Claim: Agatha Christie was made a Dame.

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry ; rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences , work with charitable and welfare organisations ,  and public service outside the Civil Service . It was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , and comprises five classes across both civil and military divisions , the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male , or dame if female . There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with , but not members of , the order .   Recommendations for appointments to the Order of the British Empire were at first made on the nomination of the United Kingdom , the self-governing Dominions of the Empire -LRB- later Commonwealth -RRB- and the Viceroy of India . Nominations continue today from Commonwealth countries that participate in recommending British -LRB- Imperial -RRB- honours . Some Commonwealth countries such as Canada ceased recommendations for appointments to the Order of the British Empire more than a decade before the creation of the Order of Canada while others such as Australia continued to recommend the Order of the British Empire for nearly 15 years after the creation of the Order of Australia .