The Honours System

Honours System

The Honours System offers public recognition to people in all walks of life and all sections of society who have given quite exceptional service and made a difference in their community or in the country. There are several different types of award, each one recognising a different type of contribution (click here).

The British Honours System is one of the oldest in the world. It has evolved over 650 years and today recognises merit, gallantry and service. Honours lists are published twice a year at New Year and in mid-June on the date of The King’s official birthday. (Please scroll down to see the names of the Surrey residents recognised in the latest Honours list.)

Anyone can receive an award if they reach the required standard of merit or service, and honours lists contain a wide variety of people from different backgrounds. Anyone can nominate someone for an award but it is important to note that longevity in a position is not sufficient in itself and that honours are not usually awarded after someone has retired.

Access to the required form and further information can be obtained by clicking here. 

To support a nomination, it is essential to source and submit several strong letters of recommendation, from people who know at first hand about the work that has been done by the individual being nominated.

It is important to recognise that a nomination can take around 18 months to go through the vetting process, from the point it is submitted to the Cabinet Office. The fact of nomination should be kept strictly confidential as sadly a relatively few people can be honoured and it is best to avoid disappointment. If a nomination proves unsuccessful. it is sometimes possible for the Lord-Lieutenant to arrange some other form of recognition, as a ‘thank you’ for exceptional service.

Please download a copy of the exclusive Surrey Lieutenancy Honours Leaflet here:



Awards for Surrey residents

New Year Honours 2023

Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)

Dame Mary Quant DBE of Guildford

Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE)

Virginia Mckenna OBE of Dorking

Knight Batchelor

Dr Brian May CBE of Windlesham

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Professor Rebecca Francis FBA of Esher

Tessa Griffiths of Thames Ditton

Veronica Povey of Woking

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Fiona Boulton of Woking

Andrew Colborne- Baber of East Horsley

Carolyn Dawson of Knaphill

Robert Evans of Weybridge

Ravinder Gill of Weybridge

Mark Harbord of Windlesham

Sophie Ingle of Epsom

Alison Lyons of Ashford

Angela Noon of Puttenham

Anthony Poulter of East Molesey

Carolyn Stidston of Farnham

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

John Alpass of Claygate

Vivian Bairstow of Englefield Green

Steven Baker of Thames Ditton

Phillip Collins of Banstead

Peter Crawshaw of Reigate

Janine Cryer of East Molesey

Angela Foley of Camberley

Paula Matthews of Wooton

Helen McAleavy of Woking

George Nixon of Headley

Nicola Percival of Banstead

Julianne Ponan of Walton- on –Thames

Sally Schupke of Guildford

Anthony Smyth of Godalming

Anthony Willis of Esher

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

Richard Fox of Walton- on- Thames

Michael Heath of Tongham

Julia Hopkins of Knaphill

Jack Summers of Caterham

Ian Swinney of Bookham