Lady Mary Peters

Dame Mary receiving insignia of CH in 2015

I am absolutely delighted for Lady Mary Peters, who is appointed a Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter.

Lady Mary joins the Duke of Abercorn and the Viscount Brookeborough as the third recipient of the Garter in Northern Ireland today.

The Queen has been pleased to appoint LADY MARY ELIZABETH PETERS to be a Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and the Marquess of Salisbury to be a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

The appointment of the Knights and Ladies of the Garter is in The Queen's gift, without Prime Ministerial advice.

Appointments to the Order of the Garter are therefore in the same category as the Order of the Thistle, the Order of Merit and the Royal Victorian Order. Today's announcement brings the number of Companions to twenty-three (out of a maximum of twenty-four).

Dame Mary Peters, CH, DBE (born 6 July 1939) served as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast between 2009 and 2014.

In the 1972 summer Olympics in Munich, Dame Mary won the Gold Medal in the pentathlon.

In 1975, she established the Mary Peters Trust to support talented young sportsmen and women across Northern Ireland. 

The Most Hon Robert Michael James, Marquess of Salisbury, KCVO, PC, DL (born 30 September 1946) is a former Leader of the House of Lords.

Lord Salisbury is a Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, and was Chairman of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation, which organised the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames in 2012.

Lord Salisbury is also Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire.

KG Appointment

It was most gratifying to see the Viscount Brookeborough installed by Her Majesty The Queen as a Knight of the Garter at St George's Chapel, Windsor, on Monday, the 18th June, 2018.

Lord Brookeborough's grandfather, the 1st Viscount (the third Prime Minister of Northern Ireland), was himself appointed a Knight of the Garter in 1965.

In 1997, Her Majesty appointed Lord Brookeborough a Lord-in-Waiting.

He has been Lord-Lieutenant of County Fermanagh since 2012.

The family seat is Colebrooke Park, County Fermanagh.

The only other Knight of the Garter living in Northern Ireland is His Grace the Duke of Abercorn.

Birthday Honours

Warmest congratulations to all of the Northern Ireland recipients of awards in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

The head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, now Sir Malcolm McKibbin KCB, has been appointed Knight Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath.

Rotha Geraldine Diane Johnston CBE has been advanced to Dame Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

The Right Hon (Sir) Jeffrey Donaldson MP has been appointed a Knight Bachelor.

Peter Lunn becomes a Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).

OM Appointments

CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD

THE QUEEN has been graciously pleased to make the following appointments to the Order of Merit:
(To be dated 31 December 2015):

The Rt Hon Ara Warkes, Baron DARZI OF DENHAM, KBE PC;

Professor Dame Ann Patricia DOWLING, DBE;

Sir James DYSON, CBE.

The Order of Merit, founded by 1902 by EDWARD VII, is a special mark of honour conferred by the Sovereign on individuals of exceptional distinction in the arts, learning, sciences and other areas such as public service.

Appointments to the Order are in the Sovereign's personal gift and ministerial advice is not required.

At any point in time, there can only be a total of 24 members of the OM.

This has been the case since EDWARD VII established the Order in 1902 to reward those whose accomplishments in the arts, sciences and learning may go unsung.

Also, the honour does not come with a title, so there's no immediately obvious way of knowing someone has been bestowed with it.

Members are given a red and blue enamel badge, which reads "For Merit".

When a member dies the badge is returned to The Sovereign, who receives the next-of-kin personally.

The Sovereign also has a portrait painted of each member, which becomes part of the royal collection, and hosts a gathering for the entire Order every five years.

In Northern Ireland, the Right Reverend and Right Honourable the Lord Eames, OM, former Archbishop of Armagh, is a member of the Order.

People who have been awarded the honour include Florence Nightingale - who was the first woman - TS Eliot and Sir Winston Churchill. There have been 11 honorary members from foreign countries, like Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela.

Although nearly all prime ministers of the 20th Century have been knighted, only six received the Order of Merit.

The late Baroness Thatcher was a member of Order.

New KCVO

Star, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales has been appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) by Her Majesty The Queen.

New KCVO

Breast star, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

Hearty congratulations to the Earl of Caledon, who has been appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in the 2015 New Year Honours List.

Lord Caledon has served the office of Lord-Lieutenant of County Armagh since 1989.

Captain Peters

CAPTAIN DAME MARY PETERS CH DBE RNR

I have found a few photographs of Dame Mary wearing the uniform of a captain in the Royal Naval Reserve.

Dame Mary Peters CH DBE

Neck badge, Order of the Companions of Honour

I'm very pleased indeed that Dame Mary Peters has been appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH).

In the late 60s and early 70s Mary Peters trained at Buster McShane's gym and health club in Upper Arthur Street, Belfast.

My father was once a member of the club and he used to take me there as a little boy, where I remember seeing Mary train.

She became Ulster's Golden Girl when she brought us home a gold medal at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

Mary Peters was appointed Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2000.

Dame Mary served the office of Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast between 2009 and 2014 with great aplomb.

Dame Mary has been - and continues to be - a tremendous ambassador for Northern Ireland.

New CVO

St James’s Palace, London SW1

14th October 2014

THE QUEEN has been graciously pleased to give orders for the following appointment to the Royal Victorian Order:

CVO

To be a Commander:

The Rt Hon Peter [St Clair-Erskine] Earl of ROSSLYN, QPM; on relinquishing the role of Commander, Royalty and Specialist Protection, Metropolitan Police.

(To be dated 29 September 2014.)

Ministerial Honours

Neck badge of the Order of Companions of Honour

THE QUEEN has been pleased to appoint the Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke CH QC MP to the Order of the Companions of Honour.

The Prime Minister requested the honour be granted following the recent government reshuffle, in recognition of Kenneth Clarke’s longstanding public service to the country.

THE MOST DISTINGUISHED ORDER OF ST MICHAEL AND ST GEORGE

THE QUEEN has been pleased to approve that the honour of Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) be conferred upon the Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan KCMG MP and the Rt Hon Sir Hugh Robertson KCMG MP, in recognition of their public service to the country.

Highest Ranks

It's interesting to learn that there have been several honorary appointments to the highest ranks in the armed forces, viz. admiral of the fleet, field-marshal, and marshal of the Royal Air Force:

THE QUEEN has been graciously pleased to give orders for the following Honorary appointments in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces:—
Michael Cecil, Admiral the Lord BOYCE, KG, GCB, OBE, DL, as Admiral of the Fleet.

Michael John Dawson, General the Lord WALKER OF ALDRINGHAM, GCB, CMG, CBE, DL, as Field Marshal.

Graham Eric, Air Chief Marshal the Lord STIRRUP, KG, GCB, AFC, as Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

Birthday Honours

Heartiest congratulations to everybody who received awards in the Birthday Honours list published today, especially those from Northern Ireland.

The NI List can be viewed here.

MVO Appointment

Diamond Jubilee State Coach in 2014

10th June, 2014

THE QUEEN has been graciously pleased to give orders for the following appointment to the Royal Victorian Order:

MVO

To be a Member:

William James FRECKLINGTON, OAM, for coach building services to The Queen.

(To be dated 1 June 2014.)

Bath Service

INSTALLATION OF KNIGHTS GRAND CROSS OF THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH

THE QUEEN, Sovereign of the Order, and The Prince of Wales, Great Master of the Order, are attending the quadrennial Installation of Knights Grand Cross (GCB) of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, in the Lady Chapel of HENRY VII at Westminster Abbey.

Although the Order as we know it today was created by Letters Patent under the Great Seal on the 18th May, 1725, the origins of the ceremony which takes place in the Lady Chapel – the Chapel of the Order of the Bath - can be traced back to the 14th century.

GCB ~ Military Division

Today it can take years between the award of a GCB and a Knight’s formal installation in the Chapel.

The service is being conducted by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev John Hall DD.

Twelve Knights are being installed in seats vacated by members who have died since the last service, four years ago.

GCB ~ Civil Division

Those being installed include Field Marshal The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, Field Marshal The Lord Inge, and Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon.

The Order is generally reserved for senior members of the armed forces and civil service.

New KGs

THE QUEEN has been graciously pleased to make the following appointments to the Most Noble Order of the Garter:-

The Right Honourable Mervyn Allister [King], Baron King of Lothbury, KG, GBE, to be a Knight Companion;

The Right Honourable Elizabeth Lydia [Manningham-Buller], Baroness Manningham-Buller, LG, DCB, to be a Lady Companion.

One vacancy remains within the Order.

Sir John O'Hara

The Queen has been pleased to approve that the honour of Knighthood be conferred upon the Honourable Mr Justice O’Hara on his appointment as a Justice of the High Court in Northern Ireland.

Mr Justice O'Hara was sworn into office before the Rt Hon Sir Declan Morgan, Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, on the 8th April, 2013.

Mr Justice O’Hara was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 1979 and took Silk in 1999.

The Lord Stirrup KG

THE QUEEN has been graciously pleased to appoint the Right Honourable Graham Eric (Jock), Baron Stirrup, GCB, AFC, to be a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

Air Chief Marshal Lord Stirrup, 63, is a former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).

The most recent three vacancies have been created due to the deaths of:

1. The Duke of Grafton (7 April 2011)
2. The Viscount Ridley (22 March 2012)
3. The Baroness Thatcher (8 April 2013)

Two vacancies now remain within the Order.

Lord Stirrup was CDS when British forces were committed in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lord Stirrup was educated at Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood, Hertfordshire, before receiving his commission from RAF College Cranwell, in Lincolnshire, in 1970.

After being promoted to squadron leader in January 1980, he was awarded an Air Force Cross in 1983 for his role in landing a severely damaged aircraft while instructing a trainee.

He was made wing commander in July 1984 and was station commander of RAF Marham, in Norfolk, during the Gulf War in 1991.

In August 2003 he was promoted to air chief marshal and appointed chief of the air staff after serving as UK national contingent commander at the start of the war in Afghanistan in 2001.

He sits as a crossbench peer in the House of Lords where he has argued the case for Afghan interpreters and their families to be allowed to settle in Britain.

Married with with one son, Lord Stirrup is said to enjoy golf, music, theatre and history.

Garter Vacancies

There are currently three vacancies within the Most Noble Order of the Garter. The royal website states that

If there are vacancies in the Order, appointments are announced on St George's Day (23 April).

Former prime ministers are invariably appointed to the Order, Sir John Major being the last prime ministerial appointment.

Two former prime ministers have yet to be appointed, though membership of the Order is within the personal gift of the sovereign.

There has been speculation that Prince Henry of Wales ~ Prince Harry ~ shall be appointed to the Order shortly.

Malcolm Brown MBE

Many belated congratulations to my cousin's husband, Malcolm Brown, on his appointment as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).

Malcolm, who has coached the Brownlee brothers for eight years, has been the Olympic Performance Manager for British Triathlon.

His award is for services to triathlon and the Games.

2nd Baron Strathclyde

 NECK BADGE OF THE ORDER OF COMPANIONS OF HONOUR

THE QUEEN has been graciously pleased to give orders for the following appointment to the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH):~

To be a Member:

The Rt Hon Thomas Galloway Dunlop du Roy de Blicquy [Galbraith], Baron STRATHCLYDE, PC.

(To be dated 6 January 2013)