Honors and awards in the United Kingdom are formal tokens of the respect that the nation feels is due to people who have earned public recognition for their brave deeds, their long service, or their valuable work.
Honors
are awarded twice a year. They are announced in special supplements to the London Gazette, a daily government newspaper. The New Year’s Honours List is announced on or about December 31. The Birthday Honours List is announced on the official birthday of the British monarch. The official birthday of King Charles III is celebrated in June, though his actual date of birth is in November. A third list, the Dissolution Honours List, is announced when Parliament is dissolved before a general election in the United Kingdom.
Honors are awarded to individuals for their achievements in many different fields, including the armed forces, the arts, industry, public service, sport, and voluntary work. Anyone may nominate someone for an honor. Various official bodies also put forward names to the prime minister. Four orders are the personal awards of the reigning king or queen. They are the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle, the Order of Merit, and the Royal Victorian Order. The Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the oldest and highest of the orders.
Three orders of knighthood are no longer awarded. The Order of St. Patrick was an Irish order created in 1818. No knights have been made since Ireland became independent in 1921. The Orders of the Star of India and the Indian Empire ceased to be awarded after India and Pakistan became independent in 1947.
Awards for bravery
are published separately, outside the regular honors lists. They are usually published in two lists a year, although they may be made at any time. Bravery (or gallantry) awards are made to those who risk their lives for others or who show bravery in the prevention of crime. The highest military award is the Victoria Cross, and the highest civilian award is the George Cross.
Investitures
are the ceremonies at which the people being honored receive their awards from the monarch or another senior member of the royal family. Most investitures take place at Buckingham Palace. They may also be held at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, in Scotland, or during a state visit to another country.
Order of precedence.
There is a strict order of precedence in which orders, decorations, and medals should be worn. First come the Victoria Cross and the George Cross. Next come the orders of knighthood—the orders of the Garter, of the Thistle, of the Bath, of Merit, of St. Michael and St. George; the Royal Victorian Order; the Order of the British Empire; the Order of the Companions of Honour; and the Distinguished Service Order. Some orders have several classes each; a higher class of a lower order would rank above a lower class of a higher order.
Decorations
ranking next are the Royal Red Cross, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Military Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Force Cross.
Medals for gallantry and distinguished service
total more than 20. They include the Distinguished Conduct Medal, the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, and the George Medal.
War medals
include all medals and stars for service during wars and campaigns. An example is the 1939-1945 Star for service during World War II (1939-1945). War medals are worn in order of their date, the most recent last.
Commemoration medals
were issued to mark the coronations of King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II, and King Charles III; the Golden and Diamond Jubilees of Queen Victoria; the Silver Jubilee of King George V; and the Silver, Golden, Diamond, and Platinum Jubilees of Queen Elizabeth II.
Medals for long and efficient service
include the medals for members of the Royal Navy, the Army, and the Royal Air Force; Meritorious Service medals; medals for police officers and firefighters; and medals for members of the voluntary medical services.
