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[Dynastic order recognising distinguished service with the Commonwealth] [the
Order of Merit in the Commonwealth realms] [date=January 2013] [date=April
2022] {{Infobox order | title = Order of Merit | image = Order of Merit
Dorothy Hodgkin (cropped).jpg | image_size = 150px | caption = Badge and
ribbon bow of the order<br/>(for wear by female recipients) | awarded_by =
Charles III | type = Order of merit | established = 26 June 1902 | motto =
_For Merit_ | eligibility = All living citizens of the Commonwealth realms |
criteria = At the monarch's pleasure | founder = Edward VII | head_title =
Sovereign | head = Charles III |head2_title=Secretary and
Registrar|head2=Robin Janvrin, Baron Janvrin| grades = Member (OM) | date =
1902 | higher = Dependent on state | lower = Dependent on state | image2 =
Order of Merit (Commonwealth realms) ribbon.svg | image_size2 = 130px |
caption2 = Ribbon bar of the order }} The ORDER OF MERIT ([fr])[For use in
Canada, in accordance with the country's policy of official bilingualism .] is
an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished
service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of
culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order remains
the personal gift of its Sovereign—currently Edward VII's great-great-grandson
Charles III—and is restricted to a maximum of 24 living recipients from the
Commonwealth realms, plus honorary members.<ref name=RHOM>[
url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Honours/OrderofMerit.aspx][1] While all
members are awarded the right to use the post-nominal letters _OM_ and wear
the badge of the order,[2] the Order of Merit's precedence among other honours
differs between countries.
** History
In around 1773, George III considered establishing an order of knighthood to
be called the "Order of Minerva" with membership restricted to 24
distinguished artists and authors.[3] Knights would be entitled to the
post-nominal letters _KM_, and would wear a silver nine-pointed breast star
with the image of Minerva at its centre, along with a "straw-coloured" sash
worn across the chest from the right shoulder.<ref name="Minerva"/> The motto
of the Order would be _"Omnia posthabita scientiae"_ (in Latin, "Everything
comes after science"). Once the King's proposal was made public, however,
arguments within intellectual circles over who would be most deserving of the
new order grew so heated that George ultimately dropped the idea,<ref
name="Minerva"/> though he briefly reconsidered it in 1789; on 6 February of
that year, he revised the design of the order, with the breast star to have
sixteen points, the motto to be the Latin for "Learning improves character"
and with membership to include distinguished scientists.[4] Following the
Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, First Lord of the Admiralty Charles Middleton,
1st Baron Barham and William Pitt exchanged correspondence concerning the
possible creation of an order of merit, though nothing came of the idea.<ref
name=Martin11>[ Martin]
Later, Queen Victoria, her courtiers, and politicians alike,[5] thought 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 public service, in fields such as art, music, literature,
industry and science.<ref name=Martin11/> Victoria's husband, Albert, Prince
Consort, took an interest in the matter; it was recorded in his diary that he
met Sir 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.[6]
Though nothing came of the idea at the time, the concept did not wither and,
more than 40 years later, on 5 January 1888, Prime Minister Robert
Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury submitted to the by then
long-widowed 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 _KMS_, and the Order of Artistic Merit, for Knights of Merit in Art,
with the post-nominal letters _KMA_. However, Frederic Leighton, President of
the Royal Academy of Arts, advised against the new order, primarily because of
its selection process.[7] left
It was Victoria's son Edward VII who eventually founded the Order of Merit on
26 June 1902 (the date for which his coronation had been originally
scheduled[8]) as a means to acknowledge "exceptionally meritorious service in
Our Navy and Our Army, or who may have rendered exceptionally meritorious
service towards the advancement of Art, Literature and Science".[9] All modern
aspects of the order were established under his direction, including the
division for military figures.<ref name=Jackson/>
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.<ref name=Jackson/> After
1931, when the Statute of Westminster came into effect and the Dominions of
the British Empire became independent countries within the empire, 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 newly developing national honours
systems.[10] The order's statutes were amended in 1935 to include members of
the Royal Air Force and, in 1969, the definition of honorary recipients was
expanded to include members of the Commonwealth of Nations that are not
realms.
The order has always been open to women, Florence Nightingale being the first
woman to receive the honour, in 1907. Several individuals have refused
admission into the Order of Merit, including Rudyard Kipling, A. E. Housman,
and George Bernard Shaw. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, remains the
youngest person ever inducted into the Order, having been admitted by Queen
Elizabeth II in 1968, when he was 47 years old.<ref name=Jackson/>
Robin Eames, Baron Eames represented the order at the coronation of Charles
III and Camilla on 6 May 2023.[11]
** Eligibility and appointment
All citizens of the Commonwealth realms are eligible for appointment to the
Order of Merit.<ref name="gg.ca"/> 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 Charles III, with the assistance of his private secretaries;<ref
name=Jackson/> the order has thus been described as "quite possibly, the most
prestigious honour one can receive on planet Earth."[12] Within the limited
membership is a designated military division, with its own unique insignia;
though it has not been abolished, it is currently unpopulated, Louis
Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma having been the last person so
honoured.<ref name=Jackson/>
Honorary members form another group, to which there is no numerical limit,
though such appointments are rare; individuals from countries in the
Commonwealth of Nations that are not headed by King Charles are therefore
considered foreigners, and thus are granted only honorary admissions, such as
Nelson Mandela (South Africa) and Mother Teresa (India).<ref name="RHOM" />
Upon admission into the Order of Merit, members are entitled to use the
post-nominal letters _OM_ and are entrusted with the badge of the order.
** Insignia
The insignia consists of a badge, which consists of a golden crown from which
is suspended a red enamelled cross pattée, itself centred by a disk of blue
enamel, surrounded by a laurel wreath.<ref name=PoW>[
url=http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/forchildren/medalsanduniforms/medals/index.html]
The obverse of the badge's central disk bears the words _FOR MERIT_ in gold
lettering, while the reverse bears the royal cypher of the reigning monarch in
gold. The insignia for the military grouping is distinguished by a pair of
crossed swords behind the central disk.<ref name="gg.ca"/>
The ribbon of the Order of Merit is divided into two stripes of red and blue.
The neck ribbon is 50 mm in width, while the ribbon bar width is the standard
British 32 mm size for military or civilian wear.[13] Men wear their badges on
a neck ribbon (as a necklet), while women wear theirs on a ribbon bow pinned
to the left shoulder, and aides-de-camp may wear the insignia on their
aiguillettes.<ref name=PoW/>
Since 1991, the insignia must be returned upon the recipient's death.[14]
** Current members
[List of members of the Order of Merit]
-
*** Sovereign
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; background:white; border:#01796f
solid;" !Name !Year of appointment !Present age |- |King Charles III (_ex
officio_) |2002 as The Prince of Wales; sovereign since 2022[The sovereign of
the order, who was appointed a member on 27 June 2002 as Prince of Wales , is
technically no longer a member of the Order of Merit. However, as its
sovereign, he may continue to wear the insignia.] |[1948] |}
*** Substantive members
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; background:white;
border:#01796f solid;" !Member number[name=order] !Name !Known for !Year of
appointment !Present age |- |1 (169) |Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames
Bank [country=GBR] |Architect and Pritzker laureate |1997 |[1935] |- |2 (175)
|Sir Roger Penrose [country=GBR] |Mathematical physicist and Nobel Laureate |
rowspan="2" |2000 |[1931] |- |3 (176) |Sir Tom Stoppard [country=GBR]
|Playwright |[1937] |- |4 (180) |Sir David Attenborough [country=GBR]HonFLI
|Television broadcaster and conservationist |2005 |[1926] |- |5 (183) |Robin
Eames, Baron Eames [country=GBR] |Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of
Armagh | rowspan="3" |2007 |[1937] |- |6 (184) |Sir Tim Berners-Lee
[country=GBR] |Inventor of the World Wide Web, Founder of the World Wide Web
Foundation and Director of the World Wide Web Consortium |[1955] |- |7 (185)
|Martin Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow [country=GBR] |Astronomer Royal and
President of the Royal Society |[1942] |- |8 (186) |Jean Chrétien
[country=CAN] |Prime Minister of Canada |2009 |[1934] |- |9 (187) |Neil
MacGregor [country=GBR] |Art historian and Director of the British Museum
|2010 |[1946] |- |10 (188) |David Hockney [country=GBR] |Artist | rowspan="2"
|2012 |[1937] |- |11 (189) |John Howard [country=AUS] |Prime Minister of
Australia |[1939] |- |12 (190) |Sir Simon Rattle [country=GBR] |Conductor |
rowspan="2" |2014 |[1955] |- |13 (192) |Sir Magdi Yacoub [country=GBR]
|Cardiothoracic surgeon |[1935] |- |14 (193) |Ara Darzi, Baron Darzi of Denham
[country=GBR] |Surgeon | rowspan="3" |2016 |[1960] |- |15 (194) |Dame Ann
Dowling [country=GBR] |Mechanical engineer |[1952] |- |16 (195) |Sir James
Dyson [country=GBR] |Inventor and industrial designer |[1947] |- |17 (196)
|Dame Elizabeth Anionwu [country=GBR] |Nurse | rowspan="6" |2022 |[1947] |-
|18 (197) |Floella Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin [country=GBR] |Broadcaster
|[1949] |- |19 (198) |Margaret MacMillan [country=CAN] |Author and Provost of
Trinity College, Toronto |[1943] |- |20 (199) |Sir David Adjaye [country=GBR]
|Architect |[1966] |- |21 (200) |Sir Paul Nurse [country=GBR] |Geneticist and
Nobel Laureate |[1949] |- |22 (201) |Venki Ramakrishnan[Venki Ramakrishnan
accepts titles, but prefers not to use them and post-nominal initials.]
|Structural biologist and Nobel Laureate |[1952] |- |23 |_Vacant_[Vacant
following the death of Betty Boothroyd , Baroness Boothroyd on 26 February
2023.] | | | |- |24 |_Vacant_[Vacant following the death of Jacob Rothschild,
4th Baron Rothschild on 26 February 2024.] | | | |} {| class="wikitable
sortable" |- class="sortbottom" | colspan="6" | [Notelist] |}
*** Honorary members
There have been no honorary members of the Order of Merit since the death of
the last such member, Nelson Mandela, in December 2013.[15]
*** Officers
SECRETARY AND REGISTRAR: Robin Janvrin, Baron Janvrin [country=GBR]
** Order of wear
As the Order of Merit is open to the citizens of 15 countries, each with their
own system of orders, decorations, and medals, the order's place of precedence
varies from country to country. While, in the United Kingdom, the order's
postnominal letters follow those of Knights and Dames Grand Cross of the Order
of the Bath, membership in the Order of Merit itself gives members no place in
any of the orders of precedence in the United Kingdom. However, Stanley
Martin says 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.<ref name="Jackson" /> Similarly, though it was not listed in
the Canadian order of precedence for honours, decorations, and medals until
December 2010,[16] Christopher McCreery, an expert on Canadian honours and
secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, stated that the Order of
Merit was the highest civilian award for merit a Canadian could
receive.[17][18]
Some orders of precedence are as follows:
{| class="wikitable" ! Country !! Preceding !! Following |- ! [AUS]
Australia<br/><small>Order of wear[19]</small> | Knight/Lady of the Most
Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle <small>(KT/LT)</small> |
Knight/Dame of the Order of Australia <small>(AK/AD)</small> |- ! [CAN]
Canada<br/><small>Order of wear</small>[20] | Cross of Valour
<small>(CV)</small> | Companion of the Order of Canada <small>(CC)</small> |-
! [NZ] New Zealand<br/><small>Order of wear[21]</small> | Knight/Dame Grand
Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath <small>(GCB)</small> | Member
of the Order of New Zealand <small>(ONZ)</small>[22] |- ! [UK] United Kingdom
<small>Order of wear[23]</small> | Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Most
Honourable Order of the Bath <small>(GCB)</small> | Baronet's Badge
<small>(Bt)</small>[24] |}
** Notes
[group="n"]
** Citations
[Notelist] [Reflist]
** References
- [ last=Martin]
** Further reading
- [wstitle=Merit, Order of]
- [wstitle=Merit, Order of]
** External links
[Commons category]
- Order of Merit (see https://www.royal.uk/order-of-merit) – Royal Household website
- What is the Order of Merit? (see https://www.thegazette.co.uk/awards-and-accreditation/content/103836) – _The Gazette_
- The Order of Merit (see https://honours.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about/orders-and-medals/#merit) – UK Cabinet Office
- World Awards – Order of Merit (see https://wawards.org/en/united-kingdom/orders-of-knighthood/order-of-merit.html)
[British Honours System] [Orders, decorations, and medals of Australia]
[Canadian Honours System] [Authority control]
Category:Civil awards and decorations of Canada Category:Civil awards and
decorations of the United Kingdom Category:Awards established in 1902
Category:1902 establishments in the British Empire Category:Edward VII