The Legacy of Maundy Gregory and the Honours-for-Sale Scandal
Maundy Gregory operated a notorious honours-for-sale scheme near Downing Street in the early 20th century, charging published fees of £10,000 for a knighthood, £40,000 for a baronetcy, and £50,000 for a peerage. Gregory's commission amounted to about £30,000 annually, with funds reportedly funneled into party coffers.
Recipients of these purchased honours often included donors to Lloyd George’s government who were willing to pay for titles in exchange for political influence. Lloyd George defended this practice as a cleaner way to fund the party compared to alternatives in the US or Socialist systems, despite acknowledging it allowed donors to press for favors.
King George V privately complained about the risk of rewarding rogues through the honours system, and the Conservative opposition objected to the undue influence held by Lloyd George’s fixers in capturing donor patronage. This led to the passage of the 1924 Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act. Gregory was the sole person tried under this legislation, receiving two months’ imprisonment, a £50 fine plus costs, and subsequently living in exile in Paris on a pension.
At the time, baronetcies and peerages were hereditary titles, with some descendants of Gregory’s honourees still holding these distinctions. A contemporary anecdote highlights that firms continue to offer independent honours nominations, claiming clients are 6.5 times more likely to obtain an honour and an 80% success rate for King’s Awards for Enterprise, with fees linked to nomination length.
The article argues that despite reforms and changes since the 1920s, the honours system remains imperfect today and vigilance remains necessary to prevent abuses.
