Which national honour did J.K. Rowling receive in the United Kingdom in 2017?

J.K. Rowling received the British honour of Companion of Honour in 2017.

The appointment recognized her services to literature and philanthropy. Rowling was included in the Queen’s Birthday Honours announced in June 2017. The Order of the Companions of Honour is a limited order intended to recognize major contributions to the arts, science, medicine, or government.

The honour is not the same as a damehood. Rowling was appointed a Companion of Honour, abbreviated CH, rather than being made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Those honours belong to different systems and have different post-nominal letters.

Rowling’s philanthropy includes founding the charity Lumos, which works to help children move away from institutional care and return to family or community settings. Her literary career had already brought major recognition, including the Order of the British Empire in 2001, but the 2017 appointment was a separate and more senior distinction.