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Order of the Companions of Honour
Ribband and badge of the "Companions of Honour"
Awarded by the sovereign of the Commonwealth realms
Type	Order
Motto	IN ACTION FAITHFUL AND IN HONOUR CLEAR
Awarded for	nationally important service
Status	Currently constituted
Sovereign	Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Grades (w/ post-nominals)	Companion
Established	1917
Ribbon bar of the order

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

The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion.

The order consists of the sovereign, plus no more than 65 Companions of Honour with, originally, a quota of 45 members for the United Kingdom, 7 for Australia, 2 for New Zealand and 11 for other countries. Additionally, foreigners may be added as "honorary members". The order confers no knighthood or other status, but recipients of this one-class order are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "CH".

The insignia of the Order consists of an oval medallion with an oak tree, a shield with the royal arms hanging from one branch, and on the left a mounted knight in armour. The badge's clear blue border bears the motto IN ACTION FAITHFUL AND IN HONOUR CLEAR (Alexander Pope's description (in iambic pentameter) in his Epistle to Mr Addison of James Craggs, later used on Craggs' monument in Westminster Abbey) in gold letters, and the oval is surmounted by an imperial crown. Men wear the badge on a ribbon (red with golden border threads) around their necks, and women on a bow at the left shoulder.

Current members

• Sovereign: HM The Queen
• Members:
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Ashley of Stoke CH PC (1975)
  • The Rt Hon. Malcolm Fraser AC CH (1976)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Glenamara CH PC (1976)
  • The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Somare GCL GCMG CH CF (1978)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Healey CH MBE PC (1979)
  • The Rt Hon. Sir Brian Talboys AC CH KCB (1981)
  • The Rt Hon. Doug Anthony AC CH (1981)
  • Dr Frederick Sanger OM CH CBE FRS (1981)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Carrington KG GCMG CH MC PC DL (1983)
  • Lucian Freud OM CH CBE (1983)
  • Dr Sydney Brenner CH FRS (1987)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Tebbit CH PC (1987)
  • Professor Stephen Hawking CH CBE FRS FRSA (1989)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Baker of Dorking CH PC (1992)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville CH PC (1992)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord King of Bridgwater CH PC (1992)
  • Dame Janet Baker CH DBE (1993)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Owen CH PC (1994)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Hurd of Westwell CH CBE PC (1995)
  • Sir David Attenborough OM CH CVO CBE FRS FZS (1996)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Howe of Aberavon CH PC QC (1996)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Heseltine CH PC (1997)
  • David Hockney CH RA (1997)
  • Peter Brook CH CBE (1998)
  • Professor Eric Hobsbawm CH FBA (1998)
  • The Rt Hon. Sir John Major KG CH (1998)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Patten of Barnes CH PC (1998)
  • Bridget Riley CH CBE (1998)
  • General John de Chastelain CH OC CMM CD (1999)
  • Richard Hamilton CH (2000)
  • Doris Lessing CH OBE (2000)
  • Sir Harrison Birtwistle CH (2001)
  • Sir Colin Davis CH CBE (2001)
  • Sir George Christie CH (2001)
  • Sir Michael Howard OM CH CBE MC FBA (2002)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Hannay of Chiswick GCMG CH (2003)
  • Sir Howard Hodgkin CH CBE (2003)
  • Professor James Lovelock CH CBE FRS (2003)
  • Sir Charles Mackerras AC CH CBE (2003)
  • Sir Denis Mahon CH CBE (2003)
  • Professor Dan McKenzie CH FRS (2003)
  • Dame Judi Dench CH DBE FRSA (2005)
  • Professor Anthony Pawson CH OC OOnt FRS FRSC (2006)
  • Sir Ian McKellen CH CBE (2008)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Rogers of Riverside CH (2008)

• Honorary Members:
  • The Hon. Lee Kuan Yew GCMG CH (1970)
  • Professor Amartya Sen CH (2000)
  • Bernard Haitink CH KBE (2002)

See also

• List of Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour
• List of honorary British Knights
• List of people who have declined a British honour

External links

• British Royal Family - Order of the Companions of Honour page

References

Orders, Decorations, and Medals of Canada Awards of valour Victoria Cross · Cross of Valour National orders Order of Merit · Order of Canada · Order of Military Merit · Order of Merit of the Police Forces · Royal Victorian Order · Sacrifice Medal · Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem Provincial orders Quebec · Saskatchewan · Ontario · British Columbia · Alberta · Prince Edward Island · Manitoba · New Brunswick · Nova Scotia · Newfoundland and Labrador Other Decorations and medals Decorations · War and Operational Service Medals · Special Service Medals · United Nations Medals · NATO Medals · International Mission Medals · Commemorative Medals · Long service and Good Conduct Medals · Exemplary Service Medals · Special Medals · Commonwealth Orders, Decorations and Medals · Foreign Orders, Decorations and Medals