thumb|Investiture of [[Derek Lardelli as ONZM by Governor-General of New Zealand Sir Anand Satyanand for services to Māori arts at a ceremony at Government House, Wellington in September 2008]]
The New Zealand royal honours system, a system of orders, decorations and medals, recognises achievements of, or service by, New Zealanders or others in connection with New Zealand. Until 1975, New Zealand used the British honours system. Since then, the country has introduced a number of uniquely New Zealand honours, and , only the dynastic British honours continue in active use in New Zealand, with the exception of the Order of the Companions of Honour, to which Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, a New Zealand soprano, was appointed in 2018.
The New Zealand royal honours comprise the Order of New Zealand, the New Zealand Order of Merit, the King's Service Order, King's Service Medal, New Zealand bravery awards, New Zealand gallantry awards, the New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration and the New Zealand Antarctic Medal.
The monarch of New Zealand awards honours on ministerial advice. However, certain awards remain in the exclusive gift of the monarch.
The Honours Unit of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet administers the New Zealand honours system.
History
Since the beginning of settlement in the mid-nineteenth century, British honours were awarded in New Zealand. In 1848, Governor George Grey received the first honour granted to a New Zealand resident, becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. In 2000, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced that no further awards of knighthoods and damehoods would be made in the New Zealand honours system. However, in March 2009, Prime Minister John Key announced the restoration of knighthoods and damehoods to the honours system, with past recipients of the two highest grades of the New Zealand Order of Merit to be eligible to receive titles.
Orders and other honours
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Complete name
! Grade (Letters)
! Insignia
! Ribbon
! Established
! Founder
! Motto
! Awarded to/for
! Associated awards
! Refs
|-
| Most Noble Order of the Garter
| Knight Companion (KG)<br />Lady Companion (LG)
|100px
|60px
| 23 April 1348
| Edward III
| Honi soit qui mal y pense ("shame upon him who thinks evil of it")
| Relating to England and Wales
| None
|
|-
| Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle
| Knight (KT)<br />Lady (LT)
|100px
|60px
| 29 May 1687
| James VII and II
| ("No one provokes me with impunity")
| Relating to Scotland
| None
|
|-
| rowspan="5" |Royal Victorian Order
|Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCVO)
|100px
| rowspan="5" |60px
| rowspan="5" |21 April 1896
| rowspan="5" |Victoria
| rowspan="5" |Victoria
| rowspan="5" |Services to the Crown
| rowspan="5" |Royal Victorian Medal, Royal Victorian Chain
| rowspan="5" |
|-
|Knight Commander (KCVO) Dame Commander (DCVO)
|100px
|-
| Commander (CVO)
| rowspan="2" |100px
|-
|Lieutenant (LVO)
|-
|Member (MVO)
|100px
|-
| Order of Merit
| Member (OM)
|100px
|60px
| 23 June 1902
| Edward VII
| For merit
| Military, science, art, literature, culture
| None
|
|-
| Order of New Zealand
| Member (ONZ)
|100px
|60px
| 6 February 1987
| Elizabeth II
| None
| Outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity
| None
|
|-
|rowspan=5 |New Zealand Order of Merit
|Knight or Dame Grand Companion (GNZM)
|100px
|rowspan=5 |60px
|rowspan=5 | 30 May 1996
|rowspan=5 | Elizabeth II
|rowspan=5 | For Merit —
|rowspan=5 | Meritorious service to the Crown and the nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions, or other merits
|rowspan=5 | None
|rowspan=5 |
|-
| King's Service Medal
| (KSM)
|100px<br/>100px
|60px
| 13 March 1975
| Elizabeth II
| For service —
| Voluntary service to the community or services to the Crown in the public sector, in elected or appointed office.
|
|
|-
| New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration
| (DSD)
|100px
|60px
| 14 May 2007
| Elizabeth II
| None
| Distinguished military service, by regular, territorial and reserve members of the New Zealand Defence Force
| None
|
|-
| New Zealand Memorial Cross
| —
|100px
|60px
| 12 September 1947
| George VI
| None
| Next of kin of New Zealand service personnel who, since September 1939, have been killed on active service or later die of wounds
| None
|
|}
- Orders. The Order of the Garter is the country's highest civilian honour, then the Order of the Thistle, then the Order of Merit, then the Order of New Zealand, then the New Zealand Order of Merit (with five levels), then the Royal Victorian Order (also with five levels). The King's Service Order has similar precedence to the fourth level of the New Zealand Order of Merit. The King's Service Medal takes precedence after the New Zealand Order of Merit. Prior to the reorganisation of the New Zealand honours system in 1996, New Zealanders received various British Imperial honours, namely peerages and baronetcies of the United Kingdom, the Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Order of the British Empire, and Knight Bachelor.
- Other decorations and medals. These usually do not carry titles, but nonetheless entitle the holder to place post nominals after their name. The New Zealand Antarctic Medal and the Distinguished Service Decoration are analogues to the Polar Medal and the Medal of the Order of the British Empire. (See British and Commonwealth orders and decorations.)
- The Most Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem (founded 1888). The Order is not technically a State Order or Royal Order, although the monarch is the Sovereign Head of the Order and the Governor-General of New Zealand is the Prior in New Zealand. It is, however, an official Order of Chivalry, being considered by DPMC as such. Membership of the Order confers official post-nominals commensurate with rank within the Order. The conferring of post-nominals in New Zealand is in contrast to other Priories where the Order's leadership in those nations prohibits its members to use post-nominals outside of internal Order business. The Order's members may wear its insignia, but do not enjoy de jure use of the title "Sir" associated with other Orders' levels of knighthood.
- Honours in the exclusive gift of the monarch such as the Order of the Garter, Order of the Thistle, Royal Victorian Order and Order of Merit are not conferred on ministerial advice and continue to be part of the New Zealand royal honours system.
See also
- Orders, decorations, and medals of the Commonwealth realms
- Kīngitanga honours system
- New Zealand honours order of wearing
- New Zealand campaign medals
- New Zealand gallantry awards
- New Zealand bravery awards
- New Zealand Meritorious & Long Service Awards
- Niue National Awards
- Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom
- State decoration
- 2009 Special Honours
- Living New Zealand dames and knights
Notes
References
External links
- The Cabinet Office Honours Unit
- NZ Defence Force