Today in history, 1960: The OBE Chapel is dedicated in the presence of The Queen 20 May 2014 The British honours system is notoriously complicated, with numerous medals and gongs given to civilians and those in the military for their service to the nation. But amongst the plethora of awards sits those which are best-known within the UK and around the world - the five chivalric titles which fall within the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Instituted by King George V in 1917 initially to recognise the considerable civilian contribution to the war effort during the First World War, the Order of the British Empire was a pioneering honour, being the first five-class Order for national distribution and the first to admit women to membership. Until then no woman had been eligible for an award, although an exception was made for Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. In 1918 the Order was separated into military and civil divisions and these awards have continued to this day. Announced twice a year, on the Queens birthday and at New Year, these five classes honour all people in society, from lollipop ladies to sports stars; musicians to charity workers. In increasing order of seniority, the awards are: MBE - Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire OBE - Order of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire CBE - Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire KBE/DBE - Knight/Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire GBE - Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire The Queen is the Sovereign of the Order with Prince Philip as Grand Master. The Bishop of London is the Orders Prelate and the serving Dean of St Pauls acts as the Orders Dean. The association with St Pauls stems from the Cathedrals long consideration, by many, to be the Nations Church and a place of great state occasions, including state funerals and memorial services. It therefore was a natural location to be the spiritual home of the Order of the British Empire. On 20 May 1960, The Queen and Prince Philip came to St Pauls as the Bishop of London, Henry Campbell, dedicated the newly created Chapel of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (commonly known as the OBE Chapel) at the east end of the crypt of St Pauls. The Orders chapel is also known as St Faith’s Chapel. The original St Faiths was a parish church attached to the old Cathedral destroyed in the Great Fire of London. During the rebuilding of St Pauls, this chapel was dedicated to St Faith close to the foundations of the former church and offered parishioners their own place of worship in the building. Today, the OBE Chapel is one of the busiest spaces within the Cathedral. One of the privileges of receiving an award within the Order is to marry (holders and children of holders) or be baptised (holders, children and grandchildren of holders) within the Chapel and these special services are held on nearly every weekend of the year. Discover more about the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Wiki) Discover more about the British honours system (British Monarchy) The Queen and Prince Philip arrive for the OBE Chapels dedication in 1960 (Image by The Times) Enlarge The Queen and Prince Philip at the gates of the OBE Chapel (image by Bippa) Enlarge The OBE Chapel in the crypt of St Pauls Enlarge The Grand Cross Star of the Order of the British Empire Enlarge
Posted on: Tue, 20 May 2014 12:02:54 +0000
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