Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attended an evensong service last night at Hampton Court Palace, to commemorate the centenary of the Order of the Companions of Honour.

The order was established by George V in 1917 on the same date as the Order of the British Empire, at first recognising services during the war without imposing the baggage of a title.

Now, the companions are known for work in several fields, including the arts, sport, government and science, and many have titles.

Also in attendance were many of the current companions, including Sir David Attenborough, Dame Judi Dench, Lord Coe and Dame Maggie Smith.

The choral service was held in the Royal Chapel, and included a sermon from the Right Reverend Richard Chartres, Dean of the Chapels Royal.

He praised the companions, saying: “Some members of the order have been and are today household names.

“But this is not an order for celebrities who are simply well known for their well knownness, but practitioners in various fields with a sustained record of service of national importance.”

Afterwards, there was a drinks reception and the group posed for an official photograph with the Queen and Prince Phillip.

This was the first official visit by the Queen to Hampton Court since 2004, although she did record her 2010 Christmas message in the chapel.