Order of the Companions of Honour

The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded on 4 June 1917 by King George V as a reward for outstanding achievements and is "conferred upon a limited number of persons for whom this special distinction seems to be the most appropriate form of recognition, constituting an honour disassociated either from the acceptance of title or the classification of merit."[1]

Order of the Companions of Honour
Riband and badge of the "Companions of Honour"
Awarded by the sovereign of the Commonwealth realms
TypeOrder
Established4 June 1917
MottoIn Action Faithful and in Honour Clear
Awarded forNationally important service
StatusCurrently constituted
SovereignQueen Elizabeth II
GradesCompanion (CH)

Ribbon bar of the order

Founded on the same date as the Order of the British Empire,[1] it is sometimes regarded as the junior order to the Order of Merit.[2] Now described as "awarded for having a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or government lasting over a long period of time",[3] the first recipients were all decorated for "services in connection with the war" and were listed in The London Gazette.[4] The Chapel Royal at Hampton Court is now the Chapel of the Order.[5]

Composition
Lord Tweedsmuir, as Governor General of Canada, wearing the Companion of Honour badge around his neck

The order consists of the Sovereign and a maximum 65 members. Additionally, foreigners or Commonwealth citizens from outside the Commonwealth realms may be added as honorary members. Membership confers no title or precedence, but those inducted into the single-class order are entitled to use the post-nominal letters CH. Appointments can be made on the advice of Commonwealth realm prime ministers.[2] For Canadians, the advice to the Sovereign can come from a variety of officials.[6]

Originally, the order was limited to 50 ordinary members, but in 1943 it was enlarged to 65, with a quota of 45 members for the United Kingdom, seven for Australia, two each for New Zealand and South Africa, and nine for India, Burma, and the other British colonies. The quota numbers were altered in 1970 to 47 for the United Kingdom, seven for Australia, two for New Zealand, and nine for other Commonwealth realms. The quota was adjusted again in 1975 by adding two places to the New Zealand quota and reducing the nine for the other countries to seven.[7]

While still able to nominate candidates to the Order, the Cabinet of Australia has effectively stopped the allocation of this award to that country's citizens in preference to other Australian honours. The last Australian member, Doug Anthony, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, died on 20 December 2020.[8] Margaret MacMillan, a Canadian historian, was given the award in 2017. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, a New Zealand soprano, was given the award in 2018. Margaret Atwood, a Canadian author, was appointed in 2019.

Insignia

The insignia of the order is in the form of an oval medallion, surmounted by an imperial crown, and with a rectangular panel within, depicting on it an oak tree, a shield with the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom hanging from one branch, and, on the left, a mounted knight in armour. The insignia's blue border bears in gold letters the motto IN ACTION FAITHFUL AND IN HONOUR CLEAR, Alexander Pope's description (in iambic pentameter) in his Epistle to Mr Addison of James Craggs, later used on Craggs's monument in Westminster Abbey. Men wear the badge on a neck ribbon (red with golden border threads) and women on a bow at the left shoulder.

Current Companions
Member number[n 1]NamePost-nominalsOccupationDate of appointmentAge
01 (237) Sir Michael SomareGCL, GCMG, CH, PCFormer Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea3 June 197884
02 (267) The Lord TebbitCH, PCPolitician31 July 198789
03 (270) The Lord Baker of DorkingCH, PCPolitician13 April 199286
04 (271) The Lord Brooke of Sutton MandevilleCH, PCPolitician13 April 199286
05 (278) The Lord King of BridgwaterCH, PCPolitician13 April 199287
06 (282) Dame Janet BakerCH, DBEOpera singer31 December 199387
07 (287) The Lord OwenCH, PCPolitician11 June 199482
08 (289) Sir David AttenboroughOM, GCMG, CH, CVO, CBEBroadcaster; naturalist30 December 199594
09 (291) The Lord Hurd of WestwellCH, CBE, PCPolitician30 December 199590
10 (294) David HockneyOM, CHArtist14 June 199783
11 (296) The Lord HeseltineCH, PCPolitician2 August 199787
12 (297) The Lord Patten of BarnesCH, PCPolitician; former Governor of Hong Kong31 December 199776
13 (298) Peter BrookCH, CBEDirector13 June 199895
14 (299) Sir John MajorKG, CH, PCFormer Prime Minister of the United Kingdom31 December 199877
15 (300) Bridget RileyCH, CBEArtist31 December 199889
16 (305) John de ChastelainCC, CMM, CD, CHCanadian Army officer; diplomat31 December 199883
17 (311) Sir Harrison BirtwistleCHComposer30 December 200086
18 (316) James LovelockCH, CBE, FRSEnvironmentalist31 December 2002101
19 (317) Dan McKenzieCH, FRSGeophysicist14 June 200378
20 (318) The Lord Hannay of ChiswickGCMG, CHDiplomat14 June 200375
21 (320) Dame Judi DenchCH, DBEActress11 June 200586
22 (321) Sir Ian McKellenCH, CBEActor31 December 200781
23 (322) The Lord Rogers of RiversideCH, FRIBA, FREng, RAArchitect14 June 200887
24 (323) The Lord Howard of LympneCH, QC, PCPolitician11 June 201179
25 (324) The Lord Young of CookhamBt, CH, PCPolitician20 September 201279
26 (325) The Lord CoeCH, KBEPolitician; Athlete; organiser of 2012 Olympics29 December 201264
27 (326) Peter Higgs CH, FRSPhysicist29 December 201291
28 (327) The Lord StrathclydeCH, PCPolitician7 January 201360
29 (328) The Lord Campbell of PittenweemCH, CBE, PC, QCPolitician15 June 201379
30 (329) Sir Nicholas SerotaCHCurator15 June 201374
31 (331) The Baroness O'Neill of BengarveCH, CBE, FBA, FRS, FMedSciPhilosopher31 December 201379
32 (332) Dame Maggie SmithCH, DBEActress14 June 201486
33 (333) The Lord Clarke of NottinghamCH, QC, PCPolitician22 July 201480
34 (336) Lady Mary PetersLG, CH, DBEAthlete1 January 201581
35 (337) The Lord Young of GraffhamCH, PC, DLPolitician1 January 201588
36 (339) The Lord WoolfCH, PC, FBA, FMedSciJudge12 June 201587
37 (341) Sir Roy StrongCH, FRSLArt historian; museum director1 January 201685
38 (343) The Lord Smith of KelvinKT, CHBusinessman11 June 201676
39 (344) The Baroness AmosCH, PCPolitician; diplomat11 June 201666
40 (345) George OsborneCH, PCPolitician; former Chancellor of the Exchequer4 August 201649
41 (347) Sir Richard EyreCH, CBEDirector31 December 201677
42 (348) Dame Evelyn GlennieCH, DBEMusician31 December 201655
43 (349) Sir Alec JeffreysCH, FRSGeneticist31 December 201671
44 (351) The Baroness Williams of CrosbyCH, PCPolitician31 December 201690
45 (353) Sir Mark ElderCH, CBEConductor17 June 201773
46 (354) Dame Beryl GreyCH, DBEDancer17 June 201793
47 (355) Sir Paul McCartneyCH, MBEMusician17 June 201778
48 (356) J. K. RowlingCH, OBEAuthor17 June 201755
49 (357) Dame Stephanie ShirleyCH, DBE, FREngEntrepreneur; philanthropist17 June 201787
50 (358) Delia SmithCH, CBECook; author17 June 201779
51 (359) The Lord Stern of BrentfordCH, FRS, FBAEconomist17 June 201774
52 (361) The Lord BraggCH, FRS, FBA, FRSLBroadcaster30 December 201781
53 (362) Lady Antonia FraserCH, DBE, FRSLAuthor30 December 201788
54 (363) Margaret MacMillanCC, CHHistorian30 December 201777
55 (364) Richard HendersonCH, FRS, FMedSciBiologist9 June 201875
56 (365) Dame Kiri Te KanawaONZ, CH, DBE, ACOpera singer9 June 201876
57 (366) Margaret AtwoodCC, OOnt, CH, FRSC, FRSLAuthor29 December 201881
58 (367) The Lord McLoughlinCH, PCPolitician10 September 201963
59 (368) Sir Elton JohnCH, CBEMusician28 December 201973
60 (369) Sir Keith ThomasCH, FBA, FLSW, FRHistSHistorian28 December 201988
61 (370) Sir Paul SmithCH, CBE, RDIFashion designer10 October 202074
62 (371) Sir David ChipperfieldCH, CBE, RA, RDI, RIBA, Architect31 December 202067
63 (-)Vacant following the death of Dame Vera Lynn, singer, on 18 June 2020.
64 (-)Vacant following the death of Sir Terence Conran, designer, on 12 September 2020.
65 (-)Vacant following the death of Doug Anthony, politician, on 20 December 2020.

Honorary Companions
Member numberNamePost-nominalsOccupationDate of appointmentAge
1 (261) Amartya SenCH, FBAEconomist11 May 200087
2 (304) Bernard HaitinkCH, KBEConductor12 June 200291
3 (340) Desmond TutuCHSocial rights activist; clergyman30 November 201589

See also

Notes
  1. The number shown in brackets is the individual's place in the wider sequence of appointment since the Order's inception.

References
  1. "A New Order". The Times. 25 August 1917. p. 7.
  2. "The Monarch of the Today > Queen Ann arbor to the new one w public > Honours > Companions of Honour". Royal.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  3. "The honours system: Types of honours and awards". UK Government. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  4. "No. 30250". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 August 1917. p. 8799.
  5. http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/event/the-queen-duke-of-edinburgh-attend-evensong-in-celebration-of-the-centenary-of-the-order-of-the-companions-of-honour-700063722#dame-judi-dench-arrives-to-attend-evensong-at-the-chapel-royal-court-picture-id695723388
  6. McCreery, Christopher (2005a). The Canadian Honours System. Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-55002-554-5.
  7. Rayment, Leigh. "Companions of Honour". Archived from the original on 26 September 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  8. Barbour, Lucy (20 December 2020). "Doug Anthony, former Nationals leader and deputy prime minister, dies aged 90". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
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