The moment that makes the photograph is often over in seconds: a name is called, someone steps forward, and a royal presents a medal or badge. An investiture is the ceremony at which a person receives the insignia of a British honor. It comes after the honor is announced, which is why readers can see the same name in the news twice.
The ceremony can look like a single royal ritual from the outside. For the people in the room, though, it marks many different kinds of service, from a lifetime of community work to an act of exceptional bravery. The Royal Household’s guide identifies King Charles, Prince William and Princess Anne as hosts.
From the honors list to the palace
The Cabinet Office publishes major honors lists at New Year and around the monarch’s official birthday. A person’s name on one of those lists is the announcement; the later invitation brings the recipient to the ceremony where the insignia is presented. Buckingham Palace’s Throne Room and Windsor Castle’s Grand Reception Room are among the venues, with ceremonies also held on occasion at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
Three moments, three different meanings
The announcement: The honor is made public.
The invitation: The recipient receives instructions for the ceremony.
The investiture: A royal or other appropriate representative presents the insignia.
The distinction has a practical consequence: the Cabinet Office’s guidance for recipients says most people entitled to use letters after their names can begin doing so when the award is announced. Some awards follow different presentation arrangements. The British Empire Medal, for instance, is usually presented locally by a Lord-Lieutenant, the monarch’s representative for an area.
When does the sword come out?
The Royal Household describes recipients being called forward one at a time, often by the Lord Chamberlain or a deputy. A military band or orchestra plays during the ceremony. The familiar image of someone kneeling to be touched on the shoulders with a sword belongs to a knighthood, rather than to every honor handed out that day.
A quick guide to the letters
MBE: Member of the Order of the British Empire.
OBE: Officer of the same order.
CBE: Commander of the same order.
The UK government’s honors guide explains these and other awards.
The historical watercolor above shows Queen Victoria at an 1855 investiture for the Order of the Bath. It captures a particular ceremony and a different order, but it also makes a useful point about today’s photographs: a shared setting can hold many different traditions. For another example, see our guide to the Order of the Garter.
Sources: The Royal Household; UK Honours System; Cabinet Office honors guide. Featured artwork: Louis Haghe, July 7, 1855, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
