Guidance

Rules governing the acceptance and wearing of foreign and Commonwealth orders, decorations and medals by citizens of the United Kingdom and her Overseas Territories

Updated 24 November 2021

These rules set out the circumstances under which a citizen of the United Kingdom or her Overseas Territories (“UK citizen”) may be granted The Sovereign’s permission to accept and wear an Order, Decoration or Medal (“foreign or Commonwealth award”) conferred by a Head of State of a foreign country, Head of State of a Commonwealth country of which The Sovereign is not Head of State, by The Sovereign’s Realms where the award is made in an Order of the country concerned and certain international organisations (collectively referred to as “foreign or Commonwealth state”).

Principles

1. No UK citizen^{[footnote 1]} may accept or wear a foreign or Commonwealth award without The Sovereign’s permission. Such permission must be sought as soon as there is an indication that an award may be offered.

2. The granting of permission for a UK citizen to accept an award offered by a foreign or Commonwealth state will only be considered if the award recognises specified services rendered to the interests of that foreign or Commonwealth state.

3. Permission will not normally be given for UK citizens to accept a foreign or Commonwealth award if they have received, or are expected to receive, a UK award for the same services but consideration can be given to requests where it would be in the national interest to do so.

4. Acceptance of a foreign or Commonwealth award does not mean that the UK will make a reciprocal offer directly or indirectly associated with the UK recipient.

5. Permission will not be given for a UK citizen to accept a foreign or Commonwealth award if it is considered that it would not be in the national interest to do so.

6. Permission will not be given for a UK citizen to use any title associated with a foreign or Commonwealth award in the UK.

Permission to wear

7. Where the Sovereign’s permission has already been given to accept Orders, Decorations and Medals conferred upon UK citizens, not being servants of the Crown, by foreign and Commonwealth Heads of State, these may in all cases be worn by recipients without restriction. No specific letter will be issued in these cases.

8. For Crown Servants, civil and most categories of public servants generally, permission to wear a foreign or Commonwealth award, where permission to confer the award has been given – see para 18 for when this might exceptionally be considered, will be either:

• unrestricted: allowing the award to be worn on any occasion where the wearing of awards is appropriate, or
• restricted: allowing the award to be worn only on particular occasions associated with the foreign or Commonwealth state that conferred it

9. The grant of permission to wear to Crown Servants, whether unrestricted or restricted, will be conveyed by letter to the Crown Servant concerned from The Sovereign’s Private Secretary.

Application

10. A foreign or Commonwealth state wishing to confer an award on a UK citizen is expected to ascertain – through its Diplomatic Representative at The Court of St James’s or through representatives of the relevant international organisation – whether permission to accept an award would be given before it is offered to the proposed recipient. Such requests for clearance should be sent to the Royal, Ceremonial and Honours Unit in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and will only be considered in respect of awards given by Heads of State recognised as such by The Sovereign.

11. Requests made by certain international organisations (for example the United Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) in respect of service in military operations under their auspices should be made to the Defence Services Secretary in the Ministry of Defence. Requests made in respect of other service under international organisation auspices should be made to the Royal, Ceremonial and Honours Unit in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. In the majority of cases, consideration for permission to confer the awards will primarily be based on a high bar of risk and rigour.

12. Requests should normally be made within 5 years of the service or services rendered but consideration can be given to requests in relation to older service where it is considered to be in the national interest.

13. In the case of former Crown Servants, consideration can be given to requests in relation to recent service to a foreign or Commonwealth country, as long as 5 years have elapsed since any public service role for the United Kingdom.

14. Requests for clearance meeting the requirements of these rules will be considered by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on behalf of The Sovereign. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be under no obligation to give such consideration if the application has not been made as indicated in paragraphs 10-13 above.

Guidelines

15. Each request will be treated on a case by case basis. The fact that a similar application has been approved in the past should not be taken as implying that permission will be granted to a future application.

16. The grant of unrestricted permission will be considered in the case of foreign or Commonwealth awards conferred for services:

• related to the saving or attempting to save life^{[footnote 2]};

• by any member of the UK Armed Forces or other UK official on exchange, attachment or loan to a foreign or Commonwealth state who is involved in a military operation or an emergency^{[footnote 3]} on behalf of that country, state or organisation

• by any member of the UK Armed Forces serving in a UK Unit within a bi-lateral force under the command of the other country who renders special service to the country’s forces in a military operation or emergency, or

• in military or other operations under the auspices of an international organisation (e.g., the United Nations, NATO)

and, in each of the above cases, the proposed recipient has not received or is not expected to receive a UK award for the same services.

17. The grant of restricted permission will be considered in the case of foreign or Commonwealth awards conferred:

• on the occasion of, and in connection with, a State or official visit by a Head of State or Government of a foreign or Commonwealth country
• in connection with a State visit by The Sovereign
• to members of Special Missions when The Sovereign is represented at a coronation, wedding or funeral or other similar occasion; or on any Diplomatic Representative^{[footnote 4]} when specially accredited to represent The Sovereign on such occasions, or
• where there is a national interest case for a Ministerial colleague, following advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and recommended by the Prime Minister

18. Other than in circumstances described in paragraphs 16 to 17 above, permission, unrestricted or restricted, will not be granted to^{[footnote 5]}:

• Crown, civil and most categories of public servants generally (rules on serving Ministers accepting foreign and Commonwealth awards are covered in the Ministerial Code; this category does not include arms length bodies such as the BBC or museum staff)
• in particular, to Heads or other members of HM Diplomatic or Consular establishments abroad for example when leaving their posts – whether on transfer or on final retirement
• senior officials, military and civilian, visiting foreign states, and
• UK citizens working as officials in international organisations

19. Orders, Decorations and Medals which are not conferred by a foreign or Commonwealth Head of State, or specified international organisation, are not covered by these rules. For example, requests for clearance in the case of foreign or Commonwealth awards conferred by other institutions, private societies or bodies will not be considered. British citizens can retain these awards but permission to accept and wear them cannot be granted. No permission is needed for the acceptance of any foreign or Commonwealth award if it is designed not to be worn.

1. This includes British subjects and British-protected persons (BPPs). BPPs may accept awards conferred by the Heads of State of the country where they live. ↩

2. Including medals issued by life saving societies and institutions (but these must be worn on the right breast). ↩

3. It will be for the UK to decide if the operations or emergency is of the standard to fall within this criterion. ↩

4. This does not apply to their staff. ↩

5. This guidance normally applies equally to the spouses or partners of Crown Servants. ↩