Order of the Companions of Honour
Member number Name Post-nominals Known for Date of appointment Age
01 ( 237 ) Sir Michael Somare GCL , GCMG , CH , PC Former Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea 3 June 1978 84
02 ( 246 ) Doug Anthony AC , CH , PC Former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia 31 December 1981 90
03 ( 267 ) The Lord Tebbit CH , PC Politician 31 July 1987 89
04 ( 270 ) The Lord Baker of Dorking CH , PC Politician 13 April 1992 85
05 ( 271 ) The Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville CH , PC Politician 13 April 1992 86
06 ( 278 ) The Lord King of Bridgwater CH , PC Politician 13 April 1992 87
07 ( 282 ) Dame Janet Baker CH , DBE Opera singer 31 December 1993 86
08 ( 287 ) The Lord Owen CH , PC Politician 11 June 1994 82
09 ( 289 ) Sir David Attenborough OM , CH , CVO , CBE Broadcaster and naturalist 30 December 1995 94
10 ( 291 ) The Lord Hurd of Westwell CH , CBE , PC Politician 30 December 1995 90
11 ( 294 ) David Hockney OM , CH Artist 14 June 1997 83
12 ( 296 ) The Lord Heseltine CH , PC Politician 2 August 1997 87
13 ( 297 ) The Lord Patten of Barnes CH , PC Politician and former Governor of Hong Kong 31 December 1997 76
14 ( 298 ) Peter Brook CH , CBE Theatre director 13 June 1998 95
15 ( 299 ) Sir John Major KG , CH , PC Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 31 December 1998 77
16 ( 300 ) Bridget Riley CH , CBE Artist 31 December 1998 89
17 ( 305 ) John de Chastelain CC , CMM , CD , CH Canadian general and diplomat 31 December 1998 82
18 ( 311 ) Sir Harrison Birtwistle CH Composer 30 December 2000 86
19 ( 316 ) James Lovelock CH , CBE , FRS Scientist and environmentalist 31 December 2002 100
20 ( 317 ) Dan McKenzie CH , FRS Geophysicist 14 June 2003 78
Current Companions
Sovereign : Queen Elizabeth II
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded on 4 June 1917 by King George V as a reward for outstanding achievements and is conferred upon a limited number of persons for whom this special distinction seems to be the most appropriate form of recognition, constituting an honour disassociated either from the acceptance of title or the classification of merit. Founded on the same date as the Order of the British Empire, it is sometimes regarded as the junior order to the Order of Merit. Now described as awarded for having a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or government lasting over a long period of time, the first recipients were all decorated for services in connection with the war and were listed in The London Gazette. The Chapel Royal at Hampton Court is now the Chapel of the Order.