King Charles strips 15 people of honours in 2026

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 08:27 · Archive

King Charles III has stripped 15 people of honours so far this year, including Essex business owner Angela Middleton.

King Charles III has stripped 15 people of honours so far in 2026. Among them is Angela Middleton, founder of the Brentwood-based training provider MiddletonMurray Ltd, who lost the MBE awarded to her in 2019 for services to apprenticeships and business. Her honour was forfeited for bringing the honours system into disrepute.

Since January, the honours system has been used to strip recipients following criminal convictions, professional censure or conduct deemed to have brought it into disrepute. The Honours Forfeiture Committee decides whether recipients have brought the system into disrepute before recommending action to The King for approval.

Middleton ran several training companies. The Department for Education wrote off more than £12.5 million in 2024 in unrecovered funding linked to four of her former companies, including £1.4 million attributed to MiddletonMurray Ltd. Middleton disputed the claims, saying they were not admitted by the liquidator or determined by a court, and that an Insolvency Service review ended without disqualification proceedings.

The Cabinet Office forfeiture register names 14 recipients and records one further forfeiture, bringing this year's total to 15. Since August 2023, a total of 48 honours have been forfeited, including 27 MBEs, 15 OBEs, three CBEs, two BEMs and two knighthoods. The King ordered Middleton's appointment to the Order of the British Empire cancelled and her name removed from the official honours register.

How it is being reported

• King Charles III strips 15 people of honours - check the full listA former Essex business owner is among 15 people who have been stripped of honours by King Charles III so far in 2026.Brentwood Guardian · 19 Oct, 08:00
• King Charles III strips 15 people of honours - check the full listA former Essex business owner is among 15 people who have been stripped of honours by King Charles III so far in 2026.Echo (Basildon) · 19 Oct, 08:00
• King Charles III strips 15 people of honours - check the full listA former Essex business owner is among 15 people who have been stripped of honours by King Charles III so far in 2026.Colchester Gazette · 19 Oct, 08:00

In this story: King Charles III · Angela Middleton · MiddletonMurray Ltd · Department for Education · Honours Forfeiture Committee · Brentwood

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