The Order of Merit is a British and Commonwealth Order bestowed by the Monarch. It was established in 1902 by King Edward VII (based on the Prussian Pour le Mérite) as a reward for distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. The rarer military awards are distinguished from the civil by having a pair of crossed swords behind the central medallion. Appointments to the Order are in the Sovereign's personal gift and ministerial advice is not required. The Order of Merit is a very high honour; it lies outside the traditional system of honours which confer titles but is arguably the most prestigious honour which is still in regular use. This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... An Order is a decoration, awarded by a government to an individual, usually for distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King of the Commonwealth Realms, and the Emperor of India. ... Motto: Suum cuique Latin: To each his own Prussia at its peak, as leading state of the German Empire Capital Königsberg, later Berlin Political structure Duchy, Kingdom, Republic Duke1  - 1525–68 Albert I  - 1688–1701 Frederick III King1  - 1701–13 Frederick I  - 1888–1918 William II Prime Minister1,2... The Order Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max (German: Blauer Max), was Prussias highest military order until the end of World War I. The award was a blue-enameled Maltese Cross with eagles between the arms, the Prussian royal cypher, and the French legend Pour... The armed forces of a state are its government sponsored defense and fighting forces and organizations. ... Part of a scientific laboratory at the University of Cologne. ... The Bath, a painting by Mary Cassatt (1844-1926). ... Old book bindings at the Merton College library. ... Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning to cultivate), generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ...

The Order is limited to the Sovereign and twenty-four members, but additional foreigners may be added as "honorary members." From the beginning the Order was open to women; Florence Nightingale was the first woman to receive the Order, in 1907. The Order confers no knighthood or other status, but recipients of this single-class Order are entitled to use the post-nominal letters OM. The badge has the appearance of a red cross surmounted by a golden crown. The ribbon is red and blue. As of June 2007 there are three vacancies This is a list of British monarchs, that is, the monarchs on the thrones of some of the various kingdoms that have existed on, or incorporated, the island of Great Britain, namely: England (united with Wales from 1536) up to 1707; Scotland up to 1707; The Kingdom of Great Britain... Florence Nightingale, OM, RRC (12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910), who came to be known as The Lady with the Lamp, was a pioneer of modern nursing and a noted statistician. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Post-nominal letters also called Post-nominal initials or Post-nominal titles are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. ...

Order of Merit medal of Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, displayed in the Royal Society in London.

Ribbon of Order of Merit

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (828x934, 96 KB) Summary Order of Merit medal of Dorothy Hodgkin, displayed in the Royal Society, London, 20 April 2004. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (828x934, 96 KB) Summary Order of Merit medal of Dorothy Hodgkin, displayed in the Royal Society, London, 20 April 2004. ... Dorothy Mary Crowfoot Hodgkin, OM , FRS (12 May 1910 – 29 July 1994) was a British founder of protein crystallography. ... The premises of The Royal Society in London (first four properties only). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Current members

• Sovereign: HM The Queen
• Members:
  • HRH The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT OM GBE AC QSO CD PC (1968), Royal Consort
  • The Revd Owen Chadwick OM KBE (1983), Theological Historian
  • Sir Andrew Huxley OM FRS (1983), Physiologist, Nobel Laureate (Medicine) and President of the Royal Society (1980-1985)
  • Dr Frederick Sanger OM CH CBE FRS (1986), Biochemist and Double Nobel Laureate (Chemistry)
  • The Rt Hon. The Baroness Thatcher LG OM PC FRS (1990), British Prime Minister (1979-1990)
  • Dame Joan Sutherland OM AC DBE (1991), Coloratura Soprano
  • Sir Michael Atiyah OM FRS (1992), Mathematician, Fields medalist, Abel Laureate and President of the Royal Society (1990-1995)
  • Lucian Freud OM CH (1993), Painter
  • Sir Aaron Klug OM FRS (1995), Biophysicist, Nobel Laureate (Chemistry) and President of the Royal Society (1995-2000)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Foster of Thames Bank OM RA (1997), Architect and Pritzker Laureate
  • Sir Denis Rooke OM CBE (1997), Industrial Engineer
  • Sir James Black OM FRS (2000), Pharmacologist and Nobel Laureate (Medicine)
  • Sir Anthony Caro OM CBE (2000), Sculptor
  • Sir Roger Penrose OM FRS (2000), Mathematical physicist
  • Sir Tom Stoppard OM CBE (2000), Playwright
  • HRH The Prince of Wales KG KT GCB OM AK QSO CD PC ADC (2002), Heir to the Throne
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord May of Oxford OM AC FRS (2002), Ecologist and President of the Royal Society (2000-2005)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Rothschild OM GBE (2002), Philanthropist
  • Sir David Attenborough OM CH CVO CBE FRS (2005), Broadcaster
  • The Rt Hon. The Baroness Boothroyd OM PC (2005), First female Speaker of the House of Commons
  • Sir Michael Howard OM CH KBE MC (2005), Military historian
• Honorary Members:
  • Nelson Mandela OM CC AC QC (1995), Statesman and Nobel Laureate (Peace)

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Sleeping Beauty character, see Sleeping Beauty (1959 film). ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... A prince consort, generally speaking, is the husband of a Queen regnant, unless he himself is a king. ... The Reverend William Owen Chadwick, OM, KBE, FBA, FRSE (born 20 May 1916) is a British professor, writer and prominent theologian. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... At Wikiversity you can learn more and teach others about Theology at: The School of Theology Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Andrew Huxley at Trinity College, Cambridge, July 2005 Family tree Sir Andrew Fielding Huxley, OM, FRS (born 22 November 1917, Hampstead, London) is an English physiologist and biophysicist, who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work with Alan Lloyd Hodgkin on the basis of nerve... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Nobel Prizes (Swedish: ) are awards in Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physiology or Medicine and Economics. ... List of Nobel Prize laureates in Physiology or Medicine from 1901 to the present day. ... The President of the Royal Society (PRS) is the elected head of the Royal Society of London. ... The premises of The Royal Society in London (first four properties only). ... Frederick Sanger, OM, CH, CBE, FRS (born 13 August 1918) is an English biochemist and a two time Nobel laureate in Chemistry. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes and transformations in living organisms. ... The Nobel Prizes (Swedish: ) are awards in Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physiology or Medicine and Economics. ... This is a list of Nobel Prize laureates in Chemistry from 1901 to 2006. ... This is a list of Nobel Prize laureates in Chemistry from 1901 to 2006. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC (born October 13, 1925), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in office from 1979 to 1990. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... Margaret Thatcher Thatcherism is the system of political thought attributed to the governments of Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990. ... Joan Sutherland as Haydns Euridice, Vienna 1967 Dame Joan Sutherland OM, AC, DBE (born November 7, 1926) is an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the bel canto revival of the 1950s and 1960s. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Coloratura is an old word meaning colouring. ... Look up soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sir Michael Francis Atiyah, OM, FRS (born 22 April 1929) is a mathematician who was born in London. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Algebraic topology is a branch of mathematics in which tools from abstract algebra are used to study topological spaces. ... The Fields Medal is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians not over 40 years of age at each International Congress of the International Mathematical Union, a meeting that takes place every four years. ... The Abel Prize is awarded annually by the King of Norway to outstanding mathematicians. ... The President of the Royal Society (PRS) is the elected head of the Royal Society of London. ... The premises of The Royal Society in London (first four properties only). ... Lucian Michael Freud, OM, CH (born 8 December 1922) is a British painter and printmaker. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... A portrait is a painting, photograph, or other artistic representation of a person or object. ... Sir Aaron Klug, OM, FRS (born 11 August 1926 in Zelvas, Lithuania) is a Lithuanian-born British chemist and biophysicist, and winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his development of crystallographic electron microscopy and his structural elucidation of biologically important nucleic acid-protein complexes. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Biophysics (also biological physics) is an interdisciplinary science that applies the theories and methods of physics, to questions of biology. ... The Nobel Prizes (Swedish: ) are awards in Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physiology or Medicine and Economics. ... This is a list of Nobel Prize laureates in Chemistry from 1901 to 2006. ... The President of the Royal Society (PRS) is the elected head of the Royal Society of London. ... The premises of The Royal Society in London (first four properties only). ... The restored Reichstag in Berlin, housing the German parliament. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 30 St Mary Axe, one of Londons most popular new buildings, towers above its neighbours. ... The Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honor a living architect. ... Sir Denis Rooke, OM, CBE, FRS, FREng (born 2 April 1924) is a British industrialist and engineer. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Sir James Whyte Black, OM, FRS, FRSE, FRCP (born 14 July 1924) is a Scottish pharmacologist who invented Propranolol, synthesized Cimetidine and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988 for these discoveries. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmakos (φάρμακον) meaning drug, and logos (λόγος) meaning science) is the study of how substances interact with living organisms to produce a change in function. ... The Nobel Prizes (Swedish: ) are awards in Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physiology or Medicine and Economics. ... List of Nobel Prize laureates in Physiology or Medicine from 1901 to the present day. ... Sir Anthony Caro, OM, CBE, (born 8 March 1924 in New Malden, Surrey) is an English, abstract sculptor whose work is characterised by assemblies of metal using found industrial objects. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A sculpture is a three-dimensional object, which for the purposes of this article is man-made and selected for special recognition as art. ... Sir Roger Penrose, OM, FRS (born 8 August 1931) is an English mathematical physicist and Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at the Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow of Wadham College. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Penrose tiling A Penrose tiling is an aperiodic tiling of the plane discovered by Roger Penrose in 1973. ... Tom Stoppard in a 1985 documentary for the film Brazil Sir Tom Stoppard, OM, CBE (born Tomáš Straussler on July 3, 1937) is an Academy Award winning British playwright. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Real Thing is a play by Tom Stoppard, first performed in 1982. ... The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George[2]; born 14 November 1948), is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Prince of Wales Feathers. This Heraldic badge of the Heir Apparent is derived from the ostrich feathers borne by Edward, the Black Prince. ... Robert McCredie Bob May, Baron May of Oxford, OM, AC, FRS (born 8 January 1936 in Australia) is a cross-bench member of the British House of Lords and was President of the Royal Society from 2000 to 2005. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The President of the Royal Society (PRS) is the elected head of the Royal Society of London. ... The premises of The Royal Society in London (first four properties only). ... Nathaniel Charles Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, OM, GBE (born 29 April 1936) is a British investment banker, philanthropist and a member of the prominent Rothschild family of Jewish bankers. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Philanthropy is the act of donating money, goods, time, or effort to support a charitable cause, usually over an extended period of time and in regard to a defined objective. ... Sir David Frederick Attenborough, OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS (born on 8 May 1926 in London, England) is one of the worlds best known broadcasters and naturalists. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the television documentary series Life on Earth. ... Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd, OM, PC (born October 8, 1929 in Dewsbury, England), is a British politician and was the first female Speaker of the House of Commons. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the United Kingdom, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, and is seen historically as the First Commoner of the Land. ... Sir Michael Eliot Howard, OM, CH, KBE, MC (born 29 November 1922) is a retired British military historian, formerly Chichele Professor of the History of War and Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford University. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Second French Empire North German Confederation allied with south German states (later German Empire) Commanders Napoleon III Otto Von Bismarck, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder Strength 400,000 at the beginning of the war 1,200,000 Casualties 150,000 dead or wounded 284,000 captured 350,000 civilian... Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (IPA pronunciation: //) (born July 18, 1918) was the first President of South Africa to be elected in fully-representative democratic elections. ... Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, office, or honour. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Petty apartheid: sign on Durban beach in English, Afrikaans and Zulu (1989) Apartheid (meaning separateness in Afrikaans, cognate to English apart and hood) was a system of racial segregation in South Africa from 1948, and was dismantled in a series of negotiations from 1990 to 1993, culminating in democratic elections... The Nobel Prizes (Swedish: ) are awards in Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physiology or Medicine and Economics. ... Lester B. Pearson after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish and Norwegian: Nobels fredspris) is the name of one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. ...

See also

• Members of the Order of Merit

The following table lists the Members of the Order of Merit since its inception in 1902. ...

External links

• A history of the Order and a full list of all recipients 1902-2002