2540

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

[No. 54

Regulations respecting Foreign Orders and Medals.

Department of Internal Affairs,
Wellington, 12th August, 1926.

THE following revised regulations respecting foreign orders and medals are published for general information.
RICH D. F. BOLLAND,
Minister of Internal Affairs.

A. REGULATIONS RESPECTING FOREIGN ORDERS AND MEDALS APPLICABLE TO PERSONS IN THE SERVICE OF THE CROWN.
Orders.

1. It is the King's wish that no subject of His Majesty in the service of the Crown shall accept and wear the insignia of any foreign order without having previously obtained His Majesty's permission to do so, signified either—
   (a.) By Warrant under the royal sign-manual; or
   (b.) By restricted permission conveyed through the Keeper of His Majesty's Privy Purse.

2. When permission is given by Warrant under the royal sign-manual, the insignia of the foreign order may be worn at all times and without any restriction.
   When restricted permission is given the insignia may only be worn on the occasions specified in the terms of the letter from the Keeper of His Majesty's Privy Purse conveying the Royal sanction.

3. Full and unrestricted permission by Warrant under the royal sign-manual is contemplated in the following cases:
   For a decoration conferred—
   On an officer in His Majesty's Naval, Military, or Air Forces lent to a foreign government; on an officer in His Majesty's Naval, Military, or Air Forces attached by His Majesty's Government to a foreign navy, army, or air force during hostilities; or on any British official lent to a foreign government and not in receipt of any emoluments from British public funds during the period of such loan.
   Red Cross and kindred services will only be regarded as "valuable" for the purposes of these regulations when they have been rendered in a war in which the Empire has itself been engaged, and when the decoration for the wearing of which permission is sought has been conferred by an allied State.

4. Restricted permission is particularly contemplated for decorations which have been conferred in recognition of personal attention to the head of a foreign State, and which are therefore of a more or less complimentary character, but will also be granted for decorations conferred on other exceptional occasions when in the public interest it is deemed expedient that they should be accepted.

5. Restricted permission will generally be given for decorations conferred in the following cases, but, as indicated in the preceding paragraph, will not necessarily be limited to these cases:
   (1.) On British Ambassadors or Ministers abroad when the King pays a State visit to the country to which they are accredited.
   (Note.—A State visit is defined as one on which the King is accompanied by a Minister or high official in attendance.)
   (2.) On members of deputations of British regiments to foreign heads of States;
   (3.) On members of special missions when the King is represented at a foreign coronation, wedding, funeral, or similar occasion; or on any diplomatic representative when specially accredited to represent His Majesty on such occasions.
   Restricted permission will not be given to—
   (a.) British Ambassadors or Ministers abroad when leaving;
   (b.) British Officers attending foreign manoeuvres;
   (c.) Naval Officers of British Squadrons visiting foreign waters.

6. The desire of the head of a foreign State to confer upon a British subject in the service of the Crown the insignia of an order must be notified to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs either through the British Diplomatic Representative accredited to the head of the foreign State, or through his Diplomatic Representative at the Court of St. James.

7. When His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs shall have taken the King's pleasure on any such application, and shall have obtained His Majesty's permission for the person in whose favour it has been made to wear the insignia of a foreign order, he shall signify the same to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, in order that he may cause a Warrant, if it be a case for the issue of a Warrant as defined in rule 2, to be prepared for the royal sign-manual.
   When such Warrant shall have been signed by the King, a notification thereof shall be inserted in the Gazette, stating the service for which the foreign order has been conferred.

Persons in whose favour such Warrants are issued will be required to pay to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department a stamp duty of 10s.

8. The Warrant signifying His Majesty's permission may, at the request and at the expense of the person who has obtained it, be registered in the College of Arms. Every such Warrant as aforesaid shall contain a clause providing that His Majesty's license and permission does not authorize the assumption of any style, appellation, rank, precedence, or privilege appertaining to a Knight Bachelor of His Majesty's realms.

9. A British subject in the service of the Crown who has received the Royal permission, full or restricted, to accept and wear the decoration of a foreign order, will, on application, receive permission to accept and wear the decoration of a higher class of the same order.

Medals.

10. Medals conferred by the head or Government of a foreign State for saving or attempting to save life at sea or on land may be accepted and worn without His Majesty's special permission.

11. Other medals, with the exceptions specified below, are subject to the regulations in the same manner as orders, but permission is given by letter and not by Royal Warrant.

12. In the case of medals for Red Cross services, permission will only be granted in the conditions laid down in rule 3 above.

13. Applications for His Majesty's permission to wear medals, other than medals for saving life, conferred by private societies or institutions and commemorative medals cannot be entertained.

14. The King's unrestricted permission to accept and wear a foreign war medal will only be given to (1) members of His Majesty's Naval, Military, or Air Forces if serving with a foreign army, navy, or air force with His Majesty's license, and (2) military, naval or air attaches or officers and other ranks and ratings officially attached to foreign armies, navies, or air forces during hostilities.

15. In exceptional cases, when for special reasons it is deemed expedient that the acceptance of the medal should not be declined, His Majesty will grant restricted permission. Such cases will be judged on their merits, and the circumstances in which the medal may be worn will be specified in the letter conveying His Majesty's permission.

General.

16. The term "person in the service of the Crown" includes persons in receipt of a salary from public funds, or holding a Royal Commission in any part of His Majesty's dominions, protectorates, or possessions.

17. Ladies are subject to the regulations in all respects in the same manner as men.

B. REGULATIONS RESPECTING FOREIGN ORDERS AND MEDALS APPLICABLE TO PERSONS NOT IN THE SERVICE OF THE CROWN.

Orders.

1. It is the King's wish that no subject of His Majesty shall wear the insignia of any foreign order without having previously obtained His Majesty's permission to do so, signified either—
   (a.) By Warrant under the royal sign-manual; or
   (b.) By restricted permission obtained through the Keeper of His Majesty's Privy Purse.

2. When permission is given by Warrant under the royal sign-manual, the insignia of the foreign order may be worn at all times and without any restriction.
   When restricted permission is given the insignia may only be worn on the occasions specified in the terms of the letter from the Keeper of His Majesty's Privy Purse conveying the royal sanction.

3. The full and unrestricted permission by Warrant under the royal sign-manual is designed to meet cases in which the decoration has been earned by valuable service rendered to the head of the State conferring it, or to the State itself. Such service must have been both of manifest and substantial value to the head of the State or State concerned and not inconsistent with British interests; and must have been rendered within the period of five years immediately preceding the notification of the Decoration to His Majesty's Government as prescribed under rule 5.

4. Restricted permission is particularly contemplated for decorations which have been conferred in recognition of personal attention to the head of a foreign State and which are therefore of a more or less complimentary character, but will also be granted for decorations conferred on other exceptional occasions, when in the public interest it is deemed expedient that they should be accepted.