by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024
The Princess Royal conducting an Investiture in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace in 2023; Credit – By Fcandice – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=135463762
Each year around 2,600 people are personally invested with their honours by the Monarch or another senior member of the British Royal Family. Twice a year, in the New Year Honours and the June Birthday Honours, a list of the honour recipients is published. Most honours are awarded on the advice of the Cabinet Office, and anybody can make a recommendation if they know someone they believe to be worthy. To find out more visit https://www.gov.uk/honours
Investitures for those honours are held throughout the year usually in either the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace or the Grand Reception Room at Windsor Castle. Sometimes Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland, and other sites are used, even the field of battle as in the photo below.
In 1944, during World War II, King George VI invested Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey with his knighthood as Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, on the field of battle; Credit – Wikipedia
What kind of honours are awarded?
The current honours system consists of six orders of chivalry and four orders of merit. Those who receive two orders of chivalry, the Most Noble Order of the Garter and the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, are invested with the order’s insignia at separate specific ceremonies just for those orders.
The following orders of chivalry and orders of merit are awarded at Investitures.
Orders of Chivalry
- Most Honourable Order of the Bath
- Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
- Distinguished Service Order
- Royal Victorian Order
Orders of Merit
- Order of Merit
- Imperial Service Order
- Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
- Order of the Companions of Honour
Unofficial Royalty: British Orders and Honours
What happens at an Investiture?
King Charles III while Prince of Wales conducting an Investiture in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace in 1986
An Investiture is a formal ceremony in which those awarded an honour personally receive their insignia from a member of the Royal Family. The recipient will visit a royal residence with their family and friends to receive their honour. Around 60 recipients attend each Investiture. When the recipients arrive at the Investiture site, they are given a special pin to wear so that their insignia can be easily attached to their clothing when their honour is awarded. On the day of the Investiture, the insignia are carefully checked and laid out in the room where the Investiture will be held. The sword used for knighting is checked and put in its place.
The Monarch or senior member of the Royal Family enters the room attended by two Gurkha orderly officers, a tradition begun by Queen Victoria in 1876. On the dais are five members of the Yeomen of the Guard. Three Lady or Gentleman Ushers are on duty to help look after the recipients and their guests. The National Anthem is played, and then the military band or orchestra plays a selection of music during the Investiture.
Each year around 2,600 people are personally invested with their honours by the Monarch or another senior member of the British Royal Family. Twice a year, in either the New Year Honours or the June Birthday Honours, a list of the honour recipients is published. Most honours are awarded on the advice of the Cabinet Office, and anybody can make a recommendation if they know someone they believe to be worthy. To find out more, or to nominate someone for an honour, visit https://www.gov.uk/honours
King Charles III while Prince of Wales conducting an Investiture in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace in 2019
Either the Lord Chamberlain or the Lord Steward stands to the right of the Monarch or senior member of the Royal Family and announces the name of each recipient and the achievement for which they are being honoured. Each insignia is placed on a cushion and is then passed to the Royal Family member awarding the honour. The Monarch or senior member of the Royal Family is provided with a brief background for each recipient by their equerry as each recipient approaches, and then places the insignia on the person and congratulates them on their honour.
Sir David Khalili is knighted by King Charles III at Windsor Castle in 2022; Credit – By Khalili Collections CC-BY-SA 3.0 IGO, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=144431171
Men receiving a knighthood kneel on an Investiture stool to be dubbed. The Monarch or senior member of the Royal Family lays the sword blade on the right and then the left shoulder. Only men are dubbed. Women receiving a damehood, the female counterpart to a knighthood, receive that honour in the same fashion as those receiving decorations or medals.
After the Investiture, recipients gather outside in the quadrangle with their families and friends, where they can take photographs to remember the moment.
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Works Cited
- Behind the Scenes: Investitures. The Royal Family. (n.d.). https://www.royal.uk/behind-the-scenes-investitures
- Hardman, Robert. (2007). A Year With The Queen. Simon and Schuster.
- Investiture. (2024). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investiture
- Investitures. Royal Collection Trust. (n.d.). https://www.rct.uk/collection/exhibitions/a-royal-welcome-at-buckingham-palace/buckingham-palace/explore-the-exhibition/investitures
- Investitures. The Royal Family. (n.d.-b). https://www.royal.uk/investitures
- Mehl, Scott. (2012). British Orders and Honours. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/current-monarchies/british-royals/british-orders-and-honours/