What honor did J.R.R. Tolkien receive from the British Crown in 1972?

J.R.R. Tolkien was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1972.

The appointment was made in the 1972 New Year Honours, and Tolkien received the honor from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. The post-nominal letters for Commander are CBE. This was a national honor recognizing his major contribution to literature and culture.

The Order of the British Empire has several grades. Commander ranks above Officer and below Knight or Dame Grand Cross within the order’s hierarchy. Tolkien was not knighted, so calling him “Sir John Tolkien” is incorrect. His name was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, and he is conventionally known by his initials.

Tolkien received the honor near the end of his life. He died on 2 September 1973, the year after the appointment. By then, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings had made him one of the most influential fantasy authors of the twentieth century, while his scholarly work had also established a lasting academic reputation.