Masters of the Royal Secret who distinguish themselves by zeal, devotion, and active services to humanity and/or the Fraternity may be elected to receive the rank and decoration of Knight Commander of the Court of Honour. The number of those who can be admitted to the Court of Honour at any Session of the Supreme Council is limited in accordance with the rule laid down in the Statutes, which expressly provide that not more than twice as many Knights Commanders of the Court of Honour may be elected than the number of Knights Commanders elected to receive the Thirty-Third Degree.

The Thirty-third Degree occupies a unique place in the Scottish Rite. In the early history, the Degree was called "Sovereign Grand Inspector General," and was reserved for the nine officers comprising the Supreme Council of a given jurisdiction. About 1816 the Supreme Council of France increased the number of Thirty-third Degree members, but the Mother Supreme Council did not increase its number until 1857, when several New Orleans Masons were elected on an honorary basis - such conferral making the recipients honorary members of the Supreme Council (lacking legislative and voting powers). Such honorary members are called "Inspectors Generals Honorary." However, reception of the Thirty-third Degree is not merely an honor: the Degree is the historical and actual completion of the Rite. For this reason it is also called the "Thirty-third and Last Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry." An Inspector General Honorary is said to have been "coroneted" by the Supreme Council. The Scottish Rite does not acknowledge any Degree in Freemasonry higher than the Thirty-third-Degree.