Queen strips CB honour from Vicky Pryce, the ex-wife jailed over swopping speeding penalty points with Chris Huhne

Her appointment as a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB), an equivalent to the CBE, has been officially cancelled and annulled

Intellectual truths and real-life lies: Vicky Pryce (AFP/Getty Images)

The disgraced former government economist, Vicky Pryce, has been stripped of the honour given to her in 2009 for services to economics.

The Greek-born former joint head of the Government Economic Service, was jailed for eight months earlier this year after being convicted of perverting the course of justice. The case involved her accepting driving licence penalty points for her former husband, the former Liberal Democrat coalition cabinet minister, Chris Huhne.

The honours Forfeiture Committee today confirmed that Ms Pryce's appointment as a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB), an equivalent to the CBE, has been officially cancelled and annulled. Her name will now be removed from the register of the Order of the Bath.

In line with honours procedures, the formal announcement by the Forfeiture Committee was made with a placement in the London Gazette.

The announcement stated "The Queen has directed that the appointment of Vicky, Mrs Pryce, to be a Member of the Civil Division of the Third Class, or Companion, of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, dated 13 June 2009, shall be cancelled and annulled and that her name shall be erased from the register of the said order."

No formal reason from the annulment was given. However recommendations to revoke an honour generally centre on holders bringing the honours system into disrepute because they have been found guilty by the courts of a criminal offence, or struck off a regulatory authority or professional body.

Losing her CB is the latest black spot on in a difficult year for the former high-flying economist. Her glittering career involved roles as a senior economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland and KPMG, before joining the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as a senior economic adviser to the government.

She had also been a visiting professor at City University, Imperial, and Nuffield College, Oxford.

At her trial she entered a not-guilty plea, using a defence of marital coercion. She lost and began serving her sentence at Holloway before being transferred to an open prison in Kent.

Both Mrs Pryce and Chris Huhne were released on the same day in May this year.

Her book on the economic and human costs of imprisoning women, entitled "Prisonomics" is scheduled to be published next month.