11th November 2025
2023 Lord Parkinson, Minister for Arts and Heritage
2022 Rene Olivieri, Chair, National Trust
2021 Nigel Huddlestone MP, Minister for Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Civil Society
2019 Sue Biggs CBE, Director General The Royal Horticultural Society
2018 Hilary McGrady, Director General, National Trust
2017 Dr Loyd Grossman CBE FSA, Chairman of the Heritage Alliance
2016 Sir Laurie Magnus, Chairman of Historic England
2015 Tracey Crouch MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism and Heritage
2014 Simon Jenkins, Chairman of the National Trust
2013 Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum
2012 Loyd Grossman OBE, Chairman of The Heritage Alliance
2011 John Penrose MP, Minister for Heritage and Tourism
2010 Baroness Andrews OBE, Chair of English Heritage
2009 Dr Nicholas Penny, Director of the National Gallery
2008 Dame Liz Forgan, Chair of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund
2007 Ed Vaizey MP, Shadow Minister for Culture
2006 David Lammy MP, Minister for Culture
2005 Fiona Reynolds, Director-General of the National Trust
2004 The Rt. Hon. Estelle Morris MP, Minister for the Arts
2003 Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage
2002 Rt. Hon. Baroness Blackstone, Minister of State for the Arts
2001 Mr Alan Britten, Chairman of the English Tourism Council
2000 Sir Neil Cossons OBE, Chairman of English Heritage
1999 Mr Martin Drury, Director-General of the National Trust
1998 Dame Jennifer Jenkins DBE, Chairman, Advisory Panel, Heritage Lottery Fund
1997 The Rt. Hon. Chris Smith MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
1996 Mr Nicholas Serota, Director of the Tate Gallery
1995 Sir Angus Stirling, Director General of the National Trust
1994 Mr Simon Jenkins, A former editor of “The Times”
1993 HRH The Prince of Wales
1992 The Lord Rothschild, Chairman of the National Heritage Memorial Fund
2023 Lord Montgu, Beaulieu
2022 Hopwood DePree, Hopwood Hall
2021 The Earl of Leicester, Holkham Hall
2019 The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, Highclere Castle
2018 Michael Ellis MP, Minister for the Arts, Heritage and Tourism, Norman Hudson OBE, Chairman, The Country Houses Foundation, Sheila Charrington, Chairman, Invitation to View, Alfonso Pallavincini, President, European Historic Houses Association and Earl and Countess of Devon, Powderham Castle
2017 Jonathan Ruffer, Chairman of Auckland Castle Trust, Eleven Arches and Ruffer LLP and Julie Kenny, Chair of Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust
2016 William Parante, Welbeck Abbey
2015 Bettany Hughes, The award-winning historian, author and broadcaster
2014 Jean-Charles and Alexander Vogue Vaux le Vicomte
2013 The Earl of March and Kinrara
2012 The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensbury KBE DL
2011 The Marquess of Douro
2010 The Marquess of Cholmondeley
2009 The Earl of Derby
2008 James Knox, Saving of Dumfries House
2007 The Duke of Devonshire
2006 The Duchess of Northumberland, The Alnwick Garden
2005 Giles Waterfield, Independent curator and writer
2004 Sir Max Hastings, Journalist and author
2003 Mr Simon Jenkins, Former Editor of “The Times”, writer and journalist
2002 Dr Jan Woudstra, Landscape Conservation and Design/Innovation, “Conflict or harmony?”
2001 Mr Christopher Lloyd, Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures
2000 Mr Kit Martin, Dereliction or a new beginning. Several Spectacular Houses
1999 Professor Alistair Rowan, An 18th Century Legacy: Problems and Solutions
1998 Dr Tom Williamson, Archaeology and The Country House
1997 Mr George Ferguson BArch RIBA, Aspic and Aspirin: A creative and good humoured approach to the constraints and headaches of historic building ownership