New England Online > Government & Politics > The Monarchy > Honours System > Order of Merit
Order of Merit
| Order of Merit | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type: | Royal Gift |
| Eligibility: | New England Citizens |
| Purpose: | "meritorious service to the nation and the King" |
| Statistics | |
| Established: | 30 January 2037 |
| TotalAwarded: | |
| Precedence | |
| Higher: | Order of New England |
| Equal: | Order of Servetus |
| Lower: | Service Medals |
The Order of Merit or OS is an award in the New England Honours System. Unlike most of the awards, appointments to the Order of Merit are in the monarch's personal gift and ministerial advice is not required. The Order confers no knighthood or other status, but recipients of this single-class Order are entitled to use the post-nominal letters OM.
The medal is made of silver, and features the bust of the King on the obverse, with the inscription FOR SERVICE TO THE CROWN. On the reverse is the name of the recipient and the date the award for bestowed and the reason for the honours granting. The chain is made of gold, and is decorated with motifs of blossoms of Snow Gum (the national flower) and Apple (the flower of the Royal House of Williams).
