Order Rank
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)
A senior rank within the Order of the Bath for distinguished military or civil service.
KCB
Awarded over time
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) appointments by year.
honoria.co.ukThemes
Most common themes among Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) recipients, across all years.
Most numerous themes
The themes most often cited for Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).
Honours rounds
Rounds that included this award — open one to see the recipients.
| Year | Honours list | Recipients |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 3 | |
| 2021 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 4 | |
| 2018 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 4 | |
| 2016 | 4 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 4 |
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior military officers or senior civil servants, and the monarch awards it on the advice of His Majesty's Government. The name derives from an elaborate medieval ceremony for preparing a candidate to receive his knighthood, of which ritual bathing was an element. While not all knights went through such an elaborate ceremony, knights so created were known as "knights of the Bath".
Background from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
At a glance
- Established
- 1725 by King George I
- Awarding body
- The British Crown
- Rank
- Knight Commander (KCB)
- Formal title
- Sir
Overview
Recognises high-level service and leadership
Eligibility
Senior military officers and civil servants
- Leadership
- Service
- Excellence
National
Rank & Precedence
Knight Commander (KCB) — Above Companion (CB), below Grand Cross (GCB)
- Above: Companion (CB)
- Below: Grand Cross (GCB)
Entitlements
- Post-nominal letters
- KCB
- Formal title
- Sir
- Insignia
- Badge, star, sash
Award Process
- Government nomination
- Honours committee
- Approved by the Sovereign
Announced: New Year Honours and King's Birthday Honours
Royal ceremony
Significance
High-level leadership and service
- Service
- Excellence
- Leadership
Sources & further reading
- Honours: overview — GOV.UK
- Awards and accreditation — The Gazette
- Order of the Bath — Wikipedia
Honoria is an independent reference. Awards are described from public sources; it is not an official or royal body.
Related honours
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)CBE
- Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)CVO
- Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)CMG
- Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)CB
- Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)CH
- Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG)DCMG