91-538: Stephen Poliakoff CBE , FRSL (born 1 December 1952) is a British playwright , director and screenwriter . In 2006 Gerard Gilbert of The Independent described him as the UK's "pre-eminent TV dramatist" who had "inherited Dennis Potter 's crown". Poliakoff was born in Holland Park , West London, to Ina (née Montagu) and Alexander Poliakoff . His father was a Russian-Jewish immigrant and his mother
182-543: 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
273-404: 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
364-553: 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
455-453: 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
546-466: 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,
637-650: A dozen lifestyle, costuming, and cake decorating books. Asher owns a company that makes party cakes and sugar crafts for special occasions. She is a shareholder in Private Eye , president of Arthritis Care , and a patron of Scoliosis Association (UK). She is also president of the National Autistic Society . She was a speaker at the 2006 launch of the National Autistic Society's "Make School Make Sense" campaign and
728-413: A family drama starring Matthew Macfadyen , Michael Gambon and Lindsay Duncan and The Lost Prince (2003), a single drama recognised with an Emmy award rare for a non-American production. The film also featured Miranda Richardson in a Golden Globe -nominated performance as Queen Mary of Teck . Michael Gambon , Gina McKee , Tom Hollander and Bill Nighy appeared in major roles. Late 2005 saw
819-610: A five-month acting tour of the United States in May 1967, Asher had found McCartney to be completely different, confiding in the Beatles' biographer Hunter Davies that McCartney had "changed so much. He was on LSD, which I hadn't shared. I was jealous of all the spiritual experiences he'd had with John. There were fifteen people dropping in all day long. The house had changed and was full of stuff I didn't know about." Asher attended
910-443: 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
1001-427: A great level of attention from the critics, apart from their reviews. This has been attributed to the ambiguity of his politics. His approach towards political issues has been described as individual in nature rather than generalising. Some of the recurring themes in his works have been recognised as environmental pollution, due to human intervention, both rural and urban. Most of his plays portray contemporary Britain. He
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#17327916449451092-552: A new TV play, A Real Summer , on 10 November. Glorious 39 , starring Romola Garai , Bill Nighy and Julie Christie , premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2009 and was released in the UK that November. In 2011, Poliakoff wrote a seven-minute short film, Astonish Me , to celebrate WWF's 50th anniversary. Starring Bill Nighy and Gemma Arterton , the film
1183-492: 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
1274-558: Is an English actress and author. She achieved early fame as a child actress, and then through her association with Paul McCartney , and has worked extensively in film and TV throughout her career. Asher has appeared in TV shows and films such as Deep End (1970), The Masque of the Red Death (1964), Alfie (1966), The Mistress , Crossroads , Death at a Funeral (2007), and The Old Guys . She also appeared in two episodes of
1365-516: 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
1456-589: Is married to fellow scriptwriter Sandy Welch , with whom he has two children. He was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list 2007. His brother, Sir Martyn Poliakoff , a research chemist and lecturer, is a Fellow of the Royal Society , being, until November 2016, its Foreign Secretary and vice-president. He is also the presenter of a YouTube educational series on chemistry, The Periodic Table of Videos . Poliakoff's paternal grandfather, Joseph ,
1547-973: 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
1638-424: Is president of Parkinson's UK . In March 2010, Asher became vice president to Autistica , a UK charity raising funds for autism research. Asher is also a patron of TRACKS Autism, an early years nursery setting for children on the autistic spectrum and The Daisy Garland, a national registered charity supporting children with drug resistant epilepsy. On 18 April 1963, the 17-year-old Asher met Paul McCartney at
1729-523: Is scared of and fascinated by fascism . He said: "I'm writing about what's happening now, about people searching for beliefs in what is no longer a religious country, and about how individuals of charisma and power can polarise things." A full length study of his work, Stephen Poliakoff: On Stage and Screen , was published in 2011 by Robin Nelson. Nearly all of Poliakoff's plays premiered in London, four at
1820-486: The BBC that her engagement to McCartney had been called off, an announcement that shocked many people, including McCartney himself, who was soon to start dating Linda Eastman , whom he married in 1969. At the time of Asher's announcement, McCartney was at his father's home with Schwartz by his side. A problem in the relationship had been McCartney's drug use and close relationship with John Lennon . After returning to London from
1911-608: The Critic's Circle Best Play Award for the National Theatre production of Blinded By The Sun . Poliakoff's first feature film was Runners , directed by Charles Sturridge , starring James Fox , Jane Asher and Kate Hardie . It received a limited theatrical release in 1983 before being shown in Channel 4 's Film on Four slot. His directorial debut was the much-lauded and now rare Hidden City (1988), premiered at
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#17327916449452002-816: The National Theatre , four at the Royal Shakespeare Company and at the Almeida , Hampstead , Bush and Royal Court . Three of his plays have transferred to the West End. Many of the plays have been performed across Europe and also in the US, Australia and Japan. In 1976, Poliakoff won the Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright Award for Hitting Town and City Sugar and in 1997 he won
2093-971: The Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park . In 2014, she starred in the stage adaptation of Penelope Lively 's Moon Tiger at the Theatre Royal Bath and on tour. In 2016, Asher took on the role of Miss Havisham in Michael Eaton 's adaptation of Great Expectations . She took on the role of Madame Baurel in the 2017 London stage production of An American in Paris . In 2019 she toured in Noël Coward 's A Song at Twilight . In 2024 she toured in Somerset Maugham 's The Circle . Asher has written three novels: The Longing, The Question , and Losing It , and published more than
2184-559: 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
2275-918: The Rose Theatre, Kingston and in her first pantomime , Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Richmond Theatre in December 2009, receiving enthusiastic reviews for both. In 2011, she returned to the Rose, Kingston as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest . In 2012, she appeared in Charley's Aunt at the Menier Chocolate Factory . In the summer of 2013, she played Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice at
2366-719: The Royal Albert Hall in London, and began a five-year relationship with him. In December 1963, McCartney took up residence at Asher's family Wimpole Street townhouse and stayed there until the couple moved into McCartney's own home in St John's Wood in 1966. McCartney wrote several Beatles songs inspired by Asher, including " And I Love Her ", " We Can Work It Out ", " You Won't See Me ", " I'm Looking Through You ", " What You're Doing ", " Things We Said Today " and " For No One ". The couple announced on Christmas Day 1967 that they were engaged to be married, and Asher accompanied
2457-824: The Royal Court Theatre . In 2006, Asher starred in the Richard Fell adaptation of the 1960s science fiction series A for Andromeda , which aired on the British digital television station BBC Four . In 2007, she portrayed the widow Sandra in the Frank Oz film Death at a Funeral . The same year Asher appeared in the BBC medical drama, Holby City as Lady Byrne . In October 2007, she played Andrea Yates in The Sarah Jane Adventures , in
2548-733: The Venice Film Festival and starring Charles Dance , Richard E. Grant and Cassie Stuart. His television career continued with She's Been Away (1989) starring Peggy Ashcroft and also winning awards at Venice, before a return to film with Close My Eyes (1991), starring Clive Owen , Saskia Reeves and Alan Rickman in an elaborate reworking of the incest theme that had been central to Hitting Town (1976), followed by Century (1994), with Owen, Dance and Miranda Richardson . Less successful were Food of Love (1997) with Grant, Nathalie Baye and Joe McGann and The Tribe (1998) starring Joely Richardson and Jeremy Northam ,
2639-818: The paging beeper . He also founded the Multitone Electric Company of London in 1931 that produced hearing aid devices with their most prestigious customer being Winston Churchill . Joseph's experiences under the Bolsheviks inspired Poliakoff's 1984 play Breaking the Silence . Several of these attributes (such as the pager, and hearing aids, including Churchill's) were ascribed to the lead character in Summer of Rockets . All London except where otherwise stated: All (originally) made for British television unless otherwise stated. Poliakoff has received
2730-510: The 1950s TV series The Buccaneers alongside Robert Shaw . She was famously Paul McCartney 's girlfriend from 1963 to 1968. Asher was born in London, the middle of three children born to Richard and Margaret Asher , née Eliot. Her father was a consultant in blood and mental diseases at the Central Middlesex Hospital , as well as being a broadcaster and the author of notable medical articles . Asher's mother
2821-718: The 1955 science fiction film The Quatermass Xperiment . She also played the title role in dramatised versions of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass in 1958 for Argo Records . In 1961 she co-starred in The Greengage Summer , which was released in the United States as Loss of Innocence . She also appeared in the 1962 film and Disney TV programme, The Prince and the Pauper . British TV appearances included three episodes (1956–1958) of
Stephen Poliakoff - Misplaced Pages Continue
2912-473: 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
3003-607: The Bailey , as Celia Ryder in the 1981 Granada Television adaptation of Brideshead Revisited , A Voyage Round My Father opposite Laurence Olivier , The Mistress (1985–87), and as Faith Ashley in Wish Me Luck (three seasons from 1987 to 1989). In 1994, she portrayed the Doctor Who companion Susan Foreman in a BBC Radio 4 comedy drama Whatever Happened to Susan Foreman? Another notable radio broadcast
3094-541: The Beatles and their partners to Rishikesh in early 1968 to attend an advanced transcendental meditation training session with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi . In mid-1968, she returned to London from an acting assignment in Bristol earlier than expected and allegedly discovered McCartney in bed with Francie Schwartz. A fan who frequently loitered around Paul's Cavendish Avenue home claims to have witnessed
3185-792: 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
3276-443: 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
3367-658: The Enemy is set in a bombed-out London in the aftermath of the Second World War . Poliakoff wrote and directed Summer of Rockets , a semi-autobiographical six-part series broadcast by the BBC in June 2019. It is set in 1958, just as the UK is testing its first hydrogen bomb, and focuses on a Russian Jewish hearing aid inventor ( Toby Stephens ) who goes to work for MI5. It also stars Keeley Hawes , Linus Roache , and Timothy Spall . Stephen Poliakoff lives in London and
3458-714: The ITV series The Adventures of Robin Hood and as a panelist on the BBC 's Juke Box Jury . Asher appeared in Roger Corman 's The Masque of the Red Death (1964) with Vincent Price , in Alfie opposite Michael Caine in 1966, and in Jerzy Skolimowski 's Deep End (1970) with John Moulder Brown . Having played Alice herself as an 11-year-old child in the audio recordings of Alice in Wonderland and Through
3549-505: The Looking Glass in 1958, Asher played the real Alice's (Alice Liddell) mother, Lorina Liddell, in the 1985 Dennis Potter film Dreamchild alongside Coral Browne (Alice Hargreaves), Ian Holm (Lewis Carroll/Charles Dodgson), Peter Gallagher , and Amelia Shankley (young Alice). On television, she guest-starred in episodes of the British television comedy series The Goodies , The Stone Tape , Wicked Women , and Rumpole of
3640-776: 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
3731-436: 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
Stephen Poliakoff - Misplaced Pages Continue
3822-520: 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
3913-404: 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
4004-407: The UK in 1924. Joseph Poliakoff was an inventor of electrical devices whose many inventions included a selenium photograph telephony shutter in 1899 (US patent 700,100, 26 August 1901), which, along with electrical sound amplification, allowed for synchronised audio on film, the radio volume control, a magnetic induction loop that allowed hearing-impaired people to hear in auditoriums or theatres, and
4095-463: 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
4186-450: 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
4277-474: 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
4368-418: 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
4459-444: 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
4550-479: 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
4641-403: 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
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#17327916449454732-445: 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
4823-599: The episode " Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? " Asher co-starred in the 2008 ITV drama series The Palace , filmed in Lithuania ; she played Queen Charlotte, mother of King Richard IV. In August 2008, Asher appeared in the reality TV talent show -themed television series, Maestro , on BBC Two with other showbusiness personalities. From 2009 to 2010, she played Sally in the BBC One comedy series The Old Guys . In 2011, she played Margaret Harker in Waterloo Road . In October 2009, she appeared as Delia in Peter Hall 's revival of Alan Ayckbourn 's Bedroom Farce at
4914-420: The following awards: Commander of the Order of 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
5005-403: 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
5096-401: 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
5187-450: 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
5278-803: The history course as "shockingly bad". Poliakoff continued to write stage plays, becoming writer-in-residence for the National Theatre at the age of 24, but he became increasingly interested in the medium of television, with Stronger Than the Sun (1977 – BBC1 Play for Today ), Bloody Kids (1980 – ATV ) directed by Stephen Frears , Caught on a Train (1980 – BBC2 Playhouse ) starring Peggy Ashcroft , and Soft Targets (1982 – Play for Today ). There were also TV adaptations of his stage plays Hitting Town (1976 – Thames Television / ITV Plays for Britain ) and City Sugar (1978 – Scottish Television / ITV The Sunday Drama ). These two plays were among his earliest big successes. Poliakoff's theatre, although well received critically, has never achieved
5369-542: 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". Jane Asher Jane Asher (born 5 April 1946)
5460-429: The incident, saying: "Paul brought this American girl home... [and a little while later]... another car turned into Cavendish Avenue—it was Jane. She'd come back... earlier than she was supposed to. Jane went into the house. A bit later on, she came storming out again and drove away." Shortly afterwards, Margaret Asher drove to Cavendish Avenue to collect her daughter's things. On 20 July 1968, Asher announced publicly to
5551-446: 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
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#17327916449455642-468: 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
5733-428: The latter eventually screened on BBC Two in the absence of a cinema distribution deal where it achieved extremely high viewing figures and was immediately repeated. He subsequently returned to his favoured form, television, this time choosing a flexible serial format resulting in the acclaimed and Prix Italia -winning Shooting the Past (1999), the fresh critical and audience success of Perfect Strangers (2001),
5824-457: 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
5915-463: 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
6006-405: 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,
6097-439: 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
6188-449: 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
6279-421: 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
6370-399: 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
6461-448: The one-off drama Friends and Crocodiles (2006) starring Damian Lewis and Jodhi May , with its overlapping companion piece, Gideon's Daughter (2006), starring Bill Nighy , Miranda Richardson and Emily Blunt , appearing early the following year. The latter won a Peabody Award in April 2007, with Golden Globes for Nighy and Blunt. In 2005, he renewed recent criticisms of BBC scheduling and commissioning policy, arguing that
6552-620: 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
6643-408: 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
6734-409: 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
6825-426: 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
6916-412: The recipient either a knight if male or 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
7007-426: The reintroduction of a regular evening slot for one-off plays on BBC1 would provide the re-invigoration of drama output that has become a priority for the corporation. Joe's Palace was screened on 4 November 2007 on BBC One and Capturing Mary was screened on BBC Two on 12 November 2007. The Culture Show also screened a Poliakoff special, including an interview between Poliakoff and Mark Kermode and
7098-603: 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:
7189-461: 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
7280-506: 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
7371-589: 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
7462-649: Was a British Jew . His maternal grandfather had bought 16th-century mansion Great Fosters , and his maternal great-grandfather was Samuel Montagu, 1st Baron Swaythling . The second of four children, he was sent at a young age to Marlborough House School , which he hated. He then attended Westminster School , where he attracted sufficient attention for Granny , a play he wrote and directed, to be reviewed in The Times newspaper. After Westminster, he went to King's College, Cambridge to read history but left after two years, later recalling Cambridge as "a stuffy place" and
7553-570: Was a Russian Jew who experienced first-hand the effects of the communist revolution in Russia from the family's Moscow flat across from the Kremlin . Near starvation after the revolution, he was given a government job as a district telephone inspector from an admiring commissar and he helped build Moscow's first automatic telephone exchange. He then fled with his family from the Soviet Union to
7644-554: Was a professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama . Asher was educated at North Bridge House School and Miss Lambert's PNEU School for Girls at Paddington , then at Queen's College in Harley Street , London. Asher's elder brother is record producer and manager Peter Asher , who started his career as Peter of Peter and Gordon . Asher was a child actress who appeared in the 1952 film Mandy and
7735-473: 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
7826-723: Was in The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in 2002, in the episode "The Peculiar Persecution of Mr John Vincent Harden". In 2003, she appeared in the revived ITV soap, Crossroads where she played the hotel's owner, Angel Sampson. After the soap was axed, Asher apologised to Crossroads fans for the way the 2003 series went. In 2004, she starred in Festen at the Arts Theatre . In 2005, she starred in The World's Biggest Diamond , by Gregory Motton , at
7917-469: 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
8008-513: 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
8099-645: 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
8190-578: Was shown in Odeon Cinemas in August 2011 and made available on the WWF website and YouTube . In February and March 2013, Dancing on the Edge , a five-part series which followed the fortunes of a black jazz band in 1930s London, was broadcast by the BBC , and also later won a Golden Globe . In November/December 2016, his seven-part series Close to the Enemy was transmitted on BBC Two . Close to
8281-526: Was to be given for services rendered in 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
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