The decision to strip Sir Jeffrey Donaldson of his knighthood has shone a spotlight on one of the least-used parts of Britain’s honours system – the forfeiture of royal honours.
While knighthoods are among the country’s highest honours, they are not necessarily held for life. In exceptional circumstances, recipients can be stripped of their titles if they are deemed to have brought the honours system into disrepute.
The process begins with the Honours Forfeiture Committee, an independent body which considers whether an honour should be removed. Cases are typically referred to the committee following serious criminal convictions or other conduct that could undermine confidence in the honours system.
If the committee concludes that an honour should be forfeited, it makes a recommendation to the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister then advises the Sovereign, who formally approves the decision. Although the King is the one who confers honours, constitutional convention means he acts on ministerial advice rather than making a personal decision.
Once approval has been given, a notice is published in The Gazette – the UK’s official public record – confirming that the honour has been “cancelled and annulled”.
The recipient is then no longer entitled to use their title or any associated post-nominal letters. In the case of a knighthood, this means the individual can no longer use the title “Sir”.
Recipients are also asked to return the insignia associated with the honour to Buckingham Palace.
In Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s case, a notice published in The Gazette confirmed that King Charles III had directed the cancellation and annulment of the knighthood he received in 2016.
The move followed Donaldson’s conviction on multiple historic sexual offences. After his conviction, he requested both the forfeiture of his knighthood and his removal from the Privy Council, with both changes later being formally approved.
The forfeiture also affects courtesy titles. Because Donaldson is no longer a knight, his wife, Eleanor Donaldson, also loses the courtesy style of “Lady Donaldson”.
Although relatively uncommon, several high-profile figures have lost honours in recent decades after criminal convictions or findings of serious misconduct. Each case is considered individually by the Honours Forfeiture Committee before any recommendation is made.
Ultimately, while the public announcement is made in the King’s name, the decision forms part of the UK’s constitutional system of ministerial advice. The Sovereign gives the formal approval that brings the recommendation into legal effect, rather than acting independently.
