Order of Merit

For other Orders see Order of Merit (disambiguation).

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. The rarer military awards were distinguished from the civil by having a pair of crossed swords behind the central medallion. Appointments to the Order are in the Sovereign's personal gift and ministerial advice is not required.

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; Florence Nightingale was the first woman to receive the Order, in 1907. The Order confers no knighthood or other status, but recipients of this single-class Order are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "OM". The badge has the appearance of a red cross surmounted by a golden crown. The ribbon is red and blue.

Current members

• Sovereign: HM The Queen
• Members:
  • HRH The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT OM GBE AC QSO PC (1968), Royal Consort
  • The Revd Owen Chadwick OM KBE (1983), Theological Historian
  • Sir Andrew Huxley OM FRS (1983), Physiologist and Nobel Laureate (Medicine)
  • Dr Frederick Sanger OM CH CBE FRS (1986), Biochemist and Double Nobel Laureate (Chemistry)
  • The Rt Hon. The 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 and Fields Medalist
  • Lucian Freud OM CH (1993), Painter
  • Sir Aaron Klug OM FRS (1995), Biophysicist and Nobel Laureate (Chemistry)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Foster of Thames Bank OM RA (1997), Architect and Pritzker Laureate
  • Sir Denis Rooke OM CBE (1997), Industrial Engineer
  • 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
  • HRH The Prince of Wales KG KT GCB OM AK QSO PC ADC (2002), Heir to the Throne
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord May of Oxford OM AC FRS (2002), Ecologist and former President of the Royal Society
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Rothschild OM GBE (2002), Philanthropist
  • Sir David Attenborough OM CH CVO CBE FRS (2005), Broadcaster
  • The Rt Hon. The Baroness Boothroyd OM PC (2005), First female speaker of the House of Commons
  • Sir Michael Howard OM CH KBE MC (2005), Military historian
• Honorary Members:
  • Nelson Mandela OM CC AC QC (1995), Statesman and Nobel Laureate (Peace)

The recent death of Dame Cicely Saunders OM DBE has dropped the number of members to twenty-three until the Queen appoints a new member.

See also

• Members of the Order of Merit

External links

• A history of the Order and a full list of all recipients 1902-2002