As part of the British honours system, Special Honours are issued at the Monarch's pleasure at any given time. The Special Honours refer to the awards made within royal prerogative, operational honours and other honours awarded outside the New Years Honours and Birthday Honours

• Catherine Ashton, Chair, East and North Hertfordshire Health Authority.^[1]
• Miss Elizabeth Jean Barker, Field Officer, Age Concern and Member, Liberal Democrat Federal Policy Committee.
• Miss May Blood, MBE, Member, Northern Ireland Women's Coalition.
• Anita Gale, General Secretary, Wales Labour Party.
• Joan Brownlow, Mrs. Hanham, CBE, JP, Conservative Leader of the Council, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
• Angela Felicity, Mrs. Harris, DL, Deputy Chair, National Association of Police Authorities; Liberal Democrat Councillor, Richmond Town Council and North Yorkshire County Council.
• Rosalind Patricia-Anne, Mrs. Howells, OBE, Retired Community and Equal Opportunities Worker.
• Doreen Elizabeth Massey, Independent Consultant in Health Education, Sex Education and Sexual Health.
• Genista, Mrs. McIntosh, Artistic Director, National Theatre.
• Diana Warwick, Chief Executive, Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom (CVCP).
• Janet, Mrs. Whitaker, Consultant, United Kingdom Commission for Racial Equality and Commonwealth Secretariat.
• Rosalie Catherine Wilkins, Information Officer, National Centre for Independent Living.

• Professor William Peter Bradshaw, Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, Wolfson College, Oxford.
• William Henry Brett, lately General Secretary, Institution of Professionals, Managers and Specialists (IPMS).
• Alexander Charles Carlile, QC, former Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Montgomery.
• Murray Elder, Special Adviser, Scottish Office.^[2]
• Richard Oliver Faulkner, First Deputy Chairman, Football Trust, Joint Managing Director, Westminster Communications Group Ltd.
• David Geoffrey Nigel Filkin, CBE, Policy Analyst and Writer.
• The Right Honourable Sir Michael (Bruce) Forsyth, Director, Robert Fleming & Co. Ltd. Former Conservative Member of Parliament for Stirling and Secretary of State for Scotland.
• Sir Norman Foster, OM, to be Baron Foster of Thames Bank, of Reddish in the County of Greater Manchester
• Robert Gavron, CBE, Chairman, Folio Society Ltd; Guardian Media Group pic; National Gallery Publications Ltd.
• Peter Henry Goldsmith, QC, Barrister and Queen's Counsel.
• Anthony Stephen Grabiner, QC, a Recorder.
• Lyndon Henry Arthur Harrison, Former Member (Labour) European Parliament, Cheshire West and Wirral.
• Tarsem King, Managing Director, Sandwell Polybags Ltd.
• Sir Graham Kirkham, Executive Chairman, DFS Furniture.
• John Laird, Chairman, John Laird Group of Communication Companies
• David Edward Lea, OBE, Assistant General Secretary, Trades Union Congress.
• David Lawrence Lipsey, Public Policy Editor, The Economist.
• Hector Uisdean Mackenzie, Associate General Secretary, UNISON.
• Christopher John Rennard, Director of Campaigns, Liberal Democrat Party.
• Colin Morven Sharman, OBE, Chairman, KPMG International.
• Peter Smith, Labour Leader, Wigan Borough Council.
• The Right Honourable William Arthur Waldegrave, Director of Corporate Finance, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson. Former Conservative Member of Parliament for Bristol West, Secretary of State for Health, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
• Professor John Watson, CBE, Chairman, Corporate Vision Ltd; Corporate Television Networks, Burson-Marsteller UK, Burson-Marsteller Europe.
• Kenneth John Woolmer, Chairman, Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds.