In the United Kingdom, the monarch can appoint someone as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) or a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of notable achievements or long-standing service.

An OBE is typically awarded to individuals who have played a significant role either locally or nationally, while an MBE usually recognises people who have dedicated years of service to their communities and made a lasting impact.

However, receiving such an honour does not mean the recipient is free from scrutiny afterward.

According to Gov UK: “Both we and the wider community expect recipients of honours to be, and to remain, good citizens and role models.”

If a recipient fails to meet those expectations, the honour can be taken away. This month alone, King Charles has removed honours from nine people.

Reasons an honour can be withdrawn

There are several situations in which a national honour may be forfeited.

Gov UK explains: “This might include being found guilty of a criminal offence, behaviour which results in censure by a regulatory or a professional body, or any other behaviour that is deemed to bring the honours system into disrepute.”

When reviewing whether an honour should be revoked, authorities typically consider four main criteria. These include whether the individual:

  • “has been found guilty by the courts of a criminal offence and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of more than three months
  • has been censured or struck off by the relevant regulatory authority or professional body, for actions or failures to act, especially which are directly relevant to the granting of the honour
  • has been found guilty by the courts of a criminal offence covered by the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (England and Wales), Sexual Offences Order 2008 (Northern Ireland) or Sexual Offences Act 2009 (Scotland);
  • has been found to have committed a sexual act which is listed in the Acts above following a ‘trial of the facts’.”

Even so, the process is not limited to these specific conditions. Any case may be reviewed if there is evidence suggesting that allowing someone to keep the honour could damage the reputation of the honours system.

In some cases, the honour can even be revoked due to events that occurred before the award was originally granted.

“For example, a past criminal conviction, even if spent,” Gov UK adds.

Who decides if an honour is revoked

The decision to remove an honour is made by the Forfeiture Committee.

The committee is currently chaired by Dame Sarah Healey, who acts under delegated authority from the Head of the Civil Service.

Gov UK explains: “Also on the Committee is Susanna McGibbon, in her role as Treasury Solicitor. There are four independent members – Dame Jane Dacre, Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, Stephen Kelly and Sir Hamid Patel.”

The group reviews cases and determines whether an honour should be withdrawn.

What happens after an honour is stripped

If someone loses their honour, they are required to return the insignia to Buckingham Palace.

They are also no longer allowed to reference the honour publicly.

This includes using post-nominal letters such as MBE or OBE in any professional or public context.

“This would include use of the honour post-nominals on websites, publications or business cards,” Gov UK states.

Can someone appeal the decision?

In some situations, recipients may have the opportunity to respond if their honour is being reviewed.

They may be invited to provide written representations, particularly “where the Committee feels that the evidence is not clearcut or where the recipient has been found to have committed a sexual act which is listed in the Acts above following a ‘trial of the facts’.”

Ultimately, however, the final decision rests with the Forfeiture Committee, which determines whether keeping the honour would undermine the integrity of the system.