Most Exalted Order of the National Hero | |
---|---|
Awarded by Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda | |
Type | Order of chivalry |
Motto | Answering the Call of Duty |
Eligibility | Citizens of Antigua and Barbuda |
Awarded for | Pre-eminently distinguished service to Antigua and Barbuda or to humanity at large |
Status | Currently constituted |
Chancellor | Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda |
Grades | Knight/Dame Companion (KNH/DNH) |
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | None |
Next (lower) | Order of the Nation |
Ribbon of the Order of the National Hero |
The Most Exalted Order of the National Hero is an Antiguan and Barbudan order of chivalry recognising pre-eminently distinguished service to Antigua and Barbuda or to humanity at large. The present Order was established and constituted by the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda under the National Honours Act 1998. [1] which received Royal Assent from the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda on 31 December 1998.
The Order of the National Hero was first established and constituted by the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda under the National Heroes Act 1994. [2] This Act was repealed and the Order was re-established and re-constituted under the National Honours Act 1998, [1] which was amended in 2000, [3] 2001 [4] and 2015. [5] Persons who were members of the Order before the 1998 Act came into force became Knights or Dames Companion of Order.
The Order is composed of the Chancellor and one single class of Knights Companion (KNH) or Dames Companion (DNH).
The Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda is ex officio Chancellor of the Order. Membership is open to only citizens of Antigua and Barbuda and there may be no more than three living members at any one time.
The Order has four officers who compose the Chancery of the Order, as follows:[ citation needed ]
Appointments to the Order are made by the Chancellor on the advice of the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and the Honours Committee established under the 1998 Act. The Honours Committee consists of a person appointed by the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda, two Members of the Senate of Antigua and Barbuda and four Members of the House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda. The Governor-General appoints the Chairperson of the Honours Committee from amongst its members.
Posthumous appointments to the Order may be made, but a deceased recipient does not appear on the current list of members of the Order.
New appointments are announced on the occasion of the Independence Day of Antigua and Barbuda (1 November). The Grand Master conducts investitures at Government House in St John's.
In Antigua and Barbuda, Knights Companion of the Order may use the title "Sir" in front of their forename, and their wives may use the courtesy title "Lady" in front of their husband's surname. Similarly, Dames Companion of the Order may use the title "Dame" in front of their forename (no privilege exists for their husbands).
Permission to use these titles outside Antigua and Barbuda is the prerogative of each relevant jurisdiction. For instance, British citizens, including dual citizens, who are Knights and Dames of non-British orders of chivalry may not as a matter of official policy use their titles in the United Kingdom. [6]
Members of the Order are entitled to place post-nominals after their names as indicated above. They are also assigned a place in the order of precedence of Antigua and Barbuda.
Knights and Dames Companion may petition for heraldic supporters to be granted to their arms. They may also encircle their arms with a circlet bearing the motto of the Order and the pendent insignia of the Order may be shown below the arms.
Number | Name | Life | Year appointed | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr | 1910–1999 | 1994 | [7] [8] [9] |
2 | King Court Tackey (Prince Klaas) | c1694–1736 | 2000 (posthumous) | [7] [8] |
3 | Dame Georgiana Ellen (Nellie) Robinson | 1880–1972 | 2006 (posthumous) | [7] [8] |
4 | Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards | 1952– | 2006 | [7] [8] [9] |
5 | Sir George Herbert Walter | 1928–2008 | 2008 (posthumous) | [7] [8] |
6 | Sir Lester Bryant Bird | 1938–2021 | 2014 | [7] [9] |
Antigua and Barbuda is a sovereign island country in the Caribbean. It lies at the conjuncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles.
In the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories, personal bravery, achievement, or service are rewarded with honours. The honours system consists of three types of award:
The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then prime minister Gough Whitlam. Before the establishment of the order, Australians could receive British honours, which continued to be issued in parallel until 1992.
Orders of Commonwealth countries.
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 organizations, and public service outside the civil service. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order.
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits", to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity.
The Australian honours and awards system refers to all orders, decorations, and medals, as instituted by letters patent from the Monarch of Australia and countersigned by the Australian prime minister at the time, that have been progressively introduced since 14 February 1975. The Australian honours and awards system excludes all state and local government, and private, issued awards and medals.
The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda is the head of government of the Antigua and Barbuda. The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda is appointed by the Governor-General under the terms of the Constitution.
The monarchy of Antigua and Barbuda is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Antigua and Barbuda. The current Antiguan and Barbudan monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Crown of Antigua and Barbuda. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Antigua and Barbuda and, in this capacity, he and other members of the Royal Family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Antigua and Barbuda. However, the King is the only member of the Royal Family with any constitutional role.
The Barbados National Honours and Decorations system is similar to that of the United Kingdom. Likewise, it consists of three types of award – honours, decorations and medals. Appointments are made on a yearly basis on Independence Day by the president of Barbados.
Dame Louise Agnetha Lake-Tack is a former Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda. She was the first woman to hold the office.
Anthony John James Bailey is a British-born, Irish public relations consultant.
The Most Distinguished Order of the Nation is an Antiguan and Barbudan order of chivalry recognising distinguished and outstanding service to Antigua and Barbuda, the CARICOM region or the international community. Originally established by the National Awards Act 1987, that act was repealed and the order was re-established and constituted by the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda under the National Honours Act 1998 which received Royal Assent from the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda on 31 December 1998.
The Most Precious Order of Princely Heritage is an order of merit of Antigua and Barbuda recognising invaluable service to Antigua and Barbuda, the CARICOM region or the international community in any field of heritage and other cultural endeavours. It was established and constituted by the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda under the National Honours Act 1998. which received royal assent from the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda on 31 December 1998.
Sir Rodney Errey Lawrence Williams, is the current and 4th Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda.
The Most Illustrious Order of Merit is an Antiguan and Barbudan order of merit recognising meritorious service to Antigua and Barbuda, the Caricom region or the international community. It was established and constituted by the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda under the National Honours Act 1998. which received Royal Assent from the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda on 31 December 1998.
The Order of Grenada is an order of chivalry and a society of honour instituted by Queen Elizabeth II in right of Grenada through the Grenada National Honours Act of 1994. The Order was subsequently reconstituted and substantially reformed by the National Honours and Awards Act of 2007.
The Most Distinguished Order of the Nation is an order of chivalry which forms part of the overarching Order of Grenada, a society of honour instituted by Queen Elizabeth II in right of Grenada. The Order was formed following the reforms to the Order of Grenada enacted by the National Honours and Awards Act, which having been passed by the House of Representatives of Grenada on 16 November 2007 and passed by the Senate of Grenada on 27 November 2007 received Royal Assent on 31 December 2007.