108-619: Colin Steele McRae , MBE (5 August 1968 – 15 September 2007), was a British rally driver. He was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion , and in 1995 became the first British driver to win the World Rally Championship Drivers' title . At 27, McRae was the youngest ever World Champion, a record that stood until 2022. McRae's performances with the Subaru World Rally Team enabled
216-410: A dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition was to be given for services rendered in
324-543: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
432-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
540-553: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
648-453: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
756-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
864-829: A distance of 30 m. On 27 September 2008, the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally took place in Perth, Scotland. An enhanced entry list of several former big-name rally drivers took part in McRae's memory. The entry list included ex-World Championship drivers Hannu Mikkola , Ari Vatanen (partnered by his 1981 WRC winning co-driver David Richards ), Björn Waldegård , Malcolm Wilson , Russell Brookes , Jimmy McRae , Andrew Cowan and Louise Aitken-Walker , many competing in their original cars. A handful of current WRC drivers also took part including Matthew Wilson , Kris Meeke and Travis Pastrana . The outright winner
972-540: A documentary celebrating the 25th anniversary of McRae's WRC win was released. Kenyan race car driver McRae Kimathi is named after him. Codemasters released the first Colin McRae Rally video game in 1998. Version 2 , known as Colin McRae Rally 2.0 , was released in 2000, for Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft Windows ; it was also ported to the Game Boy Advance in 2002. A third version found
1080-562: A drive for 2004. McRae was unable to find a team, and for the first time in over ten years he would not be competing in the World Rally Championship. McRae also competed in racing series other than the World Rally Championship. In September 2002 he took part in an ASCAR Racing Series event at the Rockingham Motor Speedway , Northamptonshire, finishing in sixth place. McRae rejoined Prodrive for
1188-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
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#17327982102021296-581: A helmet livery similar to McRae's as a tribute. During the finale of the 2007 Scottish Rally Championship , the "Colin McRae Forest Stages" held in Perth in September 2007, there was no number-1 car, as McRae had been due to drive the course car on the event. Instead, his car was parked at the starting point of the rally, where fans were able to sign a book of condolences. Following his win at
1404-587: A level. McRae's flying licence was also found to have expired in 2005, and his "valid type rating" for the helicopter had expired in March 2007. In memory of McRae, the Swedish Rally organisers set up an award for the longest jump over a crest on the Vargåsen stage of the rally. The inaugural winner of the award, named Colin's Crest , was Ford's United Arab Emirates driver Khalid al-Qassimi , who recorded
1512-492: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
1620-491: A rally car by McRae, said he was shocked and saddened by McRae's death. He dedicated his win at the 2007 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix to McRae, saying "I want to dedicate this to Colin McRae. He was one of my big idols when I was very young, and it's because of him I have a big passion for rally". After the crash, an investigative team from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch attended
1728-404: A steel-covered cockpit area. Suspension consists of twin wishbones with Proflex dampers. The process of designing the car was assisted by Codemasters , who created a 3D model of the car based on initial sketches done by DJM Motorsport. The bodywork of the car is loosely based on a first-generation Ford Ka bodyshell, deemed to be the optimal choice in terms of size, shape and weight. The engine
1836-553: A very successful four years, we've achieved a lot of very good results and I'm quite happy that myself and Ford have had a very successful partnership." For 2003 , McRae signed for Citroën, a team of winning pedigree due to its successes of the previous year with young Frenchman Sébastien Loeb but otherwise undertaking its first complete campaign at World Rally Championship level. McRae's second-place finish on his début in Monte Carlo alongside Loeb and Carlos Sainz whom, aboard
1944-513: A wide audience on Windows and Xbox . Versions 04 and 2005 arrived in 2004 on all major platforms. 2005 was also remade for Sony's PlayStation Portable and Nokia 's N-Gage . Colin McRae: Dirt was the title for the next instalment of the series, which launched in 2007 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 . The PlayStation 3 edition was released in the UK on 14 September,
2052-535: Is a rallying series run throughout Scotland over the course of a year, that comprises both gravel and closed surface rallies. Points are awarded to the top placed drivers and the driver scoring the highest number of points over the season is declared Champion. The championship has always been a breeding ground for many World Rally Championship drivers, including Colin & Alister McRae , Robbie Head and Barry Clark . Notable previous champions have included Mitsubishi Ralliart founder Andrew Cowan , who won
2160-591: Is a naturally aspirated, four-cylinder, 2.5-litre Millington Diamond Engine producing 350 BHP. Transmission is via a six-speed gearbox, manual or semi-automatic, and by mechanical front and rear differentials with the option of mechanical or active central differential. The car can be produced in either two- or four-wheel-drive formats. ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 2 points awarded 2008 onwards in all races) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) † — Did not finish
2268-516: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
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#17327982102022376-973: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
2484-589: Is stronger than death." Later, the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton song " Islands in the Stream ", a favourite of Johnny's, was played. Friends of the pair shared poems and anecdotes from the McRaes' lives. After the service, Colin McRae's widow, brother and father bowed and applauded the crowds who had gathered outside to pay tribute to the McRaes. The announcement of McRae's death took place during qualifying for
2592-589: The 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans where he took third place in the GTS class, and ninth position overall in a Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello partnering Darren Turner and Rickard Rydell . Le Mans winner Allan McNish commented that "Colin has adapted far better than people expected" to endurance sportscar racing. McRae made his debut on the Dakar Rally with Nissan in January 2004, and scored two stage wins. He returned to
2700-459: The 2007 Belgian Grand Prix with ITV commentator James Allen informing viewers of the news. Formula One driver David Coulthard , a friend of McRae, who was due to represent Scotland along with him in the Race of Champions at Wembley Stadium on 16 December, described him as "an understated yet fantastically talented individual", and announced that he would race the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix with
2808-477: The Brands Hatch meeting of the 2007 World Touring Car Championship season, Andy Priaulx dedicated it to McRae, commenting that his death "shows how fragile life can be". McRae's former rival, four-time World Rally Champion Tommi Mäkinen commented the helicopter accident as terrifying news, and described McRae as "a pleasant fellow and a tough rival". Valentino Rossi , who was taught the basics of driving
2916-629: The Canary Islands . After several years of varying success, McRae switched to the M-Sport -run Ford factory team for 1999 , driving the new Ford Focus rally car . The deal saw McRae earning six million pounds over two years, which at the time made him the highest-earning rally driver in history. He immediately had two consecutive wins at the Safari Rally and Rally Portugal . The new car had many shunts and reliability issues for much of
3024-559: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
3132-499: The X-Games . McRae rolled the car on the penultimate corner after landing awkwardly from a jump, which damaged the front bumper and left front tyre. Despite this, McRae kept the car running and continued on to the finish, his time only 0.13 seconds slower than eventual winner Travis Pastrana. He was unexpectedly entered for his final rally by semi-works Kronos Citroën at Rally Turkey in September, where he replaced Sébastien Loeb while
3240-558: The Xsara WRC , helped complete a 1–2–3 finish, the finest result he would achieve for the team, as he ended the season in seventh in the drivers' championship, with no victories. Rule changes are brought in for the 2004 season changing the previous practice of having three nominated points-scorers within a team to two. With Loeb partway through a multiple-year contract, this meant the Citroën factory team, under Guy Fréquelin 's leadership,
3348-493: The 2000 season, the lacking reliability of the Focus led to McRae threatening to leave the team if the problems continued. The upturn towards the end of the season resulted in him deciding to renew his contract with Ford for a further two years. McRae's intermittent success with Ford continued into 2001 , where after failing to score in any of the first four rounds, including having momentarily led defending winner Tommi Mäkinen on
Colin McRae - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-473: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
3564-545: The Baja 500 Portalegre, winning the competition. McRae then returned to the series for one-off drives for Škoda on the 2005 Rally GB and Rally Australia , respectively finishing seventh and retiring due to a clutch problem on the final leg of the rally, the latter ending prospects of Škoda's best finish. On 5 August 2006, McRae competed for Subaru in the first live televised American rally in Los Angeles as part of
3672-502: The British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or
3780-792: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
3888-494: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
3996-557: The Dakar in 2005 and was fastest on two of the first three stages in Morocco, before crashing out of the rally towards the end of stage six. In 2004 and 2005, McRae represented Great Britain in the Race of Champions Nations Cup alongside Formula One driver and fellow Scot, David Coulthard . For the 2006 event England and Scotland entered separate teams with McRae and Coulthard re-uniting to represent Scotland. In 2005, McRae competed in
4104-727: The Frenchman recovered from an injury he sustained in a cycling accident immediately prior to the event. A final-stage alternator problem led to him retiring from seventh place. He was subsequently dropped by Citroën for the upcoming Rally Australia and replaced by Xavier Pons . In August 2007, McRae said he was still hoping to find a seat for the 2008 WRC season, but said that "if it doesn't happen next year, then I won't (return) because you can only be out of something at that level for so long." In 2007, talking to Autosport podcast, David Richards confirmed that he and McRae had talked about McRae's comeback to Subaru for season 2008. Robert Reid
4212-517: The Knockhill round, where he collided with Matt Neal . Race officials found McRae to have caused an avoidable collision and subsequently disqualified him. On his promotion for 1993 , McRae initially drove the Prodrive -built Group A Subaru Legacy alongside Finns Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola and Markku Alén . McRae then won his first WRC rally in the car at that year's Rally New Zealand . It
4320-579: The McRaes, and the Rev Steven Reid, chaplain at Johnny's school. An address was given by Robbie Head, a former rally driver and commentator who was a close friend of McRae's, with the Rev Houston giving the benediction. McRae's niece and nephews performed the tune Highland Cathedral , a popular funeral song. The song " (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay " by Otis Redding , a favourite song of McRae's,
4428-776: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
Colin McRae - Misplaced Pages Continue
4536-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
4644-520: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
4752-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
4860-641: The Scottish schoolboy motocross champion at the age of thirteen. At the age of sixteen, through the Coltness Car Club, McRae found autotesting , obtained a Mini Cooper and started competing. A year later, he began to negotiate with another club member to use a borrowed Hillman Avenger GT for the Kames Stages, a single-venue stage rally not far from McRae's home. McRae finished the event thirteenth; first in his class although he had run most of
4968-485: The UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
5076-463: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
5184-616: The WRC, McRae held the record for the most wins in the series at the time of his retirement from full time rallying in 2003. A record since beaten. In 2007, McRae was killed when the helicopter he was piloting crashed near his home. His son and two family friends were also killed. McRae was born in Lanark , Scotland, to Jimmy and Margaret McRae. Jimmy McRae was the five-time winner of the British Rally Championship . McRae
5292-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
5400-474: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
5508-760: The championship in 1976 in a Colt Lancer , and former World Rally Champion, Colin McRae who performed a giant killing act when he took the series crown in 1988 in his humble Vauxhall Nova . The 2008 season finale, the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally saw an enhanced entry list of 'rally legends' in honour of Colin who died in 2007. The impressive entry list included ex-World Championship drivers Hannu Mikkola , Ari Vatanen (partnered by his 1981 WRC winning co-driver David Richards ), Björn Waldegård , Malcolm Wilson , Russell Brookes , Jimmy McRae , Andrew Cowan and Louise Aitken-Walker , many competing in their original cars. A handful of current WRC drivers also took part including Matthew Wilson and Travis Pastrana . The event
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#17327982102025616-541: The church. Around 700 mourners filled the church, with crowds of up to 15,000 outside. Shortly before 4 p.m., Martin Hewins, McRae's personal bagpiper for many years, played " Flower of Scotland " as the family arrived at the church. The service was conducted by the Rev Alison Meikle, who said "Two weeks ago Lanark was struck by silence. A terrible silence bought at an enormous price. However, in our tears love
5724-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
5832-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
5940-550: The contract, reluctant to commit such a high amount of their budget to a driver's salary. The two parties split into amicable terms, with Ford's European director of motorsport Martin Whitaker stating "On behalf of all of us at Ford Motor Company I would like to publicly thank Colin and Nicky for their efforts during the past four years with the Ford team. I wish them both well in the future." McRae said of his time with Ford "It's been
6048-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
6156-469: The crash. McRae's previously active website, ColinMcRae.com , was later replaced with a memorial screen stating a few details about the crash, and then with a short statement released on behalf of McRae's father, Jimmy, and later a book of condolences. The funeral for Colin and Johnny took place on 26 September at Daldowie Crematorium near Glasgow, conducted by the Rev Tom Houston, who had married
6264-576: The day before McRae's death. An adaptation of the game for mobile phones was released by Codemasters Mobile. Colin McRae: Dirt 2 was released on the Wii on 8 September 2009, it released on PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on 11 September 2009, the PC version was released on 8 December 2009. This was the last mainline game in the series to bear the 'Colin McRae' moniker. On 27 June 2013, a remastered version of Colin McRae Rally 2.0 , simply titled Colin McRae Rally ,
6372-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
6480-626: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
6588-427: The driver's championship, two points behind Subaru 's Richard Burns . With victory in the Safari Rally in 2002 , McRae made the record books as the driver with most event wins in the World Rally Championship. His record was broken by Carlos Sainz . McRae's contract with Ford came to an end following the 2002 season, and after reportedly asking for wages of five million pounds a year, Ford decided against renewing
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#17327982102026696-527: The driver's title, which he secured with a victory in a straight contest with his double champion teammate, Carlos Sainz , on the season-ending Rally of Great Britain . Although still a winner with the outfit in individual rallies in succeeding years, including, increasingly, more specialised events such as the Acropolis Rally , Safari Rally and the Tour de Corse , McRae could not better second place in
6804-486: The event in a higher position. In 1986, driving a Talbot Sunbeam , McRae entered the Scottish Rally Championship with Ian Grindrod , his father's co-driver, as his co-driver, and soon made a name for himself with his speed and exciting style of driving. His driving style drew many comparisons to Finnish ex-World Rally Champion Ari Vatanen , whom McRae had always idolised. His first WRC event
6912-529: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
7020-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
7128-443: The helicopter. A fatal accident inquiry into the incident concluded, on 6 September 2011, that McRae was at fault for the avoidable helicopter crash that led to his death and the death of his passengers. Sheriff Nikola Stewart stated, after the 16-day inquiry, that McRae had been engaged in "unnecessary and unsafe" low-level flying at the time of the crash, and that as a private pilot McRae was unqualified and untrained to fly at such
7236-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
7344-616: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". Scottish Rally Championship The Scottish Rally Championship
7452-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
7560-640: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
7668-457: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
7776-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
7884-588: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
7992-559: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
8100-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
8208-473: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
8316-454: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
8424-620: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
8532-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
8640-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
8748-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
8856-406: The pilot encountering handling difficulties, misjudgement, spatial disorientation, distraction or a combination of such events. There were indications that the pilot had started recovery but, with insufficient height in which to complete it, the helicopter struck trees in the valley and crashed, killing all four occupants." The parents of Ben Porcelli had not given McRae permission to take their son in
8964-719: The principality of Monaco in 1995, partly through his friendship with David Coulthard . However, as his young family grew up, he spent more time back at his home in Lanarkshire . The couple bought the 17th-century Jerviswood House. McRae's nephew, Max McRae, is also a motorsport racer. In 1996, McRae was appointed a Member of the British Empire for services to motorsports in the Birthday Honours list . McRae began his competitive career in motorsport riding trial bikes at an early age, despite being more interested in four-wheeled machines rather than two-wheel bikes. He became
9072-831: The race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance. ‡ — Not eligible for points due to being a guest driver. 1977 S. Munari (FIA Cup) 1978 M. Alén (FIA Cup) 1979 B. Waldegård 1980 W. Röhrl 1981 A. Vatanen 1982 W. Röhrl 1983 H. Mikkola 1984 S. Blomqvist 1985 T. Salonen 1986 J. Kankkunen 1987 J. Kankkunen 1988 M. Biasion 1989 M. Biasion 1990 C. Sainz 1991 J. Kankkunen 1992 C. Sainz 1993 J. Kankkunen 1994 D. Auriol 1995 C. McRae 1996 T. Mäkinen 1997 T. Mäkinen 1998 T. Mäkinen 1999 T. Mäkinen Order of
9180-409: The rest of that season, however, which resulted in only sixth place in the championship standings overall. Moreover, a rare personal pointless run had begun for McRae that year which only stopped with a podium on the following February's Swedish Rally . McRae went on to be victorious on the asphalt turns of Catalunya and the gravel of Greece, and post 4th in the 2000 overall standings. Midway through
9288-603: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
9396-459: The scene in cooperation with Strathclyde Police. The wreckage of the helicopter was removed to Farnborough for further forensic investigation. A report into the accident was published on 12 February 2009. In it, the AAIB did not reach a definite conclusion as to the cause of the accident, stating instead that "the helicopter crashed in a wooded valley while manoeuvering at high speed and low height. It
9504-533: The stages of the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally before being forced into retirement, he then went on to score three consecutive victories in Argentina, Cyprus and Greece to tie with Mäkinen at the top of the points table. However, having again led the championship outright entering the final round in Great Britain, McRae once more missed out on a possible second title, crashing out and finishing second in
9612-461: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
9720-466: The standings in either 1996 or 1997, on both occasions behind Finland and Mitsubishi Ralliart 's Tommi Mäkinen . He helped Subaru complete their run of three consecutive manufacturers' titles during this time. In what would turn out to be his final season with the team, in 1998 he won three more rallies and placed third in the standings, as well as winning the Race of Champions in Gran Canaria ,
9828-621: The team to win the World Rally Championship Manufacturers' title three times in succession in 1995, 1996 and 1997 . After four years with the Ford Motor Co. team, where McRae won nine events, he moved to Citroën World Rally Team in 2003 where, despite not winning an event, he helped them win their first manufacturers' title. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to motorsport in 1996. With 25 victories in
9936-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
10044-589: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
10152-487: Was Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team driver Matthew Wilson in a Ford Focus WRC. McRae's brother Alister McRae won the classic category. In November 2008 McRae was posthumously inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame . In 2015, 20 years from when McRae won the 1995 WRC Championship, an exhibition of memorabilia, including cars, was displayed at a service park at 2015 Rally GB. In November 2020,
10260-519: Was also the first rally win for the newly formed Subaru World Rally Team, shortly before the Legacy was due to be pensioned off in favour of the new Subaru Impreza 555 . Such were the rising fortunes of his young Subaru factory team as they competed against the frontrunning Toyota -powered Team TTE , who were excluded from the championship after the 1995 Rally Catalunya due to the use of an illegal air restrictor . It took only until 1995 for McRae to win
10368-474: Was contacted by McRae to be his co-driver and the pair were due to test together, but McRae was killed before the test could take place. McRae died on 15 September 2007 whilst piloting his private helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350B2 Squirrel , which crashed one mile (1.6 km) north of Lanark , Scotland, close to the McRae family home. McRae's five-year-old son Johnny, and two family friends, Graeme Duncan and Johnny's six-year-old friend Ben Porcelli, also died in
10476-519: Was deemed a great success, attracting record spectator numbers to the Perthshire forests. Outright winner was Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team driver Matthew Wilson in a Ford Focus WRC, with Colin's brother Alister winning the "legends" portion of the rally. This article related to sport in Scotland is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This rallying -related article
10584-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
10692-406: Was forced to choose between dropping McRae or Sainz. With Sainz being the more successful of the two during the 2003 season, McRae had to look elsewhere for 2004. David Richards, McRae's former boss at Subaru, who had by now taken over WRC's commercial rights holders ISC and worried that the loss of a character like McRae would damage his ability to market the sport, set about trying to help McRae find
10800-444: Was intact before impact, and the available evidence indicated that the engine was delivering power. The cause of the accident was not positively determined. Although no technical reason was found to explain the accident, a technical fault could not be ruled out entirely. However, it is more likely that the pilot attempted a turning manoeuvre at a low height, during which the helicopter deviated from its intended flight path; whether due to
10908-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
11016-513: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
11124-543: Was played when the family entered the chapel. The Proclaimers ' song " I'm on My Way " was played when they left. Colin and Johnny McRae were cremated in the same coffin. Among the attendees at the funeral were fellow Scottish racing drivers Jackie Stewart and Dario Franchitti . A "Celebration of Life" service took place at St Nicholas Church in Lanark on Sunday 30 September at 4 p.m. Images from McRae's career and personal life were displayed on large video screens outside
11232-585: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
11340-564: Was released for iOS devices, with ports to Android and Windows released in 2014. In 2003, McRae started designing a rally car named the McRae R4, which he debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2007. It was designed to be an economic alternate to other rally cars, with an additional focus on safety. Built by DJM Race Preparation, the McRae R4's chassis is based on a steel safety cage with carbon panelling front and rear, and
11448-631: Was signed by Prodrive boss David Richards to his Subaru team in the British Rally Championship for an annual wage of approximately £10,000. McRae was British Rally Champion in both 1991 and 1992, soon graduating to the Subaru factory team at World Rally Championship level. In 1992, McRae made his debut in the British Touring Car Championship , with a one-off appearance for the Prodrive-run BMW factory team at
11556-562: Was the 1987 Swedish Rally in a Vauxhall Nova where he finished 36th overall, and again two years later, driving the Sierra and finishing 15th overall. In 1988 he took the Scottish Rally Championship series crown in his Vauxhall Nova. His next car was a Ford Sierra XR 4x4 . In 1989, he finished 5th overall at Rally New Zealand in a rear-wheel drive Sierra Cosworth. In 1990 McRae achieved sixth place in that year's RAC Rally , despite several accidents. In 1991, McRae turned professional as he
11664-538: Was the eldest of three brothers; his middle brother, Alister McRae , is also a rally car driver. McRae's maternal uncle Hugh "Shug" Steele was also a former rally driver. He attended Robert Owen Primary School and Lanark Grammar School and studied for a year at Coatbridge College . He worked at Archie's Autos then at his father's plumbing and heating business as a technician. McRae was married to Alison (née Hamilton), whom he met aged 19 when she acted as his co-driver, and had two children, Hollie and Johnny. McRae moved to
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