The Order of Merit (Ordre du Mérite in French) is an order for the Commonwealth realms that recognizes distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture.
The Order was established in 1902 by King Edward VII (who ruled 22 January 1902 until his death in 1910) and admission into it remains the personal gift of its Sovereign. Edward VII founded the Order of Merit 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“.
The order is restricted to a maximum of 24 living recipients from the Commonwealth realms (plus a limited number of honorary members).
All members are awarded the right to use the post-nominal letters OM and wear the badge of the order. This honor is administered by the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood at St. James’s Palace in London in the United Kingdom.
The Order of Merit Design
The badge of the Order is an eight-pointed cross of red and blue enamel surmounted by the imperial crown. In the center, upon blue enamel and surrounded by a laurel wreath, is the inscription ‘For Merit‘, in gold lettering.
The insignia for the military division is differentiated by crossed swords placed between the angles of the cross of the badge.
The ribbon of the Order measures 40 millimeters in diameter and is divided into two stripes of red for the Order of the Bath and blue for the Order of the Garter.
