Order of Merit

Order of Merit
Order of Merit;
	Order of Merit medal of Dorothy Hodgkin, displayed in the Royal Society in London
Awarded by the Queen of the United Kingdom
Type	Order
Established	1902
Motto	FOR MERIT
Awarded for	At the monarch's pleasure
Status	Currently constituted
Grades	Member
Precedence
Next (higher)	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Next (lower)	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
	File:Order of Merit UK ribbon.png; Ribbon of Order of Merit; ;

The Order of Merit is a British and Commonwealth Order bestowed by the Monarch. It was established in 1902 by King Edward VII (based on the Prussian Pour le Mérite) as a reward for distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Appointments to the Order are in the Sovereign's personal gift and ministerial advice is not required. The Order of Merit ranks immediately below Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath; and although it confers no title, recipients are entitled to add the suffix O.M. after their surname.

The badge has the appearance of a red cross surmounted by a golden crown. The rarer military awards are distinguished from the civil by having a pair of crossed swords behind the central medallion. The ribbon is red and blue.

The Order is limited to the Sovereign and twenty-four members, but additional foreigners may be added as "honorary members". From the beginning the Order was open to women, and Florence Nightingale was the first woman to receive the honour, in 1907.

Current members

Sovereign: HM The Queen
Members:
- The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT OM GBE AC QSO CD PC (1968), Royal Consort
- Owen Chadwick OM KBE (1983), Theological Historian
- Sir Andrew Huxley OM FRS (1983), Physiologist, Nobel Laureate (Medicine) and President of the Royal Society (1980-1985)
- Dr Frederick Sanger OM CH CBE FRS (1986), Biochemist and Double Nobel Laureate (Chemistry)
- Baroness Thatcher LG OM PC FRS (1990), British Prime Minister (1979-1990)
- Dame Joan Sutherland OM AC DBE (1991), Coloratura Soprano
- Sir Michael Atiyah OM FRS (1992), Mathematician, Fields medalist, Abel Laureate and President of the Royal Society (1990-1995)
- Lucian Freud OM CH (1993), Painter
- Sir Aaron Klug OM FRS (1995), Biophysicist, Nobel Laureate (Chemistry) and President of the Royal Society (1995-2000)
- Lord Foster of Thames Bank OM RA (1997), Architect and Pritzker Laureate
- Sir James Black OM FRS (2000), Pharmacologist and Nobel Laureate (Medicine)
- Sir Anthony Caro OM CBE (2000), Sculptor
- Sir Roger Penrose OM FRS (2000), Mathematical physicist
- Sir Tom Stoppard OM CBE (2000), Playwright
- The Prince of Wales KG KT GCB OM AK QSO CD PC ADC (2002), Heir to the Throne
- Lord May of Oxford OM AC FRS (2002), Ecologist and President of the Royal Society (2000-2005)
- Lord Rothschild OM GBE FBA (2002), Philanthropist
- Sir David Attenborough OM CH CVO CBE FRS (2005), Broadcaster
- Baroness Boothroyd OM PC (2005), First female Speaker of the House of Commons
- Sir Michael Howard OM CH KBE MC (2005), Military historian
- Sir Timothy Berners-Lee OM KBE FRS FREng FRSA (2007), Inventor of the World Wide Web, Director of the W3C
- Lord Rees of Ludlow OM PRS (2007), Astronomer Royal (1995 - ) and President of the Royal Society (2005 - )
- Lord Eames OM (2007), Anglican Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh (1986-2006)
  - There is one vacancy, following the death of Sir Denis Rooke in September 2008.
Honorary Members:
- Nelson Mandela OM CC AC QC (1995), Statesman and Nobel Laureate (Peace).

Past members: 1902 to 2002

[Current members before 2002 are highlighted; date shown is date of entry to the order; formal titles and honours or decorations are shown.]

1. Field Marshal Right Hon. Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, VC., KG., KP., GCB., OM., GCSI., GCIE. (1832-1914) 26th June 1902

2. Field Marshal Right Hon. Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley. KP, GCB., OM., GCMG. (1833-1913) 26th June 1902

3. Field Marshal Right Hon. Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG., KP., GCB., OM., GCSI., GCMG., GCIE. (1850-1916) 26th June 1902

4. Right Hon. John William Strutt, Lord Rayleigh, OM., FRS. (1842-1919) 26th June 1902

5. Right Hon. William, Lord Kelvin, OM., GCVO., FRS. (1824-1907) 26th June 1902

6. Right Hon. Joseph, Lord Lister, OM., FRS. (1827-1912) 26th June 1902

7. Admiral of the Fleet Right Hon. Sir Henry Keppel, GCB., OM. (1809-1904) 26th June 1902

8. Right Hon. John, Viscount Morley of Blackburn, OM., FBA. (1838-1923) 26th June 1902

9. Right Hon. William Edward Hartpole Lecky, OM., FBA. (1838-1903) 26th June 1902

10. Admiral of the Fleet Right Hon. Sir Edward Hobart Seymour, GCB., OM., GCVO. (1840-1929) 26th June 1902

11. Sir William Huggins, OM., KCB., FRS. (1824-1910) 26th June 1902

12. George Frederick Watts, OM., RA. (1817-1904) 26th June 1902

13. Field Marshal Sir George White, VC., GCB., OM., GCSI., GCMG., GCIE., GCVO. (1835-1912) 30th June 1905

14. Admiral of the Fleet John Arbuthnot, Lord Fisher, GCB., OM., GCVO. (1841-1920) 30th June 1905

15. Sir Richard Jebb, OM., FBA. (1841-1905) 30th June 1905

16. Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, OM., RA. (1836-1912) 30th June 1905

17. George Meredith, OM. (1828-1909) 30th June 1905

18. William Holman Hunt, OM. (1827-1910) 30th June 1905

19. Right Hon. Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer, GCB., OM., GCMG., KCSI., CIE., FRS., FBA. (1841-1917) 29th June 1906

20. Right Hon. James, Viscount Bryce, OM., GCVO., FRS., FBA. (1838-1922) 11th February 1907

21. Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, OM., GCSI., CB., FRS. (1817-1911) 30th June 1907

22. Florence Nightingale, OM., RRC. (1820-1910) 29th November 1907

23. Henry Jackson (classicist), OM., FBA. (1839-1921) 26th June 1908

24. Alfred Russel Wallace, OM., FRS. (1823-1913) 26th June 1908

25. Sir William Crookes, OM., FRS. (1832-1919) 8th July 1910

26. Thomas Hardy, OM. (1840-1928) 8th July 1910

27. Right Hon. Sir George Otto Trevelyan, BT., OM., FBA. (1838-1928) 19th June 1911

28. Sir Edward Elgar, BT., OM., GCVO. (1857-1934) 19th June 1911

29. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson, BT., VC., GCB., OM., GCVO. (1842-1921) 8th March 1912

30. Sir Joseph John Thomson, OM., FRS. (1856-1940) 15th March 1912

31. Sir Archibald Geikie, OM., KCB., FRS. (1835-1924) 1st January 1914

32. Field Marshal Right Hon. John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres, KP., GCB., OM., GCVO., KCMG. (1852-1925) 3rd December 1914

33. Right Hon. Richard Burdon Sanderson Viscount Haldane, KT., OM., FRS. (1856-1928) 26th May 1915

34. Henry James, OM. (1843-1916) 1st January 1916

35. Admiral of the Fleet John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, GCB., OM., GCVO. (1859-1935) 31st May 1916

36. Right Hon. Arthur Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG., OM., FRS., FBA. (1848-1930) 3rd June 1916

37. Admiral of the Fleet Right Hon. David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty , GCB., OM., GCVO., DSO. (1871-1936) 3rd June 1919

38. Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, KT., GCB., OM., GCVO., KCIE. (1861-1928) 3rd June 1919

39. Right Hon. David Lloyd George 1st Earl Lloyd-George, OM. (1863-1945) 5th August 1919

40. Sir James Matthew Barrie, BT., OM. (1860-1937) 2nd January 1922

41. Francis Herbert Bradley, OM., FBA. (1846-1924) 3rd June 1924

42. Sir Charles Scott Sherrington, OM., GBE., FRS. (1857-1952) 3rd June 1924

43. Sir James George Frazer, OM., FRS., FBA. (1854-1941) 1st January 1925

44. Ernest, Lord Rutherford of Nelson, OM., FRS. (1871-1937) 1st January 1925

45. Hon. Sir Charles Algernon Parsons, OM., KCB., FRS. (1854-1931) 3rd June 1927

46. Sir George Abraham Grierson, OM., KCIE., FBA. (1851-1941) 4th June 1928

47. Robert Seymour Bridges, OM. (1844-1930) 3rd June 1929

48. John Galsworthy, OM. (1867-1933) 3rd June 1929

49. Samuel Alexander, OM., FBA. (1859-1938) 3rd June 1930

50. Montague Rhodes James, OM., FBA. (1862-1936) 3rd June 1930

51. George Macaulay Trevelyan, OM., CBE., FRS., FBA. (1876-1962) 3rd June 1930

52. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Edward Madden, 1st Baronet, BT., GCB., OM, GCVO., KCMG. (1862-1935) 1st January 1931

53. Philip Wilson Steer, OM. (1860-1942) 1st January 1931

54. Sir William Henry Bragg, OM., KBE., FRS. (1862-1942) 3rd June 1931

55. John William Mackail, OM., FBA. (1859-1945) 1st January 1935

56. John Edward Masefield, OM. (1878-1967) 3rd June 1935

57. Ralph Vaughan Williams, OM. (1872-1958) 3rd June 1935

58. Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, OM., FRS. (1861-1947) 3rd June 1935

59. Field Marshal Philip Chetwode, 1st Baron Chetwode, GCB., OM., GCSI., KCMG., DSO. (1869-1950) 1st January 1936

60. Right Hon. Herbert Albert Laurens Fisher, OM., FRS., FBA. (1865-1940) 1st February 1937

61. Lieutenant General Robert Stephenson Smyth, Lord Baden Powell, BT., OM., GCMG., GCVO., KCB. (1857-1941) 11th May 1937

62. Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington, OM., FRS. (1882-1944) 9th June 1938

63. Admiral of the Fleet Right Hon. Albert Montacute, Ernle Chatfield, 1st Baron Chatfield, GCB., OM., KCMG., CVO. (1873-1967) 2nd January 1939

64. Sir James Jeans, OM., FRS. (1877-1946) 2nd January 1939

65. Marshal of the Royal Air Force Cyril Newall, 1st Baron Newall, GCB., OM., GCMG., CBE., AM. (1886-1963) 29th October 1940

66. George Gilbert Aimé Murray, OM., FBA. (1866-1957) 1st January 1941

67. Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM., KCIE., RA. (1869-1944) 1st January 1942

68. Augustus Edwin John, OM., RA. (1878-1961) 11th June 1942

69. Edgar Adrian, Lord Adrian, OM., FRS. (1889-1977) 11th June 1942

70. Sir William Searle Holdsworth, OM., KC., FBA (1871-1944) 1st January 1943

71. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alfred Dudley Pound, GCB., OM., GCVO. (1877-1943) 3rd September 1943

72. Right Hon. Sidney James Webb, Lord Passfield, OM. (1859-1947) 8th June 1944

73. Sir Henry Hallett Dale, OM., GBE., FRS. (1875-1968) 8th June 1944

74. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, OM., RA. (1880-1960) 8th June 1944

75. Alfred North Whitehead, OM., FRS., FBA. (1861-1947) 1st January 1945

76. Right Hon. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, KG., OM., CH., FRS., FBA. (1874-1965) 1st January 1946

77. Marshal of the R.A.F. Charles Portal, 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford, KG., GCB., OM., DSO., MC. (1893-1971) 1st January 1946

78. Field Marshal Alan Francis, Viscount Alanbrooke, KG., GCB., OM., GCVO., DSO. (1883-1963) 13th June 1946

79. Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Browne, Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope, KT., GCB., OM., DSO. (1883-1963) 13th June 1946

80. Right Hon. E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, KG., OM., GCSI., GCMG., GCIE. (1881-1959) 13th June 1946

81. Field Marshal Right Hon. Jan Christian Smuts, OM., CH., FRS. (1870-1950) 1st January 1947

82. Right Hon. William Lyon Mackenzie King, OM., CMG. 17th November 1947

83. Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM. (1888-1965) 1st January 1948

84. Sir Robert Robinson, OM., FRS. (1886-1975) 9th June 1949

85. Bertrand Russell, Earl Russell, OM., FRS., FBA. (1872-1970) 9th June 1949

86. Right Hon. Sir Alexander Cadogan, OM., GCMG., KCB. (1884-1968) 1st January 1951

87. Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Trenchard, Viscount Trenchard, GCB., OM., GCVO., DSO. (1873-1956) 1st January 1951

88. George Edward Moore, OM., FBA. (1873-1958) 7th June 1951

89. Right Hon. Clement Attlee, Earl Attlee, KG., OM., CH., FRS. (1883-1967) 5th November 1951

90. Wilder Graves Penfield, CC., OM., CMG., FRS. (1891-1976) 1st January 1953

91. Walter John De La Mare, OM., CH. (1873-1956) 1st June 1953

92. Right Hon. William Hailey, Lord Hailey, OM., GCSI., GCMG., GCIE. (1872-1969) 31st May 1956

93. Sir John Douglas Cockcroft, OM., KCB., CBE., FRS. (1897-1967) 1st January 1957

94. Right Hon. John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley, GCB., OM., GCSI., GCIE., FRS. (1882-1958) 8th December 1957

95. Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet, OM., AK., KBE., FRS. (1899-1985) 12th June 1958

96. Right Hon.Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel, GCB., OM., GBE. (1870-1963) 21st November 1958

97. Field Marshal Right Hon. Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, KG., GCB., OM., GCMG., CSI., DSO., MC. (1891-1969) 23rd April 1960

98. Sir Cyril Hinshelwood, OM., FRS. (1897-1967) 23rd April 1960

99. Graham Vivian Sutherland, OM. (1903-1980) 23rd April 1960

100. Sir Geoffrey De Havilland, OM., CBE., AFC. (1882-1965) 23rd November 1962

101. Sir Basil Urwin Spence, OM., OBE., RA. (1907-1976) 23rd November 1962

102. Right Hon. Sir Owen Dixon, OM., GCMG., FBA. (1886-1972) 29th May 1963

103. George Peabody Gooch, OM., CH., FBA. (1873-1968) 16th August 1963

104. Henry Moore, OM., CH., FBA. (1898-1986) 16th August 1963

105. Edward Benjamin Britten, Lord Britten, OM., CH. (1913-1976) 23rd March 1965

106. Dorothy Mary Hodgkin, OM., FRS. (1910-1994) 23rd March 1965

107. Admiral of the Fleet Right Hon. Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, KG., GCB., OM., GCSI., GCIE., GCVO., DSO., FRS. (1900-1979) 15th July 1965

108. Howard Florey, Lord Florey, OM., FRS. (1898-1968) 15th July 1965

109. Patrick Blackett, Lord Blackett, OM., CH., FRS. (1897-1974) 20th November 1967

110. Sir William Turner Walton, OM. (1902-1983) 20th November 1967

111. Ben Nicholson, OM. (1894-1982) 23rd April 1968

112. Solly, Lord Zuckerman, OM., KCB., FRS. (1904-1993) 23rd April 1968

113. The Duke of Edinburgh, KG., KT., OM., GBE., AC., QSO., FRS. (b. 1921) 10th June 1968

114. Edward Morgan Forster, OM., CH. (1879-1970) 1st January 1969

115. Right Hon. Malcolm John MacDonald, OM. (1901-1981) 14th July 1969

116. William George Penney, Lord Penney, OM., KBE., FRS. (1909-1991) 14th July 1969

117. Sir Geoffrey Ingram Taylor, OM., FRS. (1886-1975) 14th July 1969

118. Dame Cicely Veronica Wedgwood, OM., DBE., FBA. (1910-1997) 14th July 1969

119. John Cawte Beaglehole, OM., CMG. (1901-1971) 21st March 1970

120. Right Hon. Lester Bowles Pearson, CC., OM., OBE. (1897-1972) 20th May 1971

121. Sir Isaiah Berlin, OM., CBE., FBA. (1909-1997) 20th May 1971

122. Sir George Edwards, OM., CBE., FRS. (1908 - 2003) 20th May 1971

123. Sir Alan Lloyd Hodgkin, OM., KBE., FRS. (1914-1998) 17th April 1973

124. Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac, OM., FRS. (1902-1984) 17th April 1973

125. Right Hon. Harold Macmillan, Earl of Stockton, OM., FRS. (1894-1986) 2nd April 1976

126. Christopher Hinton, Lord Hinton of Bankside, OM., KBE., FRS. (1901-1983) 2nd April 1976

127. Kenneth Clark, Lord Clark, OM., CH., KCB., FBA. (1903-1983) 2nd April 1976

128. Sir Ronald Syme, OM., FBA. (1903-1989) 2nd April 1976

129. Alexander Robertus, Lord Todd, OM., FRS. (1907-1997) 24th October 1977

130. Right Hon. Oliver Shewell, Lord Franks, OM., GCMG., KCB., KCVO., CBE., FBA. (1905-1992) 24th October 1977

131. Sir Frederick Ashton, OM., CH., CBE. (1904-1988) 24th October 1977

132. J B Priestley, OM. (1894-1984) 24th October 1977

133. Laurence Kerr, Lord Olivier, OM. (1907-1989) 6th February 1981

134. Sir Peter Brian Medawar, OM., CH., CBE., FRS., FBA. (1915-1987) 6th February 1981

135. Group Captain Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire, Lord Cheshire, VC., OM., DSO., DFC. (1917-1992) 6th February 1981

136. Reverend William Owen Chadwick, OM., KBE., FBA. (b. 1916) 11th November 1983

137. Sir Andrew Fielding Huxley, OM., FRS. (b. 1917) 11th November 1983

138. Sir Sidney Robert Nolan, OM., AC., CBE., ARA. (1917-1992) 11th November 1983

139. Sir Michael Tippett, OM., CH., CBE. (1905-1998) 11th November 1983

140. Henry Graham Greene, OM., CH. (1904-1991) 11th February 1986

141. Frederick Sanger, OM., CH., CBE., FRS. (b. 1918) 11th February 1986

142. Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM., KBE., CB., FRS. (1907-1996) 11th February 1986

143. Yehudi, Lord Menuhin, OM., KBE. (1916-1999) 25th February 1987

144. Sir Ernst Gombrich, OM., CBE., FBA. (1909-2001) 15th February 1988

145. Max Ferdinand Perutz, OM., CH., CBE., FRS. (1914-2002) 15th February 1988

146. Dame Cicely Saunders, OM., DBE. (b. 1918) 30th November 1989

147. George Porter, Lord Porter of Luddenham, OM., FRS. (1920-2002) 30th November 1989

148. Right Hon. Margaret Thatcher, Lady Thatcher of Kesteven, OM., FRS. (b. 1925) 7th December 1990

149. Dame Joan Sutherland, OM., AC., DBE. (b. 1926) 27th November 1991

150. Francis Harry Compton Crick, OM., FRS. (1916 - 2004) 27th November 1991

151. Dame Ninette de Valois, OM., CH., DBE. (1898-2001) 17th November 1992

152. Sir Michael Francis Atiyah, OM., PRS. (b. 1929) 17th November 1992

153. Lucian Freud, OM., CH. (b. 1922) 6th December 1993

154. Right Hon. Roy Harris, Lord Jenkins of Hillhead, OM., FBA. (1920 - 2003) 6th December 1993

155. Sir Aaron Klug, OM., FRS. (b. 1926) 23rd October, 1995

156. Sir John Gielgud, OM., CH. (1904-2000) 9th December, 1996

157. Alfred Thompson, The Lord Denning, OM. (1899-1999) 25th November, 1997

158. Norman Robert, The Lord Foster of Thamesbank, OM., RA. (b. 1935) 25th November, 1997

159. Sir Denis Rooke, OM., CBE., FRS., FEng. (1924 - 2008) 25th November, 1997

160. Edward James Ted Hughes, OM., OBE. (1930-1998) 10th August, 1998

161. His Eminence Cardinal George Basil Hume, OM., OSB. Archbishop of Westminster (1923-1999) 25th May, 1999

162. Sir James Whyte Black, OM., FRCP., FRS. (b. 1924) 9th May, 2000

163. Sir Anthony Caro, OM., CBE. (b. 1924) 9th May, 2000

164. Sir Roger Penrose, OM., FRS. (b. 1931) 9th May, 2000

165. Sir Tom Stoppard, OM., CBE., FRSL. (b. 1937) 9th May, 2000

166. The Prince of Wales , K.G., K.T., G.C.B., O.M., A.K., Q.S.O., A.D.C. (b. 1948) 27th June, 2002

167. Lord May of Oxford, OM. (b. 1936) 28th October, 2002

168. Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild OM., GBE., GM., FRS. (b. 1936) 28th October, 2002

Past Honorary Members

The following people were previously made honorary members of the Order:

Field Marshal Prince Aritomo Yamagata (Japan; 1906)
Field Marshal Prince Iwao Oyama (Japan; 1906)
Admiral of the Fleet Marquis Heihachiro Togo (Japan; 1906)
Marshal and Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch (France; 1918)
Marshal Joseph Joffre (France; 1919)
General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower (United States; 1945)
John Gilbert Winant (United States; 1947)
Albert Schweitzer (France; 1955)
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (India; 1963)
Mother Teresa of Calcutta (India; 1983)

References

Martin, Stanley (2007). The Order of Merit. I. B. Tauris. ISBN 1-86064-848-7.

External links

[A history of the Order of Merit];