The OBE Chapel

The original St Faith's was a parish church attached to the old cathedral destroyed in the Great Fire of London. During therebuildingof St Paul's, this chapel was dedicated to St Faith close to the foundations of the former church and offered parishioners their own place of worship in the building.

In 1960 this chapel became the spiritual home to the Order of the British Empire. The Order was created by King George V in 1917, in recognition made by women during the First World War. Until then no woman had been eligible for an award, although an exception was made for Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern British nursing. The OBE was separated into military and civil divisions in 1918. Today, award-holders of the OBE and members of their family may be married and baptised in the chapel.

The Order of the British Empire recognises distinguished service to the arts and sciences, public service and work with charitable and welfare organisations.

It was established during the First World War in 1917 by King George V, to give recognition to larger numbers of people in the British Isles and other parts of the Empire who were helping the war effort.

The Order was the first to appoint women and it also included foreigners who had helped during the war. There are two divisions to the Order, Military and Civil.

There are thought to be more than 100,000 living members of the Order throughout the world. Around 2,000 new members are appointed to the Order every year between the New Year’s and Birthday Honours lists.

These are the different classes of appointment within the Order: