Information for members of the media seeking to cover Investitures

Members of the public who are awarded an honour in either the New Year’s Honours List or The Queen’s Birthday Honours List receive their award at a ceremony known as an Investiture.

Each year, around 2,600 people receive their awards personally from The Queen or a member of the Royal Family.

Approximately 22 Investitures are held annually in Buckingham Palace, one or two at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and one in Cardiff.

Format of Investitures
The Queen usually conducts the Investitures, although The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal also hold some Investitures on behalf of Her Majesty (included in the total number).

The Queen held the first Investiture of her reign on 27 February 1952, after succeeding George VI on 6 February 1952.
 
The Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, part of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, is responsible for the organisation of each Investiture. This includes the ordering of the insignia (i.e. medals), issuing of Investiture invitations, and briefing recipients on the day.
 
During the ceremony, The Queen enters the Ballroom of Buckingham Palace attended by two Gurkha Orderly Officers, a tradition begun in 1876 by Queen Victoria.

On duty on the dais are five members of The Queen’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard, which was created in 1485 by Henry VII; they are the oldest military corps in the United Kingdom. Four Gentlemen Ushers are on duty to help look after the recipients and their guests.

There are approximately 120 recipients at each Investiture, and recipients are each able to invite three guests to witness the ceremony. The music is provided by an orchestra from one of the Bands of the Household Division.

The Queen is escorted by either the Lord Chamberlain or the Lord Steward. After the National Anthem has been played, he stands to the right of Her Majesty and announces the names of each recipient and the achievement for which he or she is being decorated.

The Secretary of the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood is responsible for ensuring that the correct awards are in order of presentation. The Queen will be given brief background details by her Equerry of each recipient as he or she approaches to receive their award.
 
Those who are to be knighted kneel on an Investiture stool to receive the ‘Accolade’, which is bestowed by The Queen using the sword which her father, George VI used when, as Duke of York, he was Colonel of the Scots Guards. The Queen then Invests all recipients with the Insignia of their award.
 
As well as people receiving Knighthoods, CBEs, OBEs and MBEs, recipients may receive a decoration for gallantry such as the George Cross or The Queen’s Gallantry Medal. Occasionally an award for Gallantry may be made posthumously and in this case The Queen presents the decoration or medal to the recipient’s next of kin in private before the public Investiture begins.
 
Media coverage of Investitures 
British Ceremonial Arts (BCA) is contracted to film inside Buckingham Palace (and Holyroodhouse and Cardiff Castle when required) during Investiture ceremonies. This footage is available for each recipient to keep as a record of their Investiture.
 
Each recipient is asked if they are content for the moment of Investiture to be released for broadcast purposes, and, if the recipient has agreed, news stations (BBC, ITV and Sky) may contact BCA to ask for this footage. A list of recipients who do not wish broadcasters to use this material is always sent to journalists with each Investiture list.

BCA can be contacted on tel: 0118 977 6800/6900 or e-mail: [email protected].
 
A Press Association reporter always interviews recipients on a pool basis who may be of interest to the national media immediately after the presentation of the award has taken place.
 
A Royal Rota of photographers and television crews take their places at a press position in the Quadrangle where recipients who are happy to be interviewed may be photographed/filmed with their awards after the ceremony completes (normally around 12.15 p.m.).
 
Reporters may also join this press position, and to do so, they should contact Buckingham Palace press office no later than 48 hours prior to the Investiture date.