Royal honours reflect the best and brightest that the UK has to offer. Honouring individuals across a range of sectors, including the arts and media, education, health, public service and more, these accolades serve to highlight outstanding achievements and inspire others.
But who decides who gets a royal honour? What happens behind the scenes? And how are these rigorous standards upheld? In this article, we’ll take a look inside the mysterious selection process and reveal who decides who receives this recognition of excellence and dedication.
We’ll also share how our services here at Awards Intelligence can go a long way to helping you secure a royal honour. Our team of experts can support you in drafting a nomination so detailed and compelling that there is not a shadow of a doubt about your candidate’s worthiness for such an honour.
Behind the scenes of receiving a royal honour in the UK
Behind every royal honour awarded in the UK is an objective and rigorous process. At the heart of the Honours system are subject-specialist Independent Committees, who meet twice a year to evaluate who deserves national recognition for their services, achievements and impact on our country and beyond.
Their decision-making informs the Main Honours Committee, which is composed of the chairpeople from each of the Independent Committees, who then agree on the final list of recommendations that will be submitted to the Prime Minister and ultimately the King.
What are the Independent Committees?
There are ten sector-specific independent committees, each of which covers a field of British life, including the following.
- Arts and Media
- Community and Voluntary Service
- Economy
- Education
- Health and Social Care
- Parliamentary and Political Service
- Public Service
- Science, Technology and Research
- Sport
- State
Who works behind the scenes of the British Honours System?
Experts in their respective fields, each committee is made up of independent people who can objectively evaluate which nominations deserve to be rewarded with such a prestigious accolade. Ranging from academics and industry leaders to experienced professionals, these committees bring invaluable insight to the process.
What sets them apart in evaluating the worthiness of a candidate is the depth of subject knowledge that they bring to the table.
Nominees who stand out during the consideration process are those who have played a leading role in their area of interest, demonstrating an outstanding level of impact or significant influence in their field.
Additional considerations: diversity
Brought to the forefront of the consideration process by our current Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, the British Honours System is more reflective of the diversity of our society than ever before.
Of course, each and every nominee is considered solely on the basis of merit; it’s also incredibly important to spotlight achievements that otherwise slip under the radar due to differing backgrounds. Underrepresented communities commit their lives to outstanding work, which deserves to be recognised, highlighted by Starmer.
The Prime Minister would also love to see more different types of work being rewarded, including those working to break down barriers to opportunities, and those providing exceptional service to citizens.
Ensuring that the British Honours System continually evolves to reflect the deeply rich and varying tapestry that the UK is made up of is a dedicated Diversity Committee. This committee supports the work of the independent committees, advising them on best practices and enabling them to remain aligned with diversity targets.
The term ‘diversity’ encompasses a range of attributes that may disadvantage an individual, including the following:
- Gender
- Disability
- Sexual orientation
- Socioeconomic background
Final approvals
Once the above committees have finalised their recommendations, the Main Committee decides on the list to pass on to the Prime Minister for a formal sign-off, before being presented to the King for approval.
Royal honours are then granted, sent to the nominated people for their acceptance and then publicised in the media. Following this process is an investiture, during which the honour is officially bestowed upon the accomplished individuals, which is a truly pivotal and momentous occasion.
Receive one of the most prestigious accolades with Awards Intelligence
So, the next time you hear about a new royal honour recipient, you’ll know the remarkable journey and deeply thoughtful process behind their recognition.
As one of the most notable and prestigious awards in the world, the competition is steep. With Awards Intelligence, you can stand a real chance of getting an incredible individual in your life the recognition they deserve. We’ll support you throughout the entire process, from crafting a compelling nomination letter, all the way to the point of submission.
Get in touch with us today to discover more about our services.