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
Irish honours system Holy See awards. As well as state awards, Irish citizens have received foreign dynastic orders such as the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, and awards from the Order of Malta. Some existing award schemes are run or supported by the State in Ireland and these include: Other honours or distinctions have also been compared to honours systems: Opposition politicians and others, in criticising actual or potential government appointments to the boards of public and state-sponsored bodies, have on occasion described the practice as a kind of ersatz honours system to reward party loyalists or personal friends of ministers.