Belizean Honours
Overview
The Governor–General confers two types of honours and awards. The first is National Honours and Awards which are normally awarded around the 21st of September, Belize’s independence day. The Governor–General is the Chancellor of the following orders, and she is advised by the Advisory Committee that recommends the following national honour and awards with the rank and precedence in the orders in which they appear within:
- The Order of the National Hero
- The Order of Belize
- The Order of Distinction
- The Meritorious Service Awards
- The Services Medal of Honour and
- The Long Service Medal
The Governor-General also conducts an investiture ceremony for recipients of the Order of the British Empire awarded on New Year’s Day and conferred when deemed expedient to do so.
The Order of the British Empire was created by King George V during World War One to reward services to the war effort by civilians at home and service personnel in support positions. Today, they are now awarded to civilians as well as members of the armed forces for prominent national or regional roles and to those making distinguished or notable contributions in their own specific areas of activity. Honours as Knights, Officers, and Members of the British Empire are awarded for service in a wide range of areas, from entrepreneurship to charity work as
In 2022, the Platinum Jubilee Medal was a part of the year-long Platinum Jubilee celebrations that took place throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth as The Queen Elizabeth II was the first British Monarch to celebrate this milestone. In Belize, the Duke of Cambridge awarded the first Platinum Jubilee Medals to Belizean soldiers who displayed extraordinary valour and bravery in the face of natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic ,and international narcotrafficking.