There is no such trickiness involved in appointing people to the Order of the Garter, for it is in the personal gift of the monarch rather than the PM, so one can only applaud that Peter Hennessy has been appointed to the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain.

It seems to me that the appointment of Peter – and of Lord Gus O’Donnell, the former Cabinet Secretary and another friend of The Tablet, having, like Peter, served as a trustee – is significant. Both Lords are Catholic. But they are not the first Catholic members – they will be joining Lord Patten of Barnes among the 24 companions. At one time a Catholic joining the order would have been worthy of a raised eyebrow; nowadays it is seen as entirely right that Catholics should be there, on merit, just as anyone else should be.

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