In the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories,personal bravery,achievement,or service are rewarded with honours. The honours system consists of three types of award:
The British royal family comprises King Charles III and his close relations. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member,although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is a part of the royal family. Members often support the monarch in undertaking public engagements,and pursue charitable work and interests. Members of the royal family are regarded as British and world cultural icons.
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system,it is outranked in precedence only by the decorations of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross. The Order of the Garter is dedicated to the image and arms of Saint George,England's patron saint.
Prince Edward,Duke of Kent is a member of the British royal family. The elder son of Prince George,Duke of Kent,and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark,he is a grandson of George V,nephew of Edward VIII and George VI,and first cousin of Elizabeth II. Edward's mother was also a first cousin of Prince Philip,Duke of Edinburgh,consort of Elizabeth II,making him both a second cousin and first cousin once removed to Charles III. He is 41st in the line of succession to the British throne.
Prince Arthur of Connaught was a British military officer and a grandson of Queen Victoria. He served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa from 20 November 1920 to 21 January 1924.
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld,later Princess of Leiningen and subsequently Duchess of Kent and Strathearn,was a German princess and the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. As the widow of Charles,Prince of Leiningen,from 1814,she served as regent of the Principality during the minority of her son from her first marriage,Karl,until her second wedding in 1818 to Prince Edward,fourth son of George III.
Counsellors of State are senior members of the British royal family to whom the monarch can delegate royal functions through letters patent under the Great Seal,to prevent delay or difficulty in the dispatch of public business in the case of their illness or of their intended or actual absence from the United Kingdom.
An equerry is an officer of honour. Historically,it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use,it is a personal attendant,usually upon a sovereign,a member of a royal family,or a national representative. The role is equivalent to an aide-de-camp,but the term is now prevalent only among some members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Robin Berry Janvrin,Baron Janvrin,is a British naval officer,diplomat,and courtier who was private secretary to Elizabeth II from February 1999 to September 2007.
Francis Knollys,1st Viscount Knollys,was a British courtier. He served as Private Secretary to the Sovereign from 1901 to 1913.
Sir Alan Frederick "Tommy" Lascelles, was a British courtier and civil servant who held several positions in the first half of the twentieth century,culminating in his position as Private Secretary to both George VI and Elizabeth II. In 1950,he wrote the Lascelles Principles in a letter to the editor of The Times,using the pen-name "Senex".
Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur John Bigge,1st Baron Stamfordham,was a British Army officer and courtier. He was Private Secretary to Queen Victoria during the last few years of her reign,and to George V during most of his reign. He was the maternal grandfather of Lord Adeane,Private Secretary to Elizabeth II from 1953 to 1972.
Michael Edward Adeane,Baron Adeane,was Private Secretary to Elizabeth II for 19 years,between 1953 and 1972.
James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor,Earl of Wessex,styled Viscount Severn from 2007 until 2023,is the younger child and son of Prince Edward,Duke of Edinburgh,and Sophie,Duchess of Edinburgh. He is the youngest nephew of King Charles III. He was born during the reign of his paternal grandmother Elizabeth II,at which time he was 8th in line to the British throne. He is currently 15th.
The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the collective departments that support members of the British royal family. Many members of the royal family who undertake public duties have separate households. They vary considerably in size,from the large household that supports the sovereign to the household of the Prince and Princess of Wales,with fewer members.
Edward VIII,later known as the Duke of Windsor,was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire,and Emperor of India,from 20 January 1936 until his abdication in December of the same year.
Major-General Sir John Clayton Cowell PC KCB was a British Army officer and later Master of the Queen's Household and lieutenant-governor of Windsor Castle.
Andrew David Parker,Baron Parker of Minsmere,,is a British life peer and former intelligence officer who served as Director General of MI5 from 2013 to 2020. He served as Lord Chamberlain of the Household from 2021 to 2024,and is a crossbench member of the House of Lords.
Sir Clive Alderton is a British diplomat and courtier who has served as Private Secretary to King Charles III and Queen Camilla since 8 September 2022. As Private Secretary to the Sovereign,he is the senior operational member of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. In this role,he took part in the 2023 Coronation. He is the 25th holder of the office of Private Secretary since its inception in 1805.
As part of the British honours system,Special Honours are issued at the Monarch's pleasure at any given time. The Special Honours refer to the awards made within royal prerogative,operational honours,political honours and other honours awarded outside the New Years Honours and Birthday Honours.
