New Year Honours 2026

The Rt Hon Lord Hague of Richmond has been appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) for his work with The Royal Foundation and nature conservation. 

The Chancellor has been appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)

Lord Hague is Chancellor of the University of Oxford and chaired the trustees of the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales from 2020 to 2024, standing down on becoming Chancellor of the University. He continues to co-chair United for Wildlife, a global coalition dedicated to tacking the illegal wildlife trade which is one of the programmes of The Royal Foundation.  

‘It was a great privilege to support Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales in recent years through chairing the Royal Foundation and United for Wildlife. I am thrilled to receive this honour.’  

Mr Nigel Clifford FRGS, FRSA, FRICS has been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to Geography and to Geospatial Data Services. 

The Geospatial Commission brought together the UK’s principal geospatial organisations – HM Land Registry, UK Hydrographic Office, British Geological Survey, Coal Authority, Ordnance Survey and the Valuation Office Agency – and created a coherent strategy for the development, release and use of geospatial data to support the nation. Resultant innovations included the first National Underground Asset Register of pipes and cables. 

‘It is lovely to see Geography recognised in this way. My colleagues in the Ordnance Survey, Royal Geographical Society and Geospatial Commission make our country a leader in Geospatial Data, and I am very proud to have been part of this.’ 

Professor Gideon Mark Henderson FRS has been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to Science.  

Professor Henderson has been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

He is Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford and was Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs between 2019 and 2025.  

Professor Henderson is an environmental scientist with particular expertise as a geochemist researching surface-earth processes related to climate, the carbon cycle and the oceans. In addition to his work at Oxford, he is Chair of the Met Office Science Advisory Committee, the Senior Independent Member of NERC Council, and a Member of the Advisory Board for the UN Decade of Ocean Science.   

‘I’m delighted to receive this honour both at a personal level and because it recognises the critical importance of scientific evidence in setting national policy for climate, biodiversity and our stewardship of the environment.’ 

Professor Tamsin Mather FRS has been appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Volcanology and to the Promotion of Science. 

Professor Mather has been appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Professor Mather's work brings together expertise in volcanology/magmatism, atmospheric chemistry and paleoclimatology/stratigraphy. This combination allows her to tackle problems ranging from acute volcanic hazards and air pollution events in the present-day to the role of volcanism in the long-term evolution of our planet’s environment over its geological history and much in between. Her work extends to the role of volcanism on other planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond. 

Professor Mather has participated in numerous science festivals, TV and radio programmes, and collaborated on several children’s books. Her debut trade book 'Adventures in Volcanoland' was published in 2024. 

‘I am very honoured to receive this recognition for my scientific work. I have been hugely privileged to work with some incredible colleagues throughout my career and across many disciplines and sectors. I am delighted to be able to use this opportunity to extend heartfelt thanks to them all and celebrate the important work they do.' 

Professor Nicholas Day CMG FMedSci has been appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for services to Global Health. 

Professor Day has been appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) Photograph: (c) MORU, photographer: Gerhard Jørén

Professor Day joined the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) in Vietnam in 1991 and worked first on the treatment of severe malaria, typhoid, tetanus and diphtheria. Since 2003 he has been Director of the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), which conducts mainly infectious disease research aimed at improving health and well-being in low-resource communities. 

‘Global health is rarely straightforward. Progress is hard won, setbacks are common, and the health inequities involved can be sobering. I have been extraordinarily fortunate to spend my career at MORU and before that at OUCRU, working alongside colleagues whose skill, courage, and generosity make meaningful work possible in the most difficult circumstances.  

‘Anything I have achieved has depended on that collective effort, and I am deeply grateful to everyone across the MORU network, and to our partners, research participants, and my family for their trust and support.’