"Merit was the highest civilian award for merit a Canadian could receive. Some orders of precedence are as follows: Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by King Edward VII, admission into the order remains the personal gift of its Sovereign—currently Edward VII's great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II—and is restricted to a maximum of 24 living recipients from the Commonwealth realms, plus a limited number of honorary members. While all members are awarded the right to"
"Order of Merit, to recognise contributions to the arts and sciences. In 1902, the Shah of Persia, Mozzafar-al-Din, visited England expecting to receive the Order of the Garter. Edward refused to bestow the honour on the Shah because the order was meant to be in his personal gift and the Foreign Secretary, Lord Lansdowne, had promised it without his consent. Edward also objected to inducting a Muslim into a Christian order of chivalry. His refusal threatened to damage British attempts to gain influence in Persia, but Edward resented his ministers' attempts to reduce the King's traditional powers. Eventually, he relented"
"Order of Civil Merit The Order of Civil Merit () was established by King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1926. The order recognizes ""the civic virtue of officers in the service of the Nation, as well as extraordinary service by Spanish and foreign citizens for the benefit of Spain."" According to ""Basic Norms on Protocol & Decorations"" "" The Order of Civil Merit was established by King Alfonso XIII of Spain, by Royal Decree on 25 June 1926, after the proposition of the President of the Council of Ministers, General D. Miguel Primo de Rivera (1870–1930). Its first regulations was"
"National Order of Merit (France) The National Order of Merit () is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's establishment was twofold: to replace the large number of ministerial orders previously awarded by the ministries; and to create an award that can be awarded at a lower level than the Legion of Honour, which is generally reserved for French citizens. It comprises about 187,000 members worldwide. The National Order of Merit replaced the following ministerial and colonial"
"has five classes, the same as the ""Légion d’honneur"": The medal and the plaque of the Order were designed by the French sculptor Max Leognany. The individuals listed below have been admitted as members of the National Order of Merit: Sources National Order of Merit (France) The National Order of Merit () is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's establishment was twofold: to replace the large number of ministerial orders previously awarded by the ministries; and"
"MERITO"", bordered by six golden rays edged by six white enameled lilies. The ribbon is blue and edged in dark red. Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit The Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Ferdinand and Merit is an order of knighthood of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It was established on 1 April 1800 by Ferdinand IV of Naples and III Sicily to reward men who performed important deeds and gave proof of loyalty to the Head of the Royal House and to the Royal Family. The Order is divided into three Ranks: The decoration is formed by"
"established under his direction, including the division for military figures. From the outset, prime ministers attempted to propose candidates or lobbied to influence the monarch's decision on appointments, but the Royal Household adamantly guarded information about potential names. After 1931, when the Statute of Westminster came into being and the Dominions of the British Empire became independent countries, equal in status to the UK, the Order of Merit continued as an honour open to all these realms and, in many, became a part of their national honours systems. The order's statutes were amended in 1935 to include members of the"
"Order of Merit for Science and Art The Order of Merit for Science and Art was established on 30 July 1873 by Duke Friedrich I of Anhalt. It was awarded to acknowledge and reward excellent and outstanding achievements in the field of science and art at home and abroad. First instituted in only one class, the order in 1912 was expanded to include a First Class, Second Class, and Third Class. The badge of the first model from 1873–1905 was a high oval bronze gilt medal, surrounded by twenty-four pointed rays and is suspended by a crown from its ribbon."
"Order of Military Merit (Morocco) The Order of Military Merit ("""") is a Moroccan military award founded in 1910 by Sultan Mulay Abdelhafid, and reconstituted under its present name in 1976 by King Hassan II. It is awarded for eminent and meritorious military services. There are five classes - Grand Cordon, and First to Fourth Class - each limited to a stated number of recipients. ""Wissam al-Askari"" (""The Order of the Military"") was founded by Sultan Mulay Abdelhafid of Morocco on 7 August 1910. It was a decoration for military personnel in times of war or on active service and"
"an interest in the matter; it was recorded in his diary that he met Robert Peel on 16 January 1844 to discuss the ""idea of institution of a civil Order of Merit"" and, three days later, he conferred with the Queen on the subject. The concept did not wither and, on 5 January 1888, British prime minister Lord Salisbury submitted to the Queen a draft constitution for an Order of Merit in Science and Art, consisting of one grade split into two branches of knighthood: the Order of Scientific Merit for Knights of Merit in Science, with the post-nominal letters"
"Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit The Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Ferdinand and Merit is an order of knighthood of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It was established on 1 April 1800 by Ferdinand IV of Naples and III Sicily to reward men who performed important deeds and gave proof of loyalty to the Head of the Royal House and to the Royal Family. The Order is divided into three Ranks: The decoration is formed by a golden round shield bearing the image of St. Ferdinand, edged by a blue-enameled round plate with the inscription ""FIDEI ET"
"Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown The Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown () was an order of merit of the Kingdom of Bavaria established by King Maximilian Joseph I on 19 March 1808. The motto of the order is Virtus et Honos ('Courage and Honour'). The order was awarded in several grades: Grand Commander, Grand Cross, Commander, Knight, and medals in gold and silver. King Maximilian I Joseph, founded the order to reward civil servants of the state of all classes and other foreigners who were deserving of recognition of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was created"
"honours differs between countries. The first mention of a possible Order of Merit was made following the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, in correspondence between First Lord of the Admiralty Lord Barham and William Pitt, though nothing came of the idea. Later, it was thought by Queen Victoria, her courtiers, and politicians alike, that a new order, based on the Prussian order ""Pour le Mérite"", would make up for the insufficient recognition offered by the established honours system to achievement outside of public service, in fields such as art, music, literature, industry, and science. Victoria's husband, Albert, Prince Consort, took"
"Order of Merit for Labour The Order of Merit for Labour (Italian: ""Ordine al Merito del Lavoro"") was founded as a national order of chivalry in 1923 by King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy; it is awarded to those ""who have been singularly meritorious"" in agriculture, industry and commerce, crafts, lending and insurance. It is a continuation of the earlier ""Ordine al Merito Agrario, Industriale e Commerciale"" founded in 1901. Members of the order may use the title ""Cavaliere del lavoro"". The origins of the order lie with King Umberto I who, in 1898, instituted ""a decoration for agricultural and"
"Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the Civil service. It was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V, and comprises five classes across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. Recommendations for appointments"
"Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary The Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary () was established on 14 June 1922 by Miklós Horthy the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary. On 23 December 1935 it was transformed into an official distinction. Since then if is known as Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary (). After the Hungarian monarchy was abolished, on 14 September 1946 the National Assembly of Hungary disestablished the order and replaced it by the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (). After the promulgation of the new Hungarian constitution"
"privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of ""Sir"" and ""Dame"" for the senior two ranks of the Order. An example is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan, who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship, was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan. King George V founded the Order to fill gaps in the British honours system: In particular, King George V wished to create an Order to honour many thousands of those who had served in"
"Order of the Companions of Honour The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded in June 1917 by King George V as a reward for outstanding achievements and is ""conferred upon a limited number of persons for whom this special distinction seems to be the most appropriate form of recognition, constituting an honour disassociated either from the acceptance of title or the classification of merit."" Founded on the same date as the Order of the British Empire, it is sometimes regarded as the junior order to the Order of Merit. Now"
"renounced the title after he was found guilty of tax fraud. Order of Merit for Labour The Order of Merit for Labour (Italian: ""Ordine al Merito del Lavoro"") was founded as a national order of chivalry in 1923 by King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy; it is awarded to those ""who have been singularly meritorious"" in agriculture, industry and commerce, crafts, lending and insurance. It is a continuation of the earlier ""Ordine al Merito Agrario, Industriale e Commerciale"" founded in 1901. Members of the order may use the title ""Cavaliere del lavoro"". The origins of the order lie with King"
"order was made in 1829. Order of Military Merit (France) The Order of Military Merit, initially known as the Institution of Military Merit () was an order of the French Ancien Régime created on 10 March 1759 by King Louis XV. It was created to reward the non-Catholic officers of the French Army. By the 18th Century there were regiments of Swedish, German, and Swiss troops in service to France, the most famous being the Swiss Guards. Since many of these regiment's officers were Protestant there lacked a suitable reward for distinguished service. The Order of Saint Louis was intended"
"of Military Merit, was established by George Washington – then the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army – by order from his Newburgh, New York headquarters on August 7, 1782. The Badge of Military Merit was only awarded to three Revolutionary War soldiers by Gen. George Washington himself. General Washington authorized his subordinate officers to issue Badges of Merit as appropriate. From then on, as its legend grew, so did its appearance. Although never abolished, the award of the badge was not proposed again officially until after World War I. On October 10, 1927, Army Chief of Staff General Charles Pelot"
"Order of Military Merit (France) The Order of Military Merit, initially known as the Institution of Military Merit () was an order of the French Ancien Régime created on 10 March 1759 by King Louis XV. It was created to reward the non-Catholic officers of the French Army. By the 18th Century there were regiments of Swedish, German, and Swiss troops in service to France, the most famous being the Swiss Guards. Since many of these regiment's officers were Protestant there lacked a suitable reward for distinguished service. The Order of Saint Louis was intended as a reward for exceptional"
"Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown The Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown (""Verdienstorden der Preußischen Krone"") was an award of civil and military merit established 18 January 1901 by King Wilhelm II on the occasion of the bicentennial of the establishment of the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was presented in one class and consisted of a badge and a breast star. For military merit the award was presented with crossed swords. The order was presented once with diamonds. The order consists of a badge, worn on a sash from right shoulder to the left hip, and"
"recipient by either the monarch or governor general. Orders are not awarded to individuals, instead one is appointed into membership in a society of honour, and can be promoted to higher grades within the group. The appointment to an order also entitles the appointee to post-nominal letters. Admission to the Order of Merit () is the highest civilian award for merit in Canada. Founded in 1902 by King Edward VII to recognise distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture, the Order of Merit has one grade and carries with it only the"
"of the orders of precedence in the United Kingdom. However, it has been claimed by Stanley Martin, in his book ""The Order of Merit 1902–2002: One Hundred Years of Matchless Honour"", that the Order of Merit is the pinnacle of the British honours system. Similarly, though it was not listed in the Canadian order of precedence for honours, decorations, and medals until December 2010, except relating to those who were appointed to the order prior to 1 June 1972, Christopher McCreery, an expert on Canadian honours and secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, stated that the Order of"
"Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath) is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as ""Knights of the Bath"". George I ""erected the Knights of the Bath into a regular Military Order"". He did not (as is commonly believed) revive the Order of the Bath, since it had never"
"of age. All citizens of the Commonwealth realms are eligible for appointment to the Order of Merit. There may be, however, only 24 living individuals in the order at any given time, not including honorary appointees, and new members are personally selected by the reigning monarch of the realms, currently Queen Elizabeth II, with the assistance of her private secretaries; the order has thus been described as ""quite possibly, the most prestigious honour one can receive on planet Earth."" Within the limited membership is a designated military division, with its own unique insignia; though it has not been abolished, it"
"awarded to Kader was inscribed with the words ""For Conduct and Courage on All Occasions"". In 1834 the Order of Merit was established by the then-Governor-General of India, Lord William Bentinck. The decoration was renamed the Indian Order of Merit (IOM) in 1902, and Indians considered it to be ""the most coveted gallantry award"" until the Victoria Cross (VC)—the highest award for gallantry in the British Empire—was extended to Indians in 1911. The VC was awarded to 153 Indian and British soldiers of the British Indian Army, and civilians under its command, from 1857 until Indian independence in 1947. During"
"posthumously. In 1922, the original Medal of the Order of the British Empire was split into two, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry (EGM) awarded for acts of gallantry, and the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service that is generally known as the British Empire Medal (BEM) awarded for meritorious services and was the lower level award of the Order of the British Empire. The EGM was awarded until 1940, when it was superseded by the George Cross. Shortly after the commencement of the Blitz, King George VI created the"
"the Malayan Emergency after the War. Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the Civil service. It was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V, and comprises five classes across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members"
"Order of Charles XIII The Royal Order of Charles XIII () is a Swedish order of merit, founded by King Charles XIII in 1811. The Lord and Master of the Order is the King of Sweden, currently His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf. Membership of the order can only be conferred on Freemasons of the Protestant faith. The membership of the order comprises: There can never be more than 33 persons who are members at the same time. (Men of royal blood are automatically members, and do not count as part of the 33 allotted slots). The insignia consists of"
"Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951. The highest ranking honour of the Republic, it is awarded for ""merit acquired by the nation"" in the fields of literature, the arts, economy, public service, and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities and for long and conspicuous service in civilian and military careers. The post-nominal letters for the order are OMRI. The order effectively replaced national orders such as the Civil Order of Savoy"
"and Member (CM). For each grade, there is an ""extraordinary"" category reserved for those members of the Royal Family nominated and approved for appointment. Upon taking office, governors general and viceregal consorts become Extraordinary Companions for life or until removal from the order. The Order of Military Merit () is a society of members of the Canadian Forces who have demonstrated dedication and devotion beyond the call of duty. Established in 1972 by Queen Elizabeth II, who serves as the order's Sovereign, with the governor general as the Chancellor and the chief of the Defence Staff as Principal Commander, the"