692

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

[No. 24

STATUTES OF THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE.

GEORGE R.I.

SEAL OF
THE ORDER

GEORGE THE SIXTH, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India, and Sovereign of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, to all to whom these Presents shall come.

Greeting!

WHEREAS Our Royal Father, His late Majesty King George the Fifth, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal, bearing date at Westminster the Fourth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and seventeen, in the Eighth year of His reign, did institute, erect, constitute and create an Order of Knighthood to be called and known for ever thereafter by the name, style and designation of THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE whereof His said Majesty and His heirs and successors for ever should be Sovereigns, and did by the said Letters Patent ordain and declare that the said Order should be governed by Statutes and Ordinances to be established by the Sovereign and sealed by the Seal of the said Order.

AND WHEREAS His said late Majesty did on various dates and particularly on the Third day of November One thousand nine hundred and thirty-three, enact and issue certain Statutes and Ordinances to be observed within the said Order, wherein a power was reserved to the Sovereign of the said Order of annulling, altering, augmenting, interpreting or dispensing with the same or any part thereof by a notification under His Sign Manual.

AND WHEREAS it is expedient that certain alterations should be made in the existing Statutes of the said Order:

Now know ye that in pursuance and in exercise of the power vested in Us by the said Letters Patent We have Abrogated and Annulled and do hereby Abrogate and Repeal the said Statutes:

And further know all ye to whom these Presents shall come that in substitution thereof We have Made, Ordained, and Established, and by these Presents, sealed with the Seal of the said Order, do Make, Ordain and Establish the following Statutes and Ordinances, namely:—

I. It is Ordained and Enjoined that this Order of Chivalry shall be Styled and Designated in all Acts, Proceedings, and Pleadings "THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE" as in Our said Letters Patent is directed, and by no other Designation.

II. It is Ordained that the said Order shall consist of the SOVEREIGN and a GRAND MASTER and of Five several Classes:—I. "KNIGHTS GRAND CROSS" and "DAMES GRAND CROSS." II. "KNIGHTS COMMANDERS" and "DAMES COMMANDERS." III. "COMMANDERS." IV. "OFFICERS." V. "MEMBERS." And it is further Ordained that each and every of these Five Classes shall likewise contain two sub-divisions, whereof the first shall be Styled "MILITARY" and the second "CIVIL," each of which sub-divisions shall be composed partly of Ordinary and partly of Honorary Members, but that no person shall at the same time be included in both sub-divisions.

III. It is Ordained that We, Our heirs and successors, Kings or Queens Regnant of Our said Realm, are and for ever shall be Sovereigns of this Order, to whom doth and shall belong all power of Annulling, Interpreting, Explaining, or Augmenting these and every part of these Statutes.

IV. We do hereby Ordain, Direct and Appoint that a Prince of the Blood Royal, or such other exalted personage as We, Our heirs and successors shall hereafter appoint, shall be Grand Master of the said Order, and shall in virtue thereof be the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of the said Order, to whose