New Year Honours: How does the UK honours system work?

The British honours system has long celebrated exceptional achievement and service to the nation. From Stephen Fry and Gareth Southgate’s recent knighthoods to Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson’s MBE, these awards recognize contributions across all sectors of society.
When Honours Are Awarded
The main honours ceremonies occur at two points in the year:

New Year Honours (January)
The King’s Birthday Honours (June)

Additional honours may be awarded for:

Dissolution of Parliament
Prime ministerial resignations
Service to the Royal Family (Royal Victorian Order)
Acts of gallantry

The Selection Process
Honours are awarded through several channels:

Recommendations by the Prime Minister or senior ministers
Public nominations (approximately 25% of awards)
Foreign Office recommendations for diplomatic services
Direct royal appointments for Royal Victorian Orders

All nominees undergo thorough vetting by:

The Honours and Appointments Secretariat
HMRC (for tax compliance)
Parliamentary and Political Services Committee (for political honours)
House of Lords Appointments Commission (for peerages)

Types of Honours
Knights and Dames

Origins in medieval chivalry
Knights use the title “Sir,” their wives “Lady”
Dames use the title “Dame”
Awarded for pre-eminent contributions in any field

Order of the British Empire

Commander (CBE)
Officer (OBE)
Member (MBE)
British Empire Medal (BEM)
Recognizes distinguished regional or national contributions

Specialized Orders

Order of the Bath (GCB, KCB, CB)
Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG, KCMG/DCMG, CMG)
Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)
Royal Victorian Order (GCVO, KCVO/DCVO, CVO, LVO, MVO)

Service-Specific Medals

King’s Police Medal
King’s Fire Service Medal
King’s Ambulance Service Medal
King’s Gallantry Medal
King’s Commendation for Bravery
King’s Commendation for Bravery in the Air

The Investiture Process
Recipients receive their honours at formal ceremonies:

Usually held at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, or Palace of Holyroodhouse
Conducted by the King, Prince of Wales, or Princess Royal
BEM recipients attend local ceremonies with lord-lieutenants
All recipients are invited to royal garden parties

Declining or Losing Honours
Individuals can decline honours, with notable examples including:

Authors Roald Dahl, JG Ballard, and Aldous Huxley
Painters Francis Bacon, Lucien Freud, and LS Lowry
Poet Benjamin Zephaniah (rejected OBE over Empire associations)

Honours can be withdrawn by the Honours Forfeiture Committee, as seen with:

Rolf Harris (following criminal conviction)
Anthony Blunt (revealed as Soviet spy)
Paula Vennells (voluntarily returned CBE over Post Office scandal)

Recent Notable Honours
The 2025 New Year Honours included:

Knighthoods: Stephen Fry, Gareth Southgate, Sadiq Khan
CBEs: Sarah Lancashire, Carey Mulligan (services to drama)
Damehood: Emily Thornberry MP
MBE: Keely Hodgkinson (Olympic champion)
OBEs: Four former sub-postmasters (services to justice)

The honours system continues to evolve, reflecting both tradition and contemporary values while recognizing extraordinary contributions to British society.

A writer who loves all things British.

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