J.R.R. Tolkien was appointed a CBE, or Commander of the Order of the British Empire, in 1972. The honor recognized his contributions to English literature and was one of the highest grades of the order available to civilians.
The appointment came late in Tolkien’s life, after the international success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings had made him a major literary figure. He received the insignia at Buckingham Palace from Queen Elizabeth II. Tolkien died the following year, in 1973.
The CBE is often confused with the OBE and MBE, which are lower grades within the Order of the British Empire. Tolkien was not knighted, so “Sir John Tolkien” is not his correct formal title. His most familiar honorific remains the initials in his author name rather than a title of nobility.