J.K. Rowling received an OBE, or Officer of the Order of the British Empire, in 2001.
She was appointed in the 2001 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to children’s literature. The award recognized the cultural and charitable impact of the Harry Potter books, which had already become an international publishing success.
An OBE is one grade within the UK honours system. It is different from an MBE, which is a lower grade, and a CBE, which is a higher grade. Rowling has received other honors and prizes, but the OBE is the specific distinction associated with her 2001 appointment. The investiture ceremony took place at Buckingham Palace.