King Charles has the pleasure of giving out honours in his role as monarch. But he also has the power to strip individuals of those awards.
While committees and governments advise on, or request the action, the sovereign is the only person who holds the formal power to strip or cancel an honour. And he has been kept busy so far this year.
To date, 15 people have been stripped of their honours for reasons including 'bringing the honours system into disrepute' and criminal convictions.
How the process works
It is the job of the Forfeiture Committee - an independent panel - to review cases when a recipient’s conduct may have brought the honours system into disrepute.
Reasons for removal typically include criminal convictions, severe professional censure, or actions that discredit the award.
Upon advice, the King is then able to strip or cancel an individual's honour.
© Getty ImagesConsequences of losing honours
If stripped of the honour, the recipient must return their physical insignia (medals) and is no longer permitted to use post-nominal letters (like OBE or MBE). Recent examples include individuals such as Nigel O'Connor and Tony Reilly, who forfeited their honours following professional censure.
King Charles strips 15 individuals in 2026
In 2026, King Charles has so far stripped 15 individuals of their honours, including former DUP politician Jeffrey Donaldson, former rugby player Stuart Hogg, and former Navy chief Ben Key.
© Getty ImagesEight people have lost their award as a result of a criminal conviction: Ian Ashbolt, Lloyd Hamilton, Paul Rose, Graham Trewhella, Stuart Hogg, Jeffrey Donaldson, Ian Hudson and Charles Montegriffo.
Angela Middleton, Anant Shah, Maqsood Ahmad and Nirpal Riat were found to have brought the honours system into disrepute.
Nigel O'Connor, Tony Reilly, and Ben Key lost their honours for 'professional censure'. This is categorised as a formal, severe disciplinary reprimand, suspension, or disbarment issued against an individual by a professional or regulatory body (such as a medical council, legal society, or financial regulator).
High-profile people who have previously been stripped of their honours
Anthony Blunt (1979) – Stripped of his knighthood (KCVO) after it was publicly exposed that he had been a spy for the Soviet Union as part of the Cambridge spy ring.
© ITVRolf Harris (2015) – Stripped of his CBE by Queen Elizabeth II following his multiple convictions for historical indecent assaults.
Harvey Weinstein (2020) – Lost his honorary CBE after being convicted of rape and sexual assault in the United States.
© Karwai Tang/WireImageAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor (2025) – King Charles III stripped his brother of his royal titles and high-level military and chivalric associations following ongoing public fallout and civil litigation related to Jeffrey Epstein.
