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Most Excellent Order of the British Empire(English) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) - an order of knighthood established 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).
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)
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.
The Order consists of five classes of civil and military divisions (in descending order of seniority):
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.
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. In practice, in the 21st century, the highest two degrees are awarded quite rarely. For example, since 1964, only three women have become Dames Grand Cross. Men are awarded the highest degree more often - 31 people have become Knight Grand Cross since 1990. By custom, upon their appointment, female judges of the High Court of England and Wales become Dame Commanders and male judges become Knight Bachelors.
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.
Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dame Commanders who are not subjects of the Queen are the 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". Honorary members and clerics are not knighted.
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.
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 some "collar days" specified by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the order's chain on their military uniform or evening wear. When the chain is worn, the badge of the order is worn on the chain. After the death of the owner, the chain is returned, but other insignia remain.
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.
The Order has attracted some criticism regarding 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, “This reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and how my forefathers were cruelly treated.” British artist Lawrence Stephen Lowry twice refused to be awarded the Order of the British Empire (4th and 2nd class).
Most people associate the courageous and somewhat romanticized image of a knight with the Middle Ages. After all, as is known, “knighthood as a military and landowning class arose among the Franks in connection with the transition in the 8th century from the people’s foot army to the cavalry army of vassals. Having been influenced by the church and poetry, it developed the moral and aesthetic ideal of a warrior, and in the era of the Crusades ", under the influence of the spiritual knightly orders that arose at that time, became isolated in a hereditary aristocracy. The strengthening of state power, the superiority of infantry over cavalry, the invention of firearms and the creation of a standing army by the end of the Middle Ages turned feudal knighthood into a political class of untitled nobility."
At that time, knighting in medieval Latin texts was designated by the words “putting on a military belt.” At that time anyone could be a knight. At first, knighthood was given, according to German tradition, at the age of 12, 15, 19, but in the 13th century there was a noticeable desire to push it back to adulthood, that is, to the 21st year. Although the era of firearms abolished knighthood as a military class, the modern world also has its knights.
The British Scheme of Awards for personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom includes the following:
Honors- to recognize virtues in terms of achievement and service;
Medals- to recognize bravery, long and/or valuable service, and/or good behavior; A
Award badges usually given for specific achievements.
Well, knights today exist in cavalry orders like the Order of the Garter (1348) or the Knights of Honor (1917) and in a class known as knights bachelors. Although, unlike knights of British orders, knight bachelors do not have special letters after their name indicating membership in a specific order of chivalry, a knight bachelor is entitled to the title sir.
Let's talk about them. As you know, not only subjects of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but also foreign citizens can receive the honorary title. Of the famous non-British people, the honor of being a British knight was awarded, in particular, to the founder of Microsoft Bill Gates, singer Placido Doming oh, film director Steven Spielberg, scientist and historian Simon Wiesenthal, also known as the "Nazi hunter".
Among British citizens, actors Sean Connery and Roger Moore (playing James Bond), singers Sting (Gordon Sumner), Paul McCartney, Elton John and many others are considered honorary knights.
Back in 1992, a wonderful composer received the right to use the prefix “sir” Andrew Lloyd Webber, author of music from the musicals "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Cats", from the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar".
Sir Paul McCartney- knight since 1997. This is not the first royal award for the famous Beatle - after all, back in the mid-sixties, each of the Fab Four received an Order of the British Empire. But John Lennon later returned his medal in protest at Britain's support for the US war effort in Vietnam.
In the same year, 1997, another king of British music was knighted - Elton John.
And, having been included in the lists of prospective knights more than once, another talented and legendary British musician was finally initiated into them in 2003, on his 60th birthday. Mick Jagger. The ceremonial atmosphere calls for ceremonial attire, but the lead singer of the rock band The Rolling Stones appeared in a long leather coat, a red scarf and black sneakers, which caused universal condemnation.
Let's finish the theme of music with a solemn ceremony, which took place in 2007 at the residence of the British Ambassador in Dublin. Here he was awarded an honorary knighthood for his service to the UK in the music industry and humanitarian work Bono(real name Paul Newson), Irish musician and public figure, leader of the rock band U-2.
As you know, the title of Knight Bachelor is given only to men, the equivalent title for women is Dame of the Order of the British Empire. So, March 26, 2015 Joan Collins became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The award ceremony was hosted by Prince Charles.
A year earlier, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Angelina Jolie the title of Dame Dame and the Order of St. Michael and St. George for humanitarian work. October 10, 2014.
He became a knight for his contribution to cinema in 2000. Sean Connery. After he was knighted, newspapers came out with headlines: “My name is Sean, Sir Sean” - this is how the famous greeting of agent 007 was paraphrased.
By the way, the famous Russian actor Vasily Livanov, known even to children for his role as Sherlock Holmes, was also awarded the title of knight in 2006 precisely for his unforgettable recreation of this literary image.
It would take a long time to list individuals who, with their talent and hard work, deserved and were awarded the honorary title of knight. But for today, having mentioned music and cinema, we will end with sports. In 1999, the world learned the name of another knight: the Scottish football player and coach Sir Sir Alex Ferguson.
awarded
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 associate members 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 the 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 has a more democratic character than the Order of the Bath and the Order of Saints Michael and George, and was not highly valued at 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 UK Government has not recommended the award of the medal 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".
January 27th, 2018 , 10:00 am
Soviet military commanders G.K. were awarded. Zhukov, K.K. Rokossovsky, V.D. Sokolovsky, M.S. Malinin and British Field Marshal Montgomery.
G.K. Zhukov - Honorary Knight Grand Cross, Order of the Bath
K.K. Rokossovsky - Honorary Knight Commander, Order of the Bath
V.D. Sokolovsky - Honorary Knight Grand Cross, Order of the British Empire (military)
M.S. Malinin - Honorary Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire (military)
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The Most Honorable Order of the Bath, better known by the short name Order of the Bath (British order of chivalry, founded by George I on May 18, 1725. The name 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 a knighthood (the ceremony ceased in 1815).
The Order consists of the Sovereign (British monarch), the Grand Master (or Grand Master; E.V. Prince of Wales) and three classes of knights:
Knights or Dames Grand Cross (GCB)
Knights or Dames Commanders (KCB or DCB)
Companions (CB)
Founded at first as a military order of chivalry, the badge was worn as a distinction of rank for an army officer of the Order of the Bath (excluding guard officers who used the badges of other orders). Knights of the order currently belong to either a civilian or military branch. Foreign citizens and subjects may be admitted to the order as honorary members.
The motto of the order is Tria juncta in uno (from Latin - “Three in one”), which simultaneously refers to the union of England, Scotland and Ireland and to the Holy Trinity. The first is most likely; The symbol of the three crowns is often repeated in the order. The second motto, Ich dien (German for “I Serve”) is also sometimes used, but only by members of the order serving in the armed forces, and is also the motto of the Prince of Wales, Grand Master of the order.
In terms of seniority in the British system of awards, the order ranks fourth after the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle and the Order of St. Patrick. The latter belongs to Ireland, and after its independence it is not used (the order has not accepted new members since 1934).
The British monarch is the head of the Order of the Bath. The next most senior member of the order is the Grand Master, a post held by Charles, Prince of Wales, since 1975. The head of the order appoints new knights on the advice of the government. The statutes also allow:
120 Knights or Dames Grand Cross (GCB), (of which the Grand Master is first and foremost);
355 Knight Commanders (KCB) or Dame Commanders (DCB);
1925 Companions (CB).
The number of knights established by statute was often increased; the order originally consisted of fewer than forty members, but now includes more than two hundred. The statutes allowed the monarch to override limits when appointing members whose actions merited "special honor or reward." These "additional members", also known as honorary members, do not count towards the membership limit.
Regular membership is limited to subjects of the British Crown (from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.), but foreigners and citizens of Commonwealth republics may be admitted to the order as honorary members. For example, immediately after completing their terms as US presidents, Ronald Reagan in 1989 and George H. W. Bush in 1993 became honorary Knights Grand Cross. Dwight Eisenhower became an honorary Knight Grand Cross in 1943 as commander of the Allied forces. Of the Russian military leaders, honorary knights of the order were A. G. Shkuro, A. V. Kolchak and A. I. Denikin (all knight commander, 1919), G. K. Zhukov (knight Grand Cross), I. S. Konev and K.K. Rokossovsky (knight commander) (all - 1945), and in the 19th century - Barclay de Tolly (knight Grand Cross, 1815). Honorary membership does not entail knighthood or the right to be addressed as "Sir".
Women were not allowed into the order until 1971. In 1975, Alice, Duchess of Gloucester became the first to achieve the highest rank, Dame Grand Cross. The rank of Knight Commander and Knight Grand Cross gives the right to be addressed as "Sir" for men and "Dame" for women. Honorary members are not entitled to this treatment, but may use an abbreviation of their rank after their name.
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Order of the British Empire (military)
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry 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). 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.
The Order consists of five classes of civil and military divisions (in descending order of seniority):
Knight Grand Cross (GBE)
or Dame Grand Cross (GBE)
Knight Commander (KBE)
or Dame Commander (DBE)
Commander (CBE)
Officer (OBE)
MBE (Member)
Order of the Bath
Knight Grand Cross
Honorary Knight Commander
Order of the British Empire
The Order of the British Empire (OBE) was created in June 1917 by King George V to fill a gap in the British honors system. Before this, high military and civilian ranks could receive the Supreme Order of the Bath; diplomats - the Honorable Order of St. Michael and St. George, and for people personally serving the royal family, there was the Royal Victorian Order.
George V wanted to be able to reward thousands and thousands of people who gave their debt to the country during the First World War, but who served not at the front, but in the rear. Among these people there were many women who had not been awarded orders in Britain until that time.
Knighthoods
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an award of one of the British orders of chivalry, the motto of which is “For God and the Empire.” The Order's chapel is located in St. Paul's Cathedral, London.
The Order has military and civilian divisions and five degrees:
The Sovereign of the Order is the British monarch who appoints all other members of the order, that is, awards the award. But it does not do this independently, but on the proposal of the governments of the United Kingdom and some states that are part of the Commonwealth.
For the highest degrees of the order - Knight Grand Cross, Knight Commander and Commander - there are restrictions on the number, but for the fourth and fifth categories there are no limits on the number of recipients. However, within one year their numbers cannot increase by more than 858 and 1,464 people, respectively.
Sir or not sir?
Most members of the Order are citizens of the United Kingdom or those Commonwealth countries and territories in which the British monarch is head of state, albeit nominally. However, citizens of other states can also be nominated as “honorary members” for the award.
But, even when nominated to one of the three highest degrees of the order, they receive the right to use the title “sir” or “dame cavalry” in their name only if they become citizens of the United Kingdom or other territories subordinate to the monarch.
For example, the American Bill Gates, who became a Knight Commander, cannot call himself “Sir William” or “Sir William Gates III,” but “William Henry Gates III, KBE.” On the other hand, Irish TV presenter Terry Wogan received the same order as Bill Gates in 1997, and in 2005 received a British passport, as a result of which he can now use the name “Sir Terry”.
Knights of the Order of all grades are given clearly defined positions in the order of precedence of the United Kingdom, headed by the monarch and members of the royal family.Over the years, heads of state and musicians, military personnel, actors, artists, journalists, and public figures have become laureates of the Order of the British Empire of various degrees.
The Military Order of the British Empire was awarded to many Soviet officers and soldiers who participated in the naval battles of World War II. Among the Russian gentlemen in recent years are cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, ballerina Shulamith Messerer, rector of the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences Theodor Shanin and the founder of the Moscow School of Political Studies Elena Nemirovskaya, from whom the award was stolen in 2004. It was believed that this was the only Order of the British Empire located at that time in Russia.
How to get rid of the order
However, the gentleman can lose the award not only by coincidence, but also by the decision of the British monarch. Over the 90-year history of the Order of the British Empire, there are 115 such exceptional cases. Among the reasons leading to revocation were illegal land seizure and collaboration with the Nazis during the Second World War, theft, tax evasion, election fraud and even dangerous driving.
But perhaps the most interesting case for us occurred in 1965, when the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire was stripped of the famous British spy Kim Philby, who, as it turned out, was a double agent and worked not so much for London as for Moscow.
However, the order is not only deprived; They also refuse it, and for various reasons. Last year, for example, British designer Joseph Corr, one of the founders of lingerie firm Agent Provocateur, did so on the grounds that then-Prime Minister Tony Blair was, in his words, “morally corrupt.”
But more often the reasons for refusal are not personal, but general political ones. The order is most criticized for its connection to Britain's imperial past. The most famous of those who returned an already accepted award were perhaps John Lennon and Rabindranath Tagore.
And five years ago, the poet Benjamin Zephaniah publicly renounced the OBE title, saying it reminded him of "thousands of years of cruelty; reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and how animals were treated by my forefathers."
In the same year, as if listening to the words of the poet, one of the committees of the House of Commons of the British Parliament recommended changing the name to the Order of British Excellence (Order of British Excellence), and changing the degree of “Commander” to “Companion”, since the current meaning has a militaristic connotation.