Companion of the Order of the Bath

Companion of the Order of the Bath
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Name	Companion of the Order of the Bath
Awarded by	The Monarch of the United Kingdom
Type	Order of chivalry
Eligibility	Members of the British Armed Forces or senior civil servants
For	Service of the highest calibre
Status	Currently constituted
Motto	TRIA JUNCTA IN UNO (three joined in one), ICH DIEN (I serve)
Post-nominals	CB
Established	1815
First award	1815
Higher	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Same	Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Lower	Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (from 2024)
Related	Knight Bachelor

Companion of the Order of the Bath. It is the third and most populous class of the Order of the Bath, a British order of chivalry founded by King George I in 1725 and restructured in 1815 by the Prince Regent, later King George IV. The Companion grade was created during this expansion, primarily to recognise distinguished service by senior officers of the British Army or Royal Navy and, later, senior members of the civil service. Appointments are made by the reigning Monarch of the United Kingdom on the advice of His Majesty's Government, with honours typically announced in the New Year Honours or the Birthday Honours.

History and establishment

The modern Order of the Bath was formally established by King George I under advice from his Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, though its origins are often romantically traced to the medieval coronation ritual. The major reform in 1815, following the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, saw the Order divided into three classes: Knight Grand Cross, Knight Commander, and Companion. This expansion, championed by the Prince Regent and his advisor the Duke of Wellington, was a direct response to the need to reward the many officers who had served with distinction during the conflict, including at battles like the Battle of Waterloo and the Peninsular War.

Criteria and appointment

Appointment as a Companion of the Order of the Bath is granted for exemplary service, typically at a senior level. Originally the preserve of distinguished military officers, the criteria were broadened in 1847 to include senior civil servants. Today, appointments are made to members of the British Armed Forces, usually of Brigadier, Commodore, or Air Commodore rank and above, and to senior officials in the civil service of equivalent grade. Recommendations are made by various government departments, reviewed by the Cabinet Office Honours and Appointments Secretariat, and approved by the Prime Minister before submission to the Sovereign.

Insignia and dress

The insignia for a Companion is a silver-gilt Maltese cross with gold balls on each point, with a central medallion depicting the royal arms surrounded by the Order’s motto, *TRIA JUNCTA IN UNO*, and a sceptre between three crowns on the reverse. The badge is worn suspended from a red ribbon with white edges on the left breast. For formal occasions, Companions may wear elaborate court dress including a mantle of dark red satin lined with white silk, but such attire is now rarely used outside of the grand ceremonies at Westminster Abbey or the Chapel Royal.

Notable Companions

Many prominent figures from British public life have been appointed Companions. Military recipients include Field Marshal John French of World War I fame, and Admiral John Fisher, architect of the Dreadnought-era Royal Navy. Notable civil servants honoured include Sir Warren Fisher, head of the Home Civil Service, and Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, a former Security Minister. Distinguished individuals from the arts and sciences have also been recognised, such as the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, designer of the Cenotaph, and the physicist Sir William Henry Bragg, a Nobel laureate.

Precedence and privileges

Within the British honours system, Companions of the Order of the Bath rank below Knight Commanders but above Commanders of the Order of the British Empire. Male Companions are entitled to use the post-nominal letters ‘CB’, while female Companions use the same style. The Order grants no knighthood, but Companions are invited to major Order ceremonies. They hold a position in the order of precedence, ranking before Esquires but after younger sons of Barons. Historically, Companions were also assigned a stall in the Order’s chapel, the Henry VII Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey.

Category:Orders of chivalry of the United Kingdom Category:Awards and honours of the United Kingdom