James Dyson admitted to order of merit

Sir James Dyson, founder and chief engineer at Dyson, was admitted to the Order of Merit in the 2016 New Year’s Honours.

The Order of Merit is a personal gift of the Queen, and can be held by just 24 living people at one time and is often referred to as the pinnacle of the British honours system. It is awarded to individuals who the Queen considers to “have rendered exceptionally meritorious services towards the advancements of the arts, learning, literature and science”. James said, “I have been fortunate to have worked every day with the brightest and most creative of engineers and scientists. This honour is as much a recognition of their efforts as of anything which I have managed to achieve.”