The order has six positions: prelate, deacon, secretary, registrar, herald and gatekeeper. The Bishop of London, the senior bishop in the Church of England is the prelate of the order. Deacon of St. Paul - ex officio deacon of the order. The order's herald is not a member of the heraldic college, like other heraldic officers. The Doorkeeper of the Order is called the "Gentleman Gatekeeper of the Purple Rod"; he does not participate in the work of the House of Lords.

Seniority and privileges

An example of placing an order on a coat of arms

All members of the order have their place in order of precedence. Seniority is also established for the wives of members of the order of all classes, sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knight Commanders. There is no order of precedence for relatives of wives of members of the order.

Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dame Commanders who are not subjects of the Queen are so-called. "honorary" members and may not use the prefix "Sir" or "Lady", but may use abbreviations after their names. For example, Bill Gates, who was awarded the title of Knight Commander of the British Empire, did not receive the right to be titled "Sir William" or "Sir William Gates III", but may be written "William Henry Gates III, KBE".

Knights and Dames Grand Cross are entitled to include heraldic holders. They also have the right to surround their coats of arms with a circle with the motto and the right to a collar. Knights and Dames Commanders, as well as Commanders, are only entitled to the circle.

Robes and distinctions

At important events (such as coronations and order services), members of the order wear costumes depending on their rank (the appearance underwent significant changes in 1937). The badge of the order is worn on the left side of the chest.

On certain "collar days" specified by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the order's collar on their military uniform or evening wear. When collars are worn, the order's badge is worn on the collar. After the death of the owner, the collars are returned, but other insignia remain.

Chapel

The order's chapel is at the far eastern end of the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, but large services are held in the main ward of the cathedral. Religious services for the entire order are held every four years; at this service new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are announced. The chapel was dedicated in 1960.

Awards during World War II

Marshal Alexander Vasilevsky - Honorary Knight Grand Cross (the star of the order is clearly visible under the two Orders of Victory)

The newspaper of the British Ministry of Information "British Ally", published during the Second World War, on May 21, 1944, published a decree of King George VI on awarding Soviet generals and officers with the Order of the British Empire. In total, according to royal decrees, 47 military divisions of various degrees were awarded the Order of the British Empire. generals and admirals, 115 officers and two sergeants of the Red Army.

Honorary Knights Grand Cross

Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky (1944)
Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Sokolovsky (1945)

Honorary Knight Commanders

General Pavel Batov
Marshal of Armored Forces Semyon Bogdanov (1944)
General Nikolai Gagen
General Andrey Getman
General Andrey Kravchenko
General Mikhail Malinin (1945)
Marshal of the Soviet Union Kirill Moskalenko
General Nikolai Psurtsev
General Pyotr Semenov
Air Marshal Vladimir Sudets
General Trofim Tanaschishin
General Mikhail Shumilov + Commander

and others.

Commanders

General Alexander Ageev
General Vladimir Aladinsky
Colonel Sergei Aristov
General Pyotr Braiko
General Alexey Burdeyny
General Alexey Vladimirsky
General Vasily Golubev
Colonel Vladimir Gorelov
General Sergei Gorshkov
Colonel Mikhail Grekhov
Colonel Alexander Grigoriev
General Ivan Grigorievsky
General Anatoly Zhukov
General Mikhail Zaporozhchenko
Captain 1st Rank Yuri Zinoviev
Admiral Fyodor Zozulya
General Terenty Zubov
General Zakhar Kolesnikov
General Pavel Korolkov
General Alexey Kustov
General Georgy Maximov
General Pyotr Malyshev
General Boris Mansurov
General Pyotr Morgunov
General Ivan Nekrasov
General Alexander Nechaev
General Nikolai Oslikovsky
General Alexander Pankov
Admiral Anatoly Petrov
Colonel Viktor Potanin
Marshal of the Engineering Troops Alexey Proshlyakov
General Alexey Radzievsky
Colonel Vasily Rassokhin
Colonel Veniamin Rukosuev
General Ganiy Safiulin
General Ernest Sedulin
General Alexey Semenov
General Mikhail Seryugin
General Alexander Skvortsov
Captain 1st Rank Boris Skorohvatov
General Konstantin Sychev
General Ivan Taranov
General Kuzma Trufanov
Admiral Vladimir Fadeev
General Ivan Fedyunkin
Admiral Georgy Kholostyakov
General Ivan Chalenko
General Mikhail Shalin
General Pyotr Shafranov
General Tikhon Shvedkov
General Mikhail Shumilov + Honorary Knight-Commander
Admiral Vasily Yakovlev

and others.

Some modern awards

Actor Vasily Livanov - honorary member

Bridge engineer Oleg Kerensky - commander (1964)
Cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich - honorary Knight Commander (1987)
Radio host Seva Novgorodtsev - member (2005)
Actor Vasily Livanov - honorary member (2006)
Journalist and publicist Konstantin Eggert - honorary member (2008)

Criticism

Main article:

The Order has attracted some criticism of the idea of the British Empire. The poet Benjamin Zephaniah publicly rejected the OBE in 2003 because, he said, it reminded him of “thousands of years of brutality.” He went on to say, “It reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and how my forefathers were brutalized.”

Notes

General orders for military allies
Rastafarian poet publicly rejects OBE, Guardian, 27 November 2003

British awards system
Modern orders	Order of the Garter ·Order of the Thistle ·Order of the Bath ·Order of Merit ·Order of St Michael and St George ·Royal Victorian Order ·Distinguished Service Order · ·Order of the Indian Crown ·Order of the Imperial Service ·Order of the Knights of Honor ·Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II · Order of Saint John
Old orders	Order of St. Patrick Royal Guelph Order Order of the Star of India Order of the Indian Empire Indian Order of Merit Order of British India Order of Burma Royal Family Order of King George IV Royal Order of Victoria and Albert Royal Family Order of King Edward VII Royal Family Order King George V Royal Family Order of King George VI
Other differences	Royal Victorian Chain Hereditary Peerage Life Peerage Baronetcy Chivalry Other orders, medals and insignia
List of people who have refused British honors

Order of the British Empire Shark, Order of the British Empire of the Deep, Order of the British Empire Before, Order of the British Empire Peace

Order of the British Empire Information About

Below is the article in full.

What is the British awards system? What do the numerous abbreviations of the names of insignia and medals that are often used in English mean?

British awards system ( British Honors System) is a means of rewarding personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom.

The system consists of honors, medals and awards.

Candidates for certain titles or awards are usually nominated by British public organizations, individuals or government departments.

Recommendations regarding candidates are sent to the country's Prime Minister, who in turn submits candidates for final approval by the Queen.

Applicants for honorary awards from among foreign citizens are represented by the Minister for the Affairs of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Some honors, titles and awards are bestowed exclusively by the monarch.

At one time, a number of orders of chivalry were created in Britain, along with awards for military service, bravery, merit and achievement, which took the form of awards and medals.

Here are some of them:

The highest English order of chivalry, established between 1344 and 1351.

The origin of the order is surrounded by numerous legends. One of them talks about the Countess of Salisbury, the mistress of King Edward III.

The Order of the Garter is the oldest order in the world. Its participants can be members of the British royal family and foreign monarchs.

Membership in the order is granted personally by the Sovereign (British monarch).

The equivalent of the Order of the Garter in Scotland is the Order of the Thistle ( The Order of the Thistle), in Ireland - the Order of St. Patrick ( The Order of St. Patrick).

A British order of chivalry established by King George I in 1725.

The name of the order comes from an ancient rite in which applicants were subjected to an all-night vigil of fasting, prayer and bathing on the eve of receiving knighthood.

The Order consists of a Sovereign, a Grand Master and three classes:

Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath ( Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCB))
Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath ( Knight or Dame Commander (KCB/DCB))
Knight of the Order of the Bath ( Companion (CB))

The Order of the Bath was founded as a military order of chivalry. Currently, its knights belong to either the civilian or military division.

Ordinary membership of the order is limited to citizens of the United Kingdom or countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Foreigners from non-Commonwealth states may be honorary members of the order.

The highest award for bravery that can be awarded to citizens of Great Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations.

You can receive a cross only for a feat performed under enemy fire.

The fact of the feat must be confirmed by at least three witnesses.

The Distinguished Service Order (DSO)

Award for British soldiers who distinguished themselves on the battlefield.

Established by Queen Victoria in 1886.

The Order consists of five classes:

Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Victorian Order ( Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCVO))
Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Victorian Order ( Knight or Dame Commander (KCVO or DCVO))
Commander of the Victorian Order ( Commander (CVO))
Lieutenant of the Victorian Order ( Lieutenant (LVO))
Member of the Victorian Order ( Member (MVO))

Membership in the order is granted to persons who have rendered personal service to the Sovereign.

The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

Established in 1901.

The cross, cast in silver, is awarded to citizens of Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations who bravely fight the enemy during military operations at sea.

The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM)

Established in 1914.

The medal recognizes the merits of British Navy personnel during their service.

King George V founded this order of chivalry in 1917 to fill gaps that existed in the British honors system at the beginning of the 20th century.

In particular, the monarch wanted to reward the British who served on the home front during the First World War.

The Order includes five classes of civil and military divisions (in descending order of seniority):

Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire ( Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GBE))
Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( Knight or Dame Commander (KBE/DBE))
Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( Commander (CBE))
Officer of the Order of the British Empire ( Officer (OBE))
Member of the Order of the British Empire ( Member (MBE))

Only the first two ranks are knightly.

Knights Grand Cross and Knight Commanders add prefix sir, and Dames Grand Cross and Dame Commanders - the prefix lady before your name.

The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

Established in 1918.

The Cross is awarded to Royal Air Force personnel for courage and devotion to duty while on duty.

About noble titles

Hereditary Peerage

Peer is a title of the highest nobility, which is created by the monarch.

There are five ranks of hereditary peerage:

Duke ( Duke)
Marquis ( marquess)
count ( earl)
Viscount ( viscount)
Baron ( baron)

Currently, hereditary peerages are created, as a rule, for members of the royal family.

Story

Compound

Badges of the order

Robes and decoration

Chapel

Seniority and privileges

Story

Compound

Badges of the order

Robes and decoration

Chapel

Seniority and privileges

Story

Organization

Degrees

Charter

Seniority and privileges

Robes and distinctions

Chapel

Awards during World War II

Honorary Knights Grand Cross

Honorary Knight Commanders

Commanders

Some modern awards

Criticism

see also

Links

Notes

Order of the British Empire Information About

What is the British awards system? What do the numerous abbreviations of the names of insignia and medals that are often used in English mean?

The Distinguished Service Order (DSO)

The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM)

The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

About noble titles

Hereditary Peerage

Order badges trimmed with diamonds

Notable Officers of the Order of the British Empire Awards of the British Empire

Soviet military ranks Who is captain 1st rank