Skip to content
Honoria Shop

Order Rank

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

A senior rank within the Order of the British Empire recognising national-level achievement or service.

CBE
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) ribbon
Insignia of the Order of the British Empire
Insignia · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Awarded over time

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) appointments by year.

Honoriahonoria.co.uk

The topics most recognised among Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) recipients, sized by number of people. Click a tile to explore.

Education446Education — 446Charity300Charity — 300Industry245Industry — 245Health230Health — 230Science and Technology229Science and Technology — 229Business218Business — 218Public Service211Public Service — 211Government179Government — 179Community173Community — 173Research170Research — 170Healthcare163Healthcare — 163NHS145NHS — 145Medicine131Medicine — 131Arts129Arts — 129Children126Children — 126Higher Educ…119Higher Education — 119Finance118Finance — 118Care109Care — 109Volunteer…107Volunteering — 107Local Gov…102Local Government — 102Developme…100Development — 100Economy100Economy — 100Justice98Justice — 98Engineering96Engineering — 96Music92Music — 92Employment90Employment — 90Policy88Policy — 88Politics80Politics — 80Technol…Technology — 74DefenceDefence — 74Pensio…Pensions — 65LawLaw — 65Intern…International Relations — 64Sport64Sport — 64Further Educ…61Further Education — 61Drama61Drama — 61Philanthropy60Philanthropy — 60Social Care58Social Care — 58Women55Women — 55Diversity — 55Energy — 54Management — 54Voluntary Service — 54Public Health — 52Clinical Me…51Clinical Medicine — 51Literature51Literature — 51Civil Servi…50Civil Service — 50Young People49Young People — 49Culture46Culture — 46Economics — 46Charitable Services — 46Legal Services — 45Economic Development — 44Environme…44Environment — 44Financial…43Financial Services — 43Trade43Trade — 43Art — 42Heritage — 42Nursing42Nursing — 42Transport42Transport — 42

Topics by number of recipients

Every topic recognised among Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) recipients, by number of people. Scroll for the full list.

Honours rounds

Rounds that included this award - open one to see the recipients.

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are affiliated with the order, but are not members of it.

Background from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

At a glance

Established
1917 by King George V
Awarding body
The British Crown
Rank
Commander (CBE)
Formal title
None

Overview

Recognises national achievement or service

Eligibility

Individuals with significant national impact

  • Leadership
  • Public service
  • Professional excellence

National

Rank & Precedence

Commander (CBE) - Above OBE, below KBE/DBE

  1. Above: Officer (OBE)
  2. Below: Knight/Dame Commander (KBE/DBE)

Entitlements

Post-nominal letters
CBE
Formal title
None
Insignia
Badge and ribbon

Award Process

  • Public nominations
  • Honours committee
  • Approved by the Sovereign

Announced: New Year Honours and King's Birthday Honours

Royal ceremony

Significance

Prominent national service

  • Excellence
  • Leadership
  • Public benefit

Sources & further reading

Honoria is an independent reference. Awards are described from public sources; it is not an official or royal body.

Linked data

The third grade of the Order of the British Empire, conferred for a distinguished national role or a leading regional contribution; post-nominal CBE.

Post-nominal
CBE
Wikidata
Q12201477

From the Honoria honours vocabulary (SKOS). exactMatch = Wikidata; closeMatch = The Gazette honours ontology (official but a 2008–2015 beta).

Related honours

See all orders of chivalry

Explore