Founder of Usborne receives CBE from King Charles III 

Peter Usborne, founder of Usborne, has received a CBE from King Charles III at Windsor Castle, after he was awarded the honour by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2022 New Year’s Honours List. 

Recognised for Services to Literature, the honour was made in the 50th anniversary year for Usborne. In 2011 Usborne received an MBE for Services to the Publishing Industry and in 2015 he received the London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award.

Usborne, who co-founded the satirical magazine Private Eye in the 1960s, was inspired to found Usborne in 1973 when he found out he was going to become a parent.

Fifty years on he still claims that parenthood has been “the greatest privilege of his life”, and that publishing children’s books has been an extension of that. His daughter, Nicola Usborne, became managing director of Usborne in October 2022.

The publisher will mark its 50th anniversary with a year-long trade and consumer campaign throughout 2023 that will thank its supporters, from retailers to readers.