The first royal Birthday Honours under the new King have been announced, and include professionals in the museums and heritage sectors, who have been recognised for their contribution to the sector.
Among them is Iain Gilmour Gray, who was knighted for services to the Aerospace Industry. Gray is a British engineer and academic, and Chair at The Bristol Aero Collection Trust, the organisation behind Aerospace Bristol museum.
Gray led the establishment of the museum with The Bristol Aero Collection Trust – formerly registered as the Bristol Aero Collection -when it merged with sister charity The Concorde Trust to form the Bristol Aero Collection Trust in 2012.
In 2014, as part of the New Year Honours list, he was appointed Commander of the Order of British Empire for services to Science, Technology and Innovation.
Sally Cordwell, Aerospace Bristol CEO said: “We are delighted to hear that Iain has been appointed Knight Bachelor. This much-deserved honour demonstrates Iain’s dedication to the aerospace industry and to inspiring future generations of engineers.”
Also recognised in the honours list is Duncan Henry Wilson OBE, Chief Executive of Historic England. Wilson was appointed the OBE in 2015, and this year was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), for services to heritage.
John Barnes, the Chief Executive of Historic Royal Palaces, was awarded an OBE for services to heritage.
Also for services to Heritage, Roy Martin, a Volunteer Engineering Co-ordinator at the RAF Museum and Chair of The Aerospace Museum Society was awarded an MBE.
William Brown, a former National Security Adviser to Arts Council England, was awarded an MBE for services to Museums and to the Arts.
John Reid, Chair of Trustees at Trimontium Museum, which tells the story of the largest Roman fort and settlement north of Hadrian’s Wall, was awarded an MBE for services to Culture and Heritage in Scotland.
Rachel Tranter-Needham was awarded an MBE for services to Museums, to Heritage and to the Arts as Director of the Group for Education in Museums (GEM).
Robert Frank Bonner, Curator at Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum Trust was awarded an MBE for services to Fire and Rescue Heritage.
For services to UK Heritage and Museums, the Senior Curator of the World Cultures Collection at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Susan Giles, was awarded an MBE.
The World Heritage Site Coordinator, at Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site, Deborah JaneBoden was awarded an MBE For services to heritage.
Peter Liddle was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to heritage and public understanding of the World Wars. The British historian is a Patron at Halifax Great War Heritage Society and Life President of The Second World War Experience Centre museum and archive in West Yorkshire.
Dr Iain Boyd, an author and former Chair and Trustee of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings was awarded an MBE for services to heritage.
