British mountaineer Hari Budha Magar received his MBE medal last week at Windsor Castle, in recognition of his services to disability awareness—he summited Everest in 2023, becoming the first bilateral above-knee amputee to do so. In case you don’t know (I didn’t), MBE stands for “Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire” and confers something akin to a JV knighthood/damehood upon the honoree. If it sounds like we’re belittling the honor, we don’t mean to—on the contrary, it’s a very high tribute reserved for people of exceptional achievement.
MBEs are an elite group; amputee MBEs, even more so. Magar’s honor got us wondering just how rare it is for a person with limb difference to receive such an honor. Google led us to a fair number of recent examples, and the list itself is telling—heavy on Paralympic athletes (especially in the last 10 years, since London hosted the Games and the Invictus Games bega) and wounded warriors who served in this century’s Iraq/Afghanistan wars. We also turned up a few people with limb loss/difference who earned the loftier CBE, or “Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.” And our list includes two nondisabled individuals who were honored for their pioneering work in accessible bioprosthetics.
Herewith, in the order they appeared in our search results, are some of the best-known members of Britain’s amputee royal family.
Mark Ormrod: Per his website, “Mark Ormrod was a ‘gravel belly’, a ‘bootneck’ marine who loved being in the heart of the action.” An IED blast tore off his right arm and both legs during a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Ormrod came back to establish a nonprofit serving veterans with life-altering injuries (including PTSD), write a bestselling book, and win a bunch of Invictus medals. Info at markormrod.com and on Insta at @markormrod.
Cor Hutton: Sepsis nearly cost Hutton her life in 2013. After surviving as a quadruple amputee, she established a charity called Finding Your Feet to help amputees and sepsis survivors adapt and reclaim their quality of life. The organization has raised more than a million pounds to support thousands of individuals. In addition, Hutton has brought tremendous visibility to sepsis and limb loss as a public speaker, author, and advocate. More at findingyourfeet.net/cor-hutton and @fyf_charity.
Richard Whitehead: In 2004, Whitehead (a congenital BBKA) got a wild hair to sign up for the NYC Marathon, despite owning no running prostheses and never having completed any sort of long-distance race. Two weeks before the event, Össur set him up with a pair of Cheetah blades, enabling Whitehead to complete the first of 80some career marathons (and counting). He ran a personal best 2:41 two months ago in the Chicago Marathon; last month, Whitehead was inducted into the England Athletes Hall of Fame. “I believe strongly in the power of sport as a great unifier and leveller,” he notes at his website. He competes “to encourage disabled and able bodied people to have greater belief in themselves, to challenge themselves to live a fulfilling life and reach new goals.” Info at richardwhiteheadmbe.com and @richard_whitehead_mbe.
Samantha Payne and Joel Gibbard: These nondisabled Brits were recognized in 2020 for co-founding Open Bionics, whose 3D-printed prosthetic arms established a new, highly affordable price point in the market for medically approved bionic devices. The company’s signature product, the Hero Arm, was initially designed for kids and adolescents but has since built a loyal following among adult amputees (including at least one professional Santa Claus). More info at openbionics.com and @openbioinics.
Alice Tai: She began her Paralympic swimming career in 2016, competing with congenital limb difference, then moved into the amputee classifications for the 2024 Games after electing to remove her right leg below the knee. The amputation renewed Tai’s determination to destigmatize disability as a model, advocate, public speaker. She’s still a pretty good swimmer, too, with five medals (two gold) in Paris. Follow at @alice_tai.
Ray Edwards: Believed to be the UK’s longest-surviving quadruple amputee, Edwards lost his limbs at age 32 due to sepsis and lived another 37 years, passing away this March. He founded multiple organizations to support people with limb loss and other disabilities over the years, including Limbcare, now one of the world’s largest and most impactful charities for people with limb loss/difference. Visit ray-inspires.org for more info about Edwards, or limbcare.org to learn about his charity.
Andy Reid: After surviving an IED blast as a triple amputee, Reid went on to become one of the nation’s most prominent speakers and mental-health advocates. His Standing Tall Foundation serves all communities (not just people with disabilities) with counseling, education, addiction recovery support, youth development programs, and other initiatives to promote well-being. Reid is also a prolific fundraiser for veterans’ causes. Info at standingtallfoundation.org.uk and at @andyreid2506.
