The 2003 New Year's Honours List is one of the annual New Year Honours, a part of the British monarch's honours system, where 1 January is marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this day in this way. These awards are presented by or in the name of the reigning monarch, i.e. Queen Elizabeth II or her vice-regal representative.
The list of honours for each year is announced on or around New Year's Day in the United Kingdom,[1] Canada, New Zealand,[2] Barbados,[3] Bahamas,[4] Grenada,[5] Papua New Guinea,[6] Solomon Islands,[7] Tuvalu,[8] St. Vincent and the Grenadines[9] Belize[10] and St. Christopher and Nevis.[11] The exact dates vary every year from country to country. All are published in supplements to the London Gazette or the nation's own gazette. All awards conferred by the monarch (or her representative) some time after the date of the announcement particularly for those service people on active duty conferment is often considerably delayed.
The recipients of honours are displayed as they were styled before their new honour, and arranged by the country (in order of their date of independence from the United Kingdom) whose ministers advised the Queen on the appointments, then by honour, with grades, such as Knight/Dame Grand Cross, Knight/Dame Commander, and then divisions—Civil, Diplomatic and Military—as and where appropriate.