There have also been attempts to make honours more representative – with the public invited to submit nominations, external.

There is a more-or-less even gender split among the honours and across the whole range of honours, 12% were awarded to people from ethnic minorities, compared with 6% a decade ago.

The range of honours available is also broader now – the recipients of the first Humanitarian Medals have just been announced.

Winners have spoken about the huge positive impact of such awards, not just for themselves but for recognising the efforts of colleagues, too.

Anna Daniell, based in Manchester, was among the first group of Humanitarian Medal winners last week. She was recognised for her medical assistance helping survivors of the deadly floods in Libya in 2023.

She said it was an “amazing surprise” to receive a medal, but it was also really significant for how it “highlights the importance of humanitarian aid”.

Amanda Chadwick, from Manchester, said being made an MBE had changed her life, as it raised awareness of her children’s charity and helped her to reach more people.

Railway worker Siggy Cragwell, originally from Barbados, said he’d proudly worn his British Empire Medal awarded to him at the age of 85 last year in recognition of 62 years of working on the railways. He’d been a guest of honour at the unveiling of the Windrush monument at London’s Waterloo Station.

But there have also been questions about modernising the titles of medals, particularly about the use of “Empire”. Poet Benjamin Zephaniah turned down an OBE over its associations with colonialism.

The Cabinet Office says “about 2% of people refuse to accept honours” but didn’t give the reasons.

“Individuals decline honours for a variety of reasons and we respect their personal decision to do so,” said a Cabinet Office spokesman.

More than 20 years ago, the House of Commons public administration select committee called for a move away from the term “empire”, a proposal that was subsequently rejected by the then UK government.

Additional reporting Avi Holden and David Ainslie