Follow
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Project photo: Grand Cross's star of the Order of the British Empire.
The Order of the British Empire recognises distinguished service to the arts and sciences, public services outside the Civil Service and work with charitable and welfare organisations of all kinds.
It was created during the First World War in 1917 by George V.
The King recognised the need for a new award of honour which could be more widely awarded, in recognition of the large numbers of people in the British Isles and other parts of the Empire who were helping the war effort both as combatants and as civilians on the home front.
For the first time, women were included in an order of chivalry, and it was decided that the Order should also include foreigners who had helped the British war effort.
From 1918 onwards there were Military and Civil Divisions, as George V also intended that after the war the Order should be used to reward services to the State in a much wider sense.
Today the Order of the British Empire is the order of chivalry of British democracy. Valuable service is the only criterion for the award, and the Order is now used to reward service in a wide range of useful activities.
Citizens from other countries may also receive an honorary award, for services rendered to the United Kingdom and its people. There are more than 100,000 living members of the Order throughout the world.
After some debate, St Paul's Cathedral was nominated by a special committee and approved by The Queen, as the Chapel of the Order.
As the cathedral of the capital city, it could accommodate services attended by very large congregations.
In the words of one committee member, 'St Paul's symbolised the victory of the British spirit during the war of 1939-45 in that, although badly damaged and shaken, it survived the ordeal by battle in an almost miraculous way.'
A Chapel for the Order was built in the cathedral crypt (where Nelson, Wellington and Sir Christopher Wren are buried, amongst others).
Its formal dedication in 1969 was attended by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh (Grand Master of the Order).
Once every four years, approximately 2,000 members of the Order attend a service there to celebrate the Order.
Many people who have been awarded an honour from overseas attend these services, and each person attending wears their award.
- Motto: For God and the Empire
- Chapel: St. Paul's Cathedral
- Ranks: Knight/Dame Grand Cross, Knight/Dame Commander, Commander, Officer, Member
- Post-nominals: GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE
- Founded: 1917
The Order is composed of five classes in civil and military divisions. In descending order of seniority, these are:
- Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE). Limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross.
- Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE or DBE). Limited to 845 Knights and Dames Commander.
- Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). Limited to 8,960 Commanders.
- Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). No limit to Officers.
- Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). No limit to Members.
Only the highest two ranks automatically cause an individual to become a knight or dame, an honour allowing the recipient to use the title "Sir" (male) or "Dame" (female) before their first name (though men can be knighted separately from this and other Orders of Chivalry). Honorary knighthoods, given to individuals who are not nationals of a realm where Queen Elizabeth II is Head of State, permit use of the honour as a post-nominal but not as a title before their name. Awards in the Order of the British Empire in the Commonwealth Realms were discontinued with the establishment of national systems of honours and awards such as the Order of Canada, the Order of Australia and the New Zealand Order of Merit. Foreign recipients are classified as honorary members of the Order they receive, and do not contribute to the numbers restricted to that Order as full members do.
There is also a related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are not members of the Order, but who are nonetheless affiliated with the Order. The British Empire Medal had not been used in the United Kingdom or its dependencies since 1993, but was revived in 2012 with 293 BEMs awarded for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. In addition, BEM is used by the Cook Islands and by some other Commonwealth nations.
The British sovereign is the Sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order.
The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master. The position has been held by the following people:
- Edward, Prince of Wales (1894–1972) held office: 1917-1936
- Queen Mary (1865–1953) held office: 1936-1953
- The Duke of Edinburgh (1921–2021) held office: 1953-2021
- Queen Camilla (b. 1947) holds office: 2024 - present
KNIGHT GRAND CROSS or DAME GRAND CROSS of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE)
A
- Appleton, Sir Edward, GBE, KCB, FRS, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1947 (1892 - 1965) for his seminal work proving the existence of the ionosphere during experiments carried out in 1924.
B
C
D
- Dale, Sir Henry Hallett, OM, GBE, PRS, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1936 (1875 – 1968) for his study of acetylcholine as agent in the chemical transmission of nerve impulses
E
F
- Fawcett, Dame Millicent, GBE (1847-1929) British feminist (suffragist), intellectual, political leader, activist and writer.
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
- Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT, OM, GBE, AC, ONZ, QSO, GCL, PC, AdC(P) (1921-2021) (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark ) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. He was the Commonwealth realms' longest-serving consort and the oldest spouse ever of a reigning British monarch.
Q
R
- Rothschild, Nathaniel Mayer Victor, 3rd Baron Rothschild, GBE, GM, FRS (1910–1990), British scientist, intelligence officer during World War II, and later a senior executive with Royal Dutch Shell and N M Rothschild & Sons, and an advisor to the Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher governments of the UK. He was a member of the prominent Rothschild family.
- Rothchild, Nathaniel Charles Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, OM, GBE, CVO, FRCA (1936-2024) British investment banker and a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family. He was also honorary president of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research.
S
- Samuel, Herbert Louis, 1st Viscount Samuel GCB, OM, GBE, PC (1870–1963) British Liberal politician, party leader 1931-1935. He was the first nominally practising Jew to serve as a Cabinet minister, a diplomat and the first High Commissioner of Palestine.
- Sherrington, Sir Charles Scott, OM, GBE, PRS. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1932 (1857 – 1952) English neurophysiologist, histologist, bacteriologist, and a pathologist; Nobel laureate for work on the functions of neurons.
T
U
V
W
- Weidenfeld, Baron Arthur George, GBE (1919 – 2016) British publisher, philanthropist, and newspaper columnist. A lifelong Zionist and renowned as a master networker. He was on good terms with popes, prime ministers and presidents and put his connections to good use for diplomatic and philanthropic ends.
XYZ
KNIGHT Commander or Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE or DBE)
A
- Anstruther, Honourable Dame Eva Isabella, DBE (1869-1935) English writer and poet.
B
- Bailieu, Clive, 1st Baron Baillieu KBE (1889-1967) Australian-British businessman, public servant, and rower.
- Banting , Sir Frederick Grant KBE, MC, FRS, FRSC, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine,1923 (1891–1941) Canadian medical scientist, physician, painter, and Nobel laureate for co-discovering of insulin and its therapeutic potential.
- Bower, Lt.-General Sir Roger Herbert, KCB, KBE (1903-1990) Senior British Army officer who served in WWII and later became General Officer Commanding (GOC) Malaya Command.
- Braithwaite, Dame Florence Lilian DBE (1873–1948), known professionally as Lilian Braithwaite, was an English actress, primarily of the stage.
- Browne, Arthur Howe, 8th Marguess of Sligo, KBE (1867–1951), Irish soldier and peer.
- Brownrigg Studholme, Admiral Sir Henry John KBE, CB, DSO (1882–1943) Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.
- Burnet, Sir Frank Macfarlane, OM, AK, KBE, FRS, FAA, FRSNZ, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1960 (1899–1985) Australian virologist and immunologist. Nobel laureate for predicting acquired immune tolerance and for developing the theory of clonal selection.
C
- Chapple, Field Marshal Sir John Lyon, GCB, KBE (1931–2022) British Army officer who served as Chief of the General Staff (CGS) 1988-1992.
- Clayton, Brigadier General Sir Gilbert Falkingham,KCMG, KBE, CB (1875–1929) British Army intelligence officer and colonial administrator, who worked in several countries in the Middle East in the early 20th century. He helped negotiate the borders of the countries that later became Israel, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
- Coleridge, Richard Duke Coleridge, 4th Baron, KBE, DL (1905–1984) Captain in the Royal Navy and the first Executive Secretary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 1952-1970.
- Compton, Sir Edmund Gerald, GCB, KBE (1906–1994) British civil servant and the first Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.
D
- Dean, Dame Caroline DBE, FRS, WOLF Prize in Agriculture, 2020 (b. 1957) British plant scientist focused on understanding the molecular controls used by plants to seasonally judge when to flower.
- Drummond, Lieutenant Colonel Sir Francis Dudley, KBE, DL (1863-1935) British captain in the Carmarthen Artillery; member of Royal Company of Archers, King's Bodyguard for Scotland.
- Drummond, Sir Maurice Charles Andrew, KBE, CMG, DSO (1877–1957) British soldier who was also a senior officer of the Metropolitan Police.
- Duffield, Dame Vivien Louise DBE, CBE (née Clore; b. 1946) English philanthropist.
E
- Elliot, Air Chief Marshal Sir William, GCVO, KCB, KBE, DFC (1896-1971) Senior British Air Force officer, served as Personal Air ADC (Aide-de-Camp) to King George VI and later to Queen Elizabeth II.
- Eve, Sir Herbert Trustram, KBE (1865–1936) was a noted British expert in real property.
F
- Fermor-Hesketh, Thomas Alexander, 3rd Baron Hesketh, KBE, PC (born 1950) is a British peer and UK Independence Party politician.
G
- Galbraith, Hon Sir Thomas Galloway Dunlop, KBE (1917– 1982), best known as Tam Galbraith, was a Scottish Unionist politician.
H
- Hairer, Sir Martin, Fields Medal 2014, KBE, FRS (born 1975) Austrian-British mathematician working in the field of stochastic analysis, in particular stochastic partial differential equations.
I
- Ingrams, Davina Marcia (Herbert) 18th Baroness Darcy de Knayth DBE A crossbench member of the House of Lords, continuing to sit after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999 as an elected peer.
J
- Jamieson, Sir Archibald Auldjo, KBE (1884–1959) British soldier and businessman, chairman of the British arms and aircraft company Vickers during WW II.
- Jones, Sir Roderick, KBE (1877–1962) British journalist and news agency manager, who for most of his career worked for Reuters. From 1916, he was a significant shareholder in the company.
K
- Kadoorie, Sir Elly (Elazar), KBE (1867 - 1944), A philanthropist and member of the wealthy Baghdadian Jewish Family that had large business interests in the Far East.
- Kendal, Dame Madge DBE (1848-1935) British stage actress.
- Kennedy, Major-General Sir John Noble, GCMG, KCVO, KBE, CB, MC (1893–1970) Senior British Army officer who served as Assistant Chief of the Imperial General Staff during World War II.
- Kimmins, Dame Grace Mary Thyrza DBE (née Hannam) (1870–1954) British writer who created charities that worked with children who had disabilities.
L
- Leveson-Gower, Sir George Granville, KCB (1858–1951).British civil servant and Liberal politician. He held political office as Comptroller of the Household 1892-1895 & Commissioner of Woods and Forests 1908-1924.
M
- Mancroft, Stormont, 2nd Baron, KBE
- Manning, Brigadier General Sir WIllaim, GCMG, KBE, CB
- Marten, Vice-Admiral Sir Francis, KBE
- McDonnell, Randal 8th Earl of Antrim, KBE
- Menuhin, Baron Yehudi, OM, KBE (1916 – 1999) American-born violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. He is widely considered one of the great violinists of the 20th century.
N
- Neagle, Dame Anna
- Newton-John, Dame Olivia, DBE, AC, OBE (1948 – 2022)
O
P
Q
R
S
- Salam, Abdus KBE, Nobel Prize in Physice, 1979 (1926－1996) Pakistani theoretical physicist - for his contribution to the electroweak unification theory.
- Stewart, Sir Charles John, KBE
- Stewart-Murray, Katharine, Duchess of Atholl, DBE (1874–1960) "the Marchioness of Tullibardine" (1899-1917) Scottish noblewoman and Scottish Unionist Party politician whose views were often unpopular in her party.
T
U
V
W
XYZ
COMMANDER of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)
A
B
- Bagnold, Enid, CBE
- Beaton, Sir Cecil, CBE
- Berlin, Sir Isaiah, OM, CBE, FBA
- Blackett, Patrick Maynard Stuart, Baron Blackett OM CH CBE FRS Nobel Prize in Physics, 1948 (1897 - 1974)
- Brink, Lieutenant-General George Edwin CB CBE DSO (1889-1971) was a South African military commander.
- Burton, Richard, CBE
C
- Clarke, Sir Orme Bigland, 4th Baronet, CBE
- Cockcroft, Sir John, OM KCB CBE FRS, Nobel Prize in Physics 1951 (1897 – 1967)
- Collip, James Bertram, CBE FRS FRSC FRCP FRCPC (1892-1965) Canadian biochemist who was part of the Toronto group which isolated insulin
D
- Daubeny, Sir Peter Lauderdale, CBE
- Dimpbleby, Frederick Richard, CBE
- Duff, Group Captain George Edward Gordon, CBE
- Duffield, Dame Vivien DBE, CBE
- Dyke, David Hart, CBE
E
- Edwards, Sir Robert Geoffrey, CBE, FRS, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2010 (1925 – 2013)
- Epstein, Sir Anthony, CBE, FRS, FMedSci (1921 – 2024) British pathologist and academic; one of the discoverers of the Epstein–Barr virus.
F
G
- Gabor, Dennis CBE, FRS, Nobel Prize in Physics 1971 (1900 – 1979)
- Grade, Michael, Lord Grade of Yarmouth CBE
H
- Haendel, Ida, CBE (1928 – 2020) Polish-British-Canadian virtuoso violinist. She was a Jewish child prodigy, her career spanning over seven decades. She also became an influential teacher.
- Hawking, Stephen William, CH CBE FRS FRSA (1942 – 2018) English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge.
- Hotham, Henry Frederick 7th Baron Hotham, CBE Landowner and army officer (Major General).
- Houghton, Sir John Theodore CBE FRS FLSW (1931 – 2020) Welsh atmospheric physicist, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) which shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 with Al Gore.
- Howe, Edward Curzon 6th Earl, CBE
- Hull, Sir Hubert, CBE
I
- Isserlis, Steven CBE (b. 1958) British cellist.
J
K
- Kendrew, Sir John, CBE, FRS Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1962 (1917 – 1997).
- Kadoorie, Sir Lawrence, Baron Kadoorie
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
- Sanger, Fred OM, CH, CBE, FRS, FAA, Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, in 1958 and in 1980 (1918 - 2013)
- Smith, Delia
- Smith, Paul, CBE
T
U
V
W
- Winter, Sir Gregory Paul CBE FRS FMedSci, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018 (b. 1951)
- Wolfe, Humbert. CB, CBE
XYZ
OFFICER of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)
A
- Alburquerque, Aloysisu Peter, OBE, KSG
- Archibald, Hill, CH OBE FRS Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine , 1922 (1886 - 1977)
B
- Blackman, Charles Raymond, OBE (1928 - 2018) Australian painter
- Bragg, Sir William, CH OBE MC FRS, Nobel Prize in Physics 1915 (1890 - 1971)
C
- Carey, Joyce
- Carluccio, Antonio, OBE
- Carson, Violet, OBE
- Carter, Thomas, OBE
- Cooper, Jilly, OBE
- Corbett, Harry, OBE
D
- 🇳🇱 Nicolaas Franciscus Marie van DEUN ‧ 1894-1978 ‧ captain merchant navy
- Dixon, Herbert 1st Baron Glentoran. OBE
E
- 🇳🇱 Egbert George van EERDE ‧ 1898-1989 ‧ captain merchant navy
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
- MacDonald, Lillian
- Mandeno, Lloyd, OBE
- Margoyles, Miriam, OBE
- (Sturt) Marten, Mary
- Matthews, Jessie, OBE
- Mathias, Dr Piedade Felician
N
- Newton-John, Dame Olivia, DBE, AC, OBE (1948 – 2022)
O
P
Q
R
- Rodd, Gustaf Guthrie Rennell, OBE
- Rowley-Conwy, Geoffrey, 9th Baron Langford, OBE
- Roy, Maurice CC, OBE
S
- Sieff, Marcus Joseph, Baron Sieff of Brimpton OBE
- Stopford, James Montagu Burgoyne, 8th Earl of Courttown, MBE,OBE
- Stopford, James Richard Neville, 7th Earl of Courttown, OBE
- (Sturt) Marten, Mary,
- 🇳🇱 Jan SWART ‧ 1892-1946 ‧ captain merchant navy
T
U
V
- 🇳🇱 Petrus Mattheus VERSTELLE ‧ 1895-1967 ‧ captain merchant navy
W
- Walcott, Sir Derek Alton KCSL OBE OCC Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992 (1930 – 2017)
- Warner, Jack, OBE
- Wilberforce, Arthur, OBE
- 🇳🇱 Jan Pieter WEPSTER ‧ 1886-1942 ‧ captain merchant navy
XYZ
- 🇳🇱 Everhardus Harmannus Jacobus ZEEVEN ‧ 1886-1945 ‧ captain merchant navy
MEMBER of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE)
A
B
- 🇳🇱 R. BERENDS ‧ x ‧ captain merchant navy
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
- 🇳🇱 Zeger Jan REIJERS ‧ 1902-1957 ‧ captain merchant navy
S
- 🇳🇱 Thomas Nicolaas SCHOTMAN ‧ 1892-x ‧ captain merchant navy
T
U
V
W
- 🇳🇱 Benjamin Christiaan WELTEVREDEN ‧ 1898-1954 ‧ captain merchant navy