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Only the two highest ranks are knightly. There is also a related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are not members of the Order, but which is affiliated with the Order nonetheless.
The Order's motto is For God and the Empire. It is the most junior of the British orders of chivalry and has more members than any other.
King George V founded the Order to fill gaps in the British honours system: The Most Honourable Order of the Bath honoured only senior military officers and civil servants, The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George honoured diplomats and the Royal Victorian Order honoured those who had personally served the Royal Family. In particular, King George V wished to honour the many thousands of people who served in numerous non-combatant capacities during the First World War. Originally, the Order included only one division; soon after its foundation, in 1918, it was formally divided into Military and Civil Divisions. The Order has been used to honour not only British citizens, but also citizens of other Commonwealth nations. During the Second World War, the Order of the British Empire was also awarded to senior military officers of allied nations, such as General George S. Patton
The British Sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order and appoints all other members of the Order (by convention, on the advice of the Government). The next-most senior member is the Grand Master. The current Grand Master is HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
The Order is limited to 100 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commanders, and 8960 Commanders. There are no limits on the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 Officers and 1464 Members may be appointed per year. Appointments are made on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth nations. By convention, female judges of the High Court of England and Wales are created Dames Commanders after appointment. Male judges, however, are created Knights BachelorThe dignity of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It refers to someone who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organized Orders of Chivalry. Knights Bachelor are the most ancient sort of British knight,.
Most members belong to the United Kingdom or to Commonwealth nations. Citizens of other countries, however, may be admitted as "honorary members." They do not count towards the numerical limits aforementioned, nor are they addressed as "Sir." (They may be made full members if they subsequently become British citizens.) Notable foreign members of the Order have included PeléEdson Arantes do Nascimento KBE (born October 23, 1940), nicknamed Pele is a former Brazilian football player, considered to be one of the greatest players of all time. He was an exceptionally versatile footballer, completely two-footed, an extremely succ, Bob GeldofBob Geldof KBE (born October 5, 1951) is an Irish singer, songwriter and humanitarian. Geldof first came to fame in the mid- 1970s as leader of the Boomtown Rats, a rock group closely linked with the punk movement. In 1978, they had their first Number 1 s, Bill GatesWilliam Henry Gates III KBE, (born October 28, 1955), commonly known as Bill Gates is the co-founder and current Chairman and Chief Software Architect of Microsoft. According to Forbes magazine in 2004, Gates is the wealthiest person in the world, a posit, Rudy GiulianiRudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani III, KBE (born May 28, 1944) served as the Mayor of New York City from January 1, 1994 through December 31, 2001. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Giuliani attended Manhattan College and graduated from New York, Alan GreenspanAlan Greenspan KBE (born March 6, 1926) is an American economist and Chairman of the Federal Reserve. He is considered by many to be the leading authority and key participant concerning United States domestic economic policy. For example, he has been inst, Steven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE (born on December 18, 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a Jewish American film director whose films range from science fiction to historical drama to horror. He is noted for the patriotism of his work and, in recent years, for his wi and Wesley ClarkWesley Kanne Clark KBE, (born December 23, 1944) is a retired four-star general in the U. As the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO from 1997 to 2000, Clark commanded Operation Allied Force in the Kosovo conflict. Before this, he had a distinguished career (all Knights Commanders).
At the foundation of the Order, the "Medal of the Order of the British Empire" was instituted. In 1922, it was renamed the "British Empire Medal." Recipients, who are not members of the Order itself, are grouped into the Civil and Military Divisions. Only junior government and military officials are awarded the medal; senior officials are directly appointed to the Order of the British Empire. The United Kingdom's Government has not recommended the awarding of the medal since 1992, though some Commonwealth nations continue the practice.
The Order has six officials: the Prelate, the Dean, the Secretary, the Registrar, the King of Arms and the Usher. The Bishop of London, the most senior bishop in the Church of England, serves as the Order's Prelate. The Dean of St Paul's is ex officio the Dean of the Order. The Order's King of Arms is not a member of the College of Arms, like many other heraldic officers. The Usher of the Order is known as the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod; he does not, unlike his Order of the Garter equivalent (the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod), perform any duties related to the House of Lords.
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