Honours and Awards

Would you like to nominate an unsung local hero or an outstanding Milton Keynes voluntary organisation or business for an honour?

National Honours

Do you know a Milton Keynes person who is committed to serving their community or someone who has made significant achievements in public life who could be considered for a national honour?

Honours are awarded to people from all walks of life who have demonstrated outstanding service to the community or their field of work and these honours are awarded twice a year, on the Kings's Birthday in June and at the New Year.

Anybody can nominate, but it is very important this is kept confidential from the candidate. You can nominate at any time. It can take from 18 months to 2 years for a nomination to be processed.

There are different types of honours and awards. You cannot nominate someone for a specific award e.g. BEM, MBE or OBE as that decision is made by the honours committee.

Whether someone is awarded an honour (and the honour they get) is decided by an honours committee. The committee’s decisions go to the Prime Minister and then to The King, who awards the honour.

The person must still be actively involved in the activities you are nominating them for, and it is important to provide relevant facts and figures to show the impact your candidate has had.

Nominations can be made online, or you can download the form and send it by post or email.

National Awards

The King's Award for Voluntary Service

This annual award recognises and rewards outstanding achievement by voluntary groups in the community. Information and a nomination form can be obtained from the King's Award website.  

The King’s Awards for Enterprise

These are awarded annually for outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of:

  • innovation
  • international trade
  • sustainable development

Information and application forms can be found on the King's Awards for Enterprise website or by calling 0207 215 6880.

Birthday and Anniversary Messages from The King

You can make a request to His Majesty to send a congratulatory message to individual British Nationals on reaching their 100th and 105th birthdays. The Department of Works and Pensions automatically notify, but applications can be made on a personal basis enclosing a photocopy of the celebrant's birth certificate. It is also possible to receive a belated message up to six months after the event.

The King may also be requested to send a congratulatory message to couples who reach their 60th, 65th and 70th wedding anniversaries, and every year thereafter. 

For more information and to download the application form visit the birthday or anniversary message from the King section of the GOV.UK website.

Royal Garden Parties

Each year the Buckinghamshire Lieutenancy is invited by the Lord Chamberlain to put forward to Buckingham Palace a number of individuals from around the county whose services to the community merit an invitation to a Royal Garden Party in the following year. 

Each year The King welcomes over 30,000 guests to spend a relaxed summer afternoon in the beautiful gardens of Buckingham Palace or the Palace of Holyroodhouse. At each Garden Party, around 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake are consumed! Garden Parties are an important way for the King to speak to a broad range of people from all walks of life, all of whom have had a positive impact in their community.

The Royal Garden Party is a golden opportunity to thank people who put themselves out for the benefit of others. If you would like to nominate someone to attend please complete the nomination form on the Buckinghamshire Lieutenancy website. You can submit nominations at any time but any received after 31 October may not be considered until the following year. Successful nominees will be notified in February.