Honours Committee Honours Committee The Honours Committee is a committee within the Cabinet Office of the Government of the United Kingdom formed to review nominations for national honours for merit, exceptional achievement or service. Twice yearly the Honours Committee submits formal recommendations for the British monarch's New Years and Birthday Honours. Members of the Honours Committee—which comprises a main committee and nine subcommittees in speciality areas—research and vet nominations for national awards, including knighthoods and the Order of the British Empire. The honours system is an ancient one, particularly in Britain; Æthelstan, King of the English in the 10th century, was knighted
South African honours system most important awards were the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery (1970–88) and the Decoration for Meritorious Service (DMS) (1970–86). The civil honours system was enlarged during the 1980s. A series of five national orders was established in 1986, and a Chancery of Orders was established in the Office of the State President (now 'the Presidency') to administer them. The most important order was the Order of the Southern Cross (1986–2002). The old South African honours were retained for a few years after the Republic was reconstituted as a fully representative democratic state in 1994. A new series of national orders was