The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) is the Knight's Order established by the British King George V on June 4, 1917. ... This is the youngest order in the British reward system, although it consists of the largest number of members.

The order was founded by George V to fill the gap in the British reward system: the order of the Bath was given only to senior military officers and civil servants, the order of St. Michael and St. George was given to diplomats, and the Royal Victorian Order was given to those who personally served the royal family. In particular, George V considered it necessary to award several thousand soldiers in non-military units during the First World War. The Order of the British Empire has a more democratic character than the Order of the Bath or the Order of Saints Michael and George, and at first it was valued low, but over time the situation changed.

However, shortly after its founding, in 1918, it was divided into a military and civilian unit.

At important events (such as coronations and order services), members of the order wear costumes depending on the rank (the appearance underwent significant changes in 1937). The badge of the order is worn on the left side of the chest.

According to some “collar days” indicated by the Sovereign, members attending formal events can wear a chain of order on military uniforms or evening gowns. When put on a chain, the badge of the order is worn on a chain. After the owner’s death, the chain is returned, and other insignia remain.

Orden privlok nekotoryye kriticheskiye zamechaniya v svyazi s ideyey Britanskoy imperii. Poet Bendzhamin Zefanayya publichno otverg OBE v 2003, potomu chto, govoril on, ona napomnila yemu «tysyachi let zverstva». Daleye on skazal: «Eto napominayet mne o tom, kak byli iznasilovany moi pramateri i kak zhestoko oboshlis' s moimi praottsami»[1]. Britanskiy khudozhnik Lourens Stiven Lauri dvazhdy otkazalsya ot prisvoyeniya Ordena Britanskoy imperii (4-y i 2-y stepeni).The Order attracted some criticisms of the idea of ​​the British Empire. Poet Benjamin Zefanaya publicly rejected OBE in 2003 because, he said, she reminded him of thousands of years of atrocities. He further said: “This reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and how cruelly they treated my forefathers” [1]. British artist Lawrence Stephen Lauri twice refused to award the Order of the British Empire (4th and 2nd degree).