
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) Badge
- Made:
- 1982 in Birmingham
- commissioner:
- The Cabinet Office
- maker:
- Thomas Fattorini Limited



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."
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.
Details
- Category:
- Stephen Hawking Office
- Collection:
- Stephen Hawking’s Office
- Object Number:
- 2021-561/16/1
- Materials:
- enamel and metal (unknown)
- Measurements:
-
overall (estimate): 103 mm x 65 mm x 20 mm,
- type:
- medal
- taxonomy:
-
- visual and verbal communication
- credit:
- Accepted in lieu of Inheritance Tax by H M Government from the Estate of Stephen Hawking and allocated to the Science Museum, 2021