As part of the British honours system, Special Honours are issued at the Queen's pleasure at any given time. The Special Honours refer the award of the Order of the Garter, Order of the Thistle, Order of Merit, Royal Victorian Order and the Order of St John. Life peerages are at times also awarded as special honours.
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)
Honorary
Juan Manuel Santos – President of Colombia – 2016
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)
Honorary
Kamalesh Sharma - on retirement as Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations - 24 March 2016
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)
Major General Edward Smyth-Osbourne, CBE - on relinquishment of the appointment of Major-General commanding the Household Division. – 17 June 2016
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)
Graham Paul Sharpe, LVO - on relinquishment of the appointment of Director of Property Projects, Royal Household. – 19 July 2016
Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, CBE - on the relinquishment of his appointment as Defence Services Secretary. – 25 October 2016
Nicholas Altham Kidd, LVO - on retirement as Training Captain/Aircraft Captain, The Queen’s Helicopter Flight. – 11 November 2016
David George Clark, MVO - on retirement as Locksmith/Fitter, Royal Household. – 4 March 2016
Chief Inspector Timothy Andrew Marriott Nash, MVO - Metropolitan Police - For services to Royalty Protection. – 19 August 2016
Peter Charles Taylor, MVO - on the relinquishment of his appointment as Fire Safety Manager, Windsor Castle. – 14 October 2016
Alan Richard Donnithorne, MVO - on retirement as Head of Paper Conservation, Royal Collection Trust. – 28 October 2016
Terence Joseph Lynch - on retirement as Operations Surveyor, London Palaces, Royal Household – 23 February 2016
Captain (Queen’s Gurkha Officer) Buddhibahadur Bhandari, Queen’s Gurkha Engineers – 15 July 2016
Captain (Queen’s Gurkha Officer) Muktiprasad Gurung, Queen’s Gurkha Engineers – 15 July 2016
Henry John Goulding; in recognition of his work for the Sandringham Estate and the Duchy of Lancaster. – 19 July 2016.
Meryl Georgina Walter; formerly Assistant Communications Secretary, Royal Household. – 18 October 2016
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)
Military division
Honorary
General Martin Dempsey, United States Army - 17 October 2016
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)
The Honourable Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb – 16 December 2016
The Honourable Justice Siobhan Keegan – 16 December 2016
The Honourable Justice Nerys Anghara) Jefford – 16 December 2016
The Honourable Justice Juliet Mary May – 16 December 2016
The Honourable Justice Denise McBride – 16 December 2016
The Honourable Justice Finola Mary Lucy O’Farrell – 16 December 2016
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Military division
Major General Robert Bernard Bruce, DSO – 18 March 2016
Brigadier James Richard Hugh Stopford – 18 March 2016
Military division
Captain Nicholas Cooke-Priest, Royal Navy – 18 March 2016
Major Edward Gilbert Robin Cartwright, The Parachute Regiment – 18 March 2016
Acting Colonel (now Colonel) Edward James Marston Dawes, Royal Regiment of Artillery – 18 March 2016
Colonel (now Acting Brigadier) Angus George Costeker Fair, DSO – 18 March 2016
Wing Commander Michael Robert Formby, Royal Air Force – 18 March 2016
Military division
Lieutenant Commander Andrew Scott Brown, Royal Navy – 18 March 2016
Major Andrew Richard Nicklin, Royal Corps of Signals – 18 March 2016
Major Richard Darren Walker, The Royal Dragoon Guards – 18 March 2016
Flight Lieutenant Rebecca Jane Hutchings, Royal Air Force – 18 March 2016
Lieutenant Colonel Gary O’Neil, Canadian Army – 23 September 2016
Dame Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (GNZM)
Dame Patricia Lee Reddy, DNZM, Governor-General of New Zealand designate – 27 June 2016
Dame Patricia Lee Reddy, DNZM, Governor-General of New Zealand designate – 27 June 2016
Janine Elizabeth, Lady Mateparae – 24 August 2016
Captain Michael Olaf Chetwynd Dobbin, Grenadier Guards – 18 March 2016
Sergeant (now Acting Colour Sergeant) Robert Baden John Colley, Royal Marines – 18 March 2016
Sergeant Nicholas James Hillyard, Royal Corps of Signals – 18 March 2016
Colour Sergeant Jordan Edward Mckenzie, The Royal Regiment of Scotland – 18 March 2016
Silver
Georgina Mary Jean Tindal - on retirement as Resident Warden, Pensioner Accommodation at Windsor. – 6 December 2016
Colour Sergeant Stephen James Walker, Royal Marines – 18 March 2016
Colour Sergeant Andrew Neil Brayshaw, The Parachute Regiment – 18 March 2016
Colour Sergeant Ian George Gallagher, The Royal Regiment of Scotland – 18 March 2016
Marine (now Acting Lance Corporal) Kieran Robert Scott, Royal Marines – 18 March 2016
Sergeant James Lyndon, Royal Marines – 18 March 2016
Staff Sergeant Peter James Ashton, Royal Regiment of Artillery – 18 March 2016
Staff Sergeant Edward James Clinton, The Royal Logistic Corps – 18 March 2016
Staff Sergeant Richard Thomas McKinnon, The Royal Logistic Corps – 18 March 2016
Sergeant Dhaniram Rai, The Royal Gurkha Rifles – 18 March 2016
Lance Corporal Sean Joseph Wilson, The Mercian Regiment – 18 March 2016
Senior Aircraftsman Shane Joseph Mitchley, Royal Air Force – 18 March 2016
Sergeant Michael Edward Beamish, Royal Air Force – 18 March 2016
2016 Special Honours Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
