Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) Badge
Badge (medal) of Commander of The Order of The British Empire (CBE.), 1982, made by Thomas Fattorini Limited, in Birmingham. Shaped as a cross with a round gold centre and blue, roughly crown-shaped arms. The top arm connects to a crown to which the red ribbon attaches.
The CBE medal was awarded to Stephen Hawking "for services to astronomical research."
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Hawking’s daughter, Lucy, remembers a letter from Buckingham Palace arriving at the family home one morning with news of an unexpected award for her father. Hawking joked that he had gone from being an anti-establishment figure to being a pillar of the establishment. He was keenly aware of the power of such high-profile awards to improve the visibility and recognition of disabled people.
- Materials:
- enamel and metal (unknown)
- Object Number:
- 2021-561/16/1
- type:
- medal
- Image ©
- The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum