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Awarding the Order of the British Empire to Soviet marshals in Berlin. Modern knights: how and why they received the title of lady or Sir Angelina Jolie, Elton John and others Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Most Excellent Order
British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

Motto

For God and Empire (eng. For God and the Empire)

A country

Great Britain Great Britain

Type

Knight's order

Status

awarded

Statistics

Establishment date

June 4, 1917

Sequence

Senior Award

Royal Victorian Order

Junior Award

varies depending on class

Media files on Wikimedia Commons

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).

Story

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.

Charter

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.

Seniority and privileges

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, awarded the title Knight Commander of the British Empire

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original name Motto Type Who is it awarded to?

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Awarded by

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Reasons for the award

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Status

awarded

Statistics Options

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Establishment date First award

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Last award

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Number of awards

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Sequence Senior Award Junior Award

varies depending on class

Compliant

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Website

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[] on Wikimedia Commons

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 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).

Story

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, however some Commonwealth states continue such awards.

Charter

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.

Seniority and privileges

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 Dame Commanders, as well as Commanders, are only entitled to the circle.

Robes and distinctions

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 order's badge 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 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.

Awards during World War II

The British Ministry of Information newspaper "British Ally", published during the Second World War, published on May 21, 1944 a decree of King George VI awarding Soviet generals and officers with the Order of the British Empire. . In total, according to royal decrees, 47 generals and admirals, 115 officers and two sergeants of the Red Army were awarded the Order of the British Empire of the military division of various degrees.

Honorary Knights Grand Cross

Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky (1944)
Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Sokolovsky (1945)

Honorary Knight Commanders

General Pavel Batov
Marshal of Armored Forces Semyon Bogdanov (1944)
General Nikolai Gagen
General Andrey Getman
General Andrey Kravchenko
General Mikhail Malinin (1945)
Marshal of the Soviet Union Kirill Moskalenko
General Nikolai Psurtsev
General Pyotr Semenov
Air Marshal Vladimir Sudets
General Trofim Tanaschishin
General Mikhail Shumilov + Commander

and others.

Commanders

and others.

Some modern awards

Bridge engineer Oleg Kerensky - commander (1964)
Cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich - honorary Knight Commander (1987)
Radio host Seva Novgorodtsev - member (2005)
Actor Vasily Livanov - honorary member (2006)
Journalist and publicist Konstantin Eggert - honorary member (2008)
Adele (2014)

Criticism

The Order has attracted some criticism regarding the idea of the British Empire. The poet Benjamin Zephaniah publicly rejected the OBE because, he said, it reminded him of “a thousand years of brutality.” He went on to say, “It reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and how my forefathers were brutalized.”

see also

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Notes

Links

(English)
on the website (English)
on the website of M. Robertson (English)
(Russian)

View this template

Modern orders

Historical orders

Modern awards

Historical awards

Other differences

An excerpt characterizing the Order of the British Empire

– My beloved Venice has risen. People grumbled indignantly in the streets, gathered in squares, no one wanted to humble themselves. Always free and proud, the city did not want to accept priests under its wing. And then Rome, seeing that Venice was not going to bow to him, decided to take a serious step - it sent its best inquisitor, a crazy cardinal, to Venice, who was the most ardent fanatic, the real “father of the Inquisition,” and who could not be ignored. .. He was the “right hand” of the Pope, and his name was Giovanni Pietro Caraffa... I was thirty-six years old then...
(When I began to look through the story of Isidora in my own way, which seemed interesting enough to me to write about, I was very pleased with one detail - the name Pietro Caraffa seemed familiar, and I decided to look for him among the “historically important” personalities. And what is was my joy when I found him right there!.. Caraffa turned out to be a genuine historical figure, he was the real “father of the Inquisition”, who later, having already become Pope (Paul IV), set the better half of Europe on fire. About the life of Isidora I, unfortunately, I found only one line... In Caraffa’s biography there is a one-line mention of the case of the “Venetian Witch”, who was considered the most beautiful woman in Europe at that time... But, unfortunately, this was all that could correspond to today’s history).
Isidora was silent for a long time... Her wonderful golden eyes shone with such deep sadness that a black melancholy literally “howled” inside me... This wonderful woman still kept within herself the terrible, inhuman pain that someone very evil had once made her suffer. And I suddenly became afraid that right now, in the most interesting place, she would stop, and we would never know what happened to her next! But the amazing storyteller did not even think about stopping. Apparently there were just some moments that still cost her too much strength to get over them... And then, in defense, her tormented soul closed tightly, not wanting to let anyone in and not allowing her to remember anything “out loud”... afraid to awaken the burning, extreme pain sleeping inside. But apparently, being strong enough to overcome any sadness, Isidora collected herself again and quietly continued:
“I first saw him when I was calmly walking on the embankment, talking about new books with merchants I knew well, many of whom had long been my good friends. The day was very pleasant, bright and sunny, and no trouble, it seemed, should have appeared in the middle of such a wonderful day... But that’s what I thought. But my evil fate has prepared something completely different...
Calmly talking with Francesco Valgrisi, the books that he published were adored by all of Europe at that time, I suddenly felt a strong blow to my heart, and for a moment I stopped breathing... It was very unexpected, but, bearing in mind my long experience, I in no way I could have, I had no right to miss this!.. I turned around in surprise - right point blank, deep burning eyes were looking at me. And I recognized them immediately!.. Those eyes tormented me for so many nights, making me jump up in my sleep, drenched in cold sweat!.. It was a guest from my nightmares. Unpredictable and scary.
The man was thin and tall, but looked very fit and strong. His thin, ascetic face was framed, heavily touched with gray, by thick black hair and a neat, short-cropped beard. The scarlet cardinal's cassock made him alien and very dangerous... A strange golden-red cloud hovered around his flexible body, which only I saw. And if he were not a faithful vassal of the church, I would have thought that a Sorcerer was standing in front of me...
His whole figure and his gaze burning with hatred expressed rage. And for some reason I immediately realized that this was the famous Caraffa...
I didn’t even have time to figure out how I managed to cause such a storm (after all, not a single word had been spoken yet!), when I immediately heard his strange, hoarse voice:
– Are you interested in books, Madonna Isidora?..
In Italy, women and girls were called “Madonna” when they were addressed with respect.
My soul went cold - he knew my name... But why? Why was I interested in this creepy man?!. I felt dizzy from intense tension. It seemed as if someone was squeezing my brain with an iron vice... And then suddenly I realized - Caraffa!!! It was he who tried to mentally break me!.. But why?
I looked straight into his eyes again - thousands of fires were blazing in them, carrying innocent souls into the sky...
– What books are you interested in, Madonna Isidora? – his low voice sounded again.
“Oh, I’m sure, not the kind you’re looking for, Your Eminence,” I answered calmly.
My soul ached and fluttered in fear, like a caught bird, but I knew for sure that there was no way to show him this. It was necessary, no matter what the cost, to stay as calm as possible and try, if possible, to get rid of him as quickly as possible. There were rumors in the city that the “crazy cardinal” persistently tracked down his intended victims, who later disappeared without a trace, and no one in the world knew where and how to find them, or whether they were even alive.
– I’ve heard so much about your refined taste, Madonna Isidora! Venice only talks about you! Will you honor me with this honor and share your new acquisition with me?
Karaffa smiled... And this smile made my blood run cold and I wanted to run wherever my eyes were looking, just so as not to see this insidious, sophisticated face ever again! He was a real predator by nature, and right now he was on the hunt... I felt it with every cell of my body, every fiber of my soul, frozen in horror. I have never been cowardly... But I had heard too much about this terrible man, and I knew that nothing would stop him if he decided that he wanted to get me into his tenacious clutches. He swept away any barriers when it came to “heretics.” And even kings were afraid of him... To some extent, I even respected him...
Isidora smiled when she saw our frightened faces.
- Yes, I respected it. But it was a different respect than what you thought. I respected his tenacity, his ineradicable faith in his “good deed.” He was obsessed with what he was doing, not like most of his followers, who simply robbed, raped and enjoyed life. Caraffa never took anything and never raped anyone. Women, as such, did not exist for him at all. He was a “soldier of Christ” from beginning to end, and until his last breath... True, he never understood that in everything he did on Earth, he was absolutely and completely wrong, that it was terrible and an unforgivable crime. He died like that, sincerely believing in his “good deed”...
And now, this man, fanatical in his delusion, was clearly determined to get my “sinful” soul for some reason...
While I was frantically trying to come up with something, they unexpectedly came to my aid... My old acquaintance, almost a friend, Francesco, from whom I had just bought books, suddenly turned to me in an irritated tone, as if losing patience with my indecision:
– Madonna Isidora, have you finally decided what suits you? My clients are waiting for me, and I can’t spend my whole day just on you! No matter how nice it would be to me.
I stared at him in surprise, but fortunately, I immediately caught his risky thought - he suggested that I get rid of the dangerous books that I was holding in my hands at that moment! Books were Caraffa’s favorite hobby, and it was for them that, more often than not, the smartest people found themselves in the networks that this crazy inquisitor set up for them...
I immediately left most of it on the counter, to which Francesco immediately expressed “wild displeasure.” Caraffa watched. I immediately felt how much this simple, naive game amused him. He understood everything perfectly, and if he wanted, he could easily arrest both me and my poor risky friend. But for some reason he didn’t want to... He seemed to sincerely enjoy my helplessness, like a contented cat holding a caught mouse in a corner...
- May I leave you, Your Eminence? – Without even hoping for a positive answer, I asked cautiously.
– To my great regret, Madonna Isidora! – the cardinal exclaimed with feigned disappointment. -Will you allow me to come see you sometime? They say you have a very gifted daughter? I would really like to meet and talk with her. I hope she is as beautiful as her mother...
“My daughter, Anna, is only ten years old, my lord,” I answered as calmly as possible.
And my soul was screaming in animal horror!.. He knew everything about me!.. Why, oh, why did crazy Karaffa need me?.. Why was he interested in my little Anna?!
Is it because I was known as the famous Vidunya, and he considered me his worst enemy?.. After all, it didn’t matter to him what they called me, for the “Grand Inquisitor” I was simply a witch, and he burned witches at the stake.. .
I loved Life deeply and selflessly! And I, like every normal person, really wanted it to last as long as possible. After all, even the most notorious scoundrel, who may have taken the lives of others, cherishes every minute he lives, every day he lives, his life, precious to him!.. But it was at that moment that I suddenly understood very clearly that it was he, Caraffa, who will take her, my short and so valuable to me, unlived life...
– A great spirit is born in a small body, Madonna Isidora. Even Saint Jesus was once a child. I will be very glad to visit you! – and bowing gracefully, Caraffa left.
The world was collapsing... It crumbled into small pieces, each of which reflected a predatory, subtle, intelligent face...
I tried to somehow calm down and not panic, but for some reason it didn’t work. This time my usual confidence in myself and my abilities failed me, and this made it even worse. The day was as sunny and bright as just a few minutes ago, but darkness settled in my soul. As it turned out, I had been waiting for this man to appear for a long time. And all my nightmare visions about bonfires were only a harbinger... for today's meeting with him.
Returning home, I immediately persuaded my husband to pick up little Anna and take her somewhere far away, where Caraffa’s evil tentacles could not reach her. And she herself began to prepare for the worst, because she knew for sure that his arrival would not take long. And I was not mistaken...
A few days later, my favorite black maid Kay (at that time it was very fashionable to have black servants in rich houses) reported that “His Eminence, the Cardinal, is waiting for me in the pink drawing room.” And I felt that something would happen right now...
I was wearing a light yellow silk dress and knew that this color suited me very well. But if there was one person in the world in front of whom I did not want to look attractive, it was certainly Caraffa. But there was no time left to change clothes, and I had to go out that way.
He waited, calmly leaning on the back of his chair, studying some old manuscript, of which there were a countless number in our house. I put on a pleasant smile and went down to the living room. Seeing me, for some reason Karaffa froze, without uttering a word. The silence dragged on, and it seemed to me that the cardinal was about to hear my frightened heart beating loudly and treacherously... But finally, his enthusiastic, hoarse voice was heard:
– You are amazing, Madonna Isidora! Even this sunny morning is playing next to you!
“I never thought that cardinals were allowed to compliment ladies!” – with the greatest effort, continuing to smile, I squeezed out.
- Cardinals are people too, Madonna, and they know how to distinguish beauty from simplicity... And where is your wonderful daughter? Will I be able to enjoy double beauty today?
– She is not in Venice, Your Eminence. She and her father went to Florence to visit her sick cousin.
– As far as I know, there are no patients in your family at the moment. Who fell ill so suddenly, Madonna Isidora? – there was an undisguised threat in his voice...
Caraffa began to play openly. And I had no choice but to face the danger face to face...
– What do you want from me, Your Eminence? Wouldn't it be easier to say it directly, saving us both from this unnecessary, cheap game? We are smart enough people that, even with differences in views, we can respect each other.
My legs were giving way from horror, but for some reason Caraffa didn’t notice this. He glared at my face with a flaming gaze, not answering and not noticing anything around. I couldn’t understand what was happening, and this whole dangerous comedy frightened me more and more... But then something completely unexpected happened, something completely outside the usual framework... Caraffa came very close to me, that’s all also, without taking his burning eyes off, and almost without breathing, he whispered:
– You cannot be from God... You are too beautiful! You are a witch!!! A woman has no right to be so beautiful! You are from the Devil!..
And turning around, he rushed out of the house without looking back, as if Satan himself was chasing him... I stood in complete shock, still expecting to hear his steps, but nothing happened. Gradually coming to my senses, and finally managing to relax my stiff body, I took a deep breath and... lost consciousness. I woke up on the bed, drinking hot wine from the hands of my dear maid Kei. But immediately, remembering what had happened, she jumped to her feet and began to rush around the room, not having any idea what to do... Time passed, and she had to do something, come up with something in order to somehow protect herself and your family from this two-legged monster. I knew for sure that now all the games were over, that the war had begun. But our forces, to my great regret, were very, very unequal... Naturally, I could defeat him in my own way... I could even simply stop his bloodthirsty heart. And all these horrors would end immediately. But the fact is that, even at thirty-six years old, I was still too pure and kind to kill... I never took a life, on the contrary, I very often gave it back. And even such a terrible person as Karaffa was, she could not yet execute...

Commander of the British Empire

Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

original name
Motto	For God and Empire(English) For God and the Empire)
A country	Great Britain
Type	Knight's order
Who is it awarded to?
Reasons for the award
Status	awarded
Statistics
Options
Establishment date	June 4, 1917
First award
Last award
Number of awards
Sequence
Senior Award
Junior Award	varies depending on class
Compliant

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(English) Dame Commander) (DBE)
Commander(CBE) Commander)
Officer(OBE) Officer)
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 associates 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 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

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 is more democratic in nature than the Order of the Bath and the Order of Saints Michael and George, and was not highly valued in 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.

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 award of the medal has not been recommended by the UK Government 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.

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):

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 cannot use the prefix "Sir" or "Dame", 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”.

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 on the collar. Knights and Dame Commanders, as well as Commanders, are only entitled to the circle.

The number of order bearers in the BBC Russian Service has doubled. Three years ago, the legendary radio presenter Seva Novgorodtsev received the Order of the British Empire from the hands of Queen Elizabeth II, and it was just announced that the editor-in-chief of the Moscow Bureau of the BBC Russian Service, Konstantin Eggert, was also awarded the “officer” degree of the order.

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:

Knight or Dame Grand Cross

Knight Commander or Dame Commander

Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Officer

Member of the Order Today, the Order of the British Empire is often called a symbol of British democracy, and it is indeed more democratic than the exclusive Order of the Bath or the Order of St. Michael and St. George. At the beginning of its existence, the award was not considered very honorable, but over time, attitudes towards it changed.

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 number 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 being presented 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.

The Order of the British Empire was founded back in 1917 by order of King George V. Since then, not only famous personalities within the state, but also outside it have become holders of this organization. For foreigners, a special title of “honorary members” was created, which was awarded to many people from other countries. Several famous holders of the order will be discussed in the article.

Developments in genetics

Alec Jeffreys was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1994 for his outstanding achievements in the field of genetics. It was he who developed the special technology of DNA fingerprinting. It is still actively used in all countries when conducting forensic examinations. The invention greatly simplified the process of proving guilt when committing a crime. Alec Jeffries currently works as a professor at the University of Leicester. It is worth noting that throughout his life he received more than fifteen different awards. In 2015, a short series was filmed about the man, which talked about the invention of DNA fingerprinting, the first application and future success of the technology.

First son of the current Queen Elizabeth

Prince Charles also received the Order of the British Empire for his activities. He was born in 1948 and became the first grandson of King George. In his honor, the bells of Westminster Abbey rang five thousand times, forty-one artillery shots were fired, and sailors throughout the country received a double portion of their favorite alcoholic drink. In 1953, he attended the coronation of his mother Elizabeth. He was home-schooled from the age of five to eight and is a graduate of the prestigious University of Cambridge. He was married to Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in 1997. From this marriage two sons were born - William and Harry. In 2005, he married his mistress Camilla Bowles again, with whom he had a long-term relationship even during his marriage to Diana. The man is actively involved in charity work, has his own foundation and patronizes a huge number of different organizations. Prince Charles has written many books in the fields of architecture, painting, gardening, and is interested in playing polo and fox hunting.

Famous athlete

Renowned yachtsman Rodney Stewart Pattison also received an OBE for his achievements in this sporting category. He was born in 1943 in Scotland, and it is known that he served as a pilot in the army. When moving to England, he entered Penborne College, which trained specialists for the Navy. In those years, I became actively interested in sailing competitions. He met Macdonald-Smith in London, who worked as a lawyer. Together they participated in the nineteenth Olympic Summer Games, which took place in Mexico City. They won gold in the Flying Dutchman competition. After that, Rodney and his crew won gold three more times over the next four years. In 1971, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire for services to sport. In Munich he managed to defend the title of Olympic champion, and in 1976 in Montreal he became the standard bearer of his state. Then in the sailing battles he lost together with Julian Brooke-Hayton only to the duo from Germany. Until 2008, he was the most titled yachtsman in Great Britain, until his record was broken by Ben Ainslie.

Achievements in the field of sculpture

John Skelton also became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, joining the list of famous people on this list. The man was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1923 and had five more brothers and sisters. He attended school in the city of Coventry, and also attended classes at the choir institution at Norwich Cathedral. It was here that he first began to become involved with art. Later, his uncle Eric Gill, who was already a famous English sculptor, took him on as an apprentice. John was an ordinary assistant until he had to join the army in 1942. While serving in the artillery, he visited many Asian countries. After arriving, he completed his education. In 1948 he created his own workshop in East Sussex. Many works belong to his hands, including the tombstone of Edward James and inscriptions in different scripts on Chichester Cathedral. He was one of the craftsmen who worked on the memorial to British generals in World War II.

Russian actor

In 2006, Queen Elizabeth herself awarded the Order of the British Empire to Vasily Livanov. This Russian actor received a high award for his most popular role as Sherlock Holmes in a number of Soviet films of the same name. The award was given to him for the fact that he perfectly conveyed the image of the legendary detective on the screens. The Queen admitted that even the masters of English cinema could not create a more subtle image. He himself said that they succeeded for one simple reason - they followed the original source. Holmes's main qualities were emphasized, they made him a true gentleman and did not try to add anything of their own. At the same time, Watson in other films based on these works was shown as a man at the beck and call of the brilliant detective. In Soviet films he was equated with Sherlock, and the result was an excellent duet. Livanov was awarded the Order of the British Empire in Moscow at the British Embassy.