The Order of Saint Lucia is an order of chivalry established in 1980 by Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

. The Order comprises seven classes. In decreasing order of seniority, these are:

• Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Lucia (GCSL)
• Cross of the Order of Saint Lucia (SLC)
• Medal of Honour (SLMH)
• Medal of Merit (SLMM)
• Les Pitons Medal (SLMP)
• National Service Cross (NSC)
• National Service Medal

The Order is bestowed by the Governor-General on behalf of the Sovereign and on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Governor-General has the right to exercise all powers and authorities of the Sovereign in respect of the Order.

Awards Committee

While the Queen is Sovereign of the Order and the Governor-General is Chancellor, there is also established an awards committee to decide on eligible members of the Order. Members of the committee include a Chairman appointed by the Governor-General after consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, the Chairman of the Teaching Service Commission, the Commissioner of Police, and three persons representative of the General Public appointed by the Governor-General of whom two shall are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister and one on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition. The committee secretary is appointed by the Prime Minister.

Eligibility

The Order may only be awarded to citizens of Saint Lucia. Honorary awards may be made to persons other than citizens of Saint Lucia and are made with the approval of the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Insignia

The riband of the Order is composed of vertical stripes of the colours blue, gold, black, and white. When worn with the insignia of the Grand Cross of Saint Lucia or the Saint Lucia Cross, the riband is a width of two inches; and when worn with the insignia of the other Grades of the Order, the riband is the width of one and a half inches.

The Grand Cross is of Gold and the recipient shall is invested with a Star, and a Collar to which is affixed the Badge of the Order. Upon retirement from office of Governor-General the recipient is only entitled to wear the Star with and the Badge of the Order suspended from the Riband of the Order and worn round the neck.

The Cross of the Order is awarded in Gold and is worn from the Riband of the Order round the neck.

The Medal of Merit and the Medal of Honour can be awarded in Gold or Silver.

Les Pitons Medal can be awarded in Gold, Silver or Bronze.

All of the medals are worn as a pendant from the riband of the Order from the left breast.

Precedence and privileges

When worn in Saint Lucia the Order takes precedence over all other decorations except the Victoria Cross

Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....

 and the George Cross

George Cross

The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...

.

Grand Crosses prefix "His Excellency" or "Her Excellency" to their forenames and use the post-nominal "GCSL".

Crosses prefix "The Honourable" to their forenames and use the post-nominal "SLC".

Other ranks use the post-nominals "SLMH" (Saint Lucia Medal of Honour), "SLMM" (Saint Lucia Medal of Merit), "SLMP" (Les Pitons Medal) and "NSC" (National Service Cross).

Restrictions

The rank of Grand Cross is granted only to a person holding the office of Governor-General. The number of persons holding the Cross can not exceed 25 at any one time and no more than three people can be awarded the rank in any one year. All honorary appointements are supernumerary.

Recipients

Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Lucia

• H.E. Sir Stanislaus A. James, GCSL, GCMG, 1988
• H.E. Sir Allen Montgomery Lewis, GCSL, GCMG, GCVO, K.St.J
  Allen Montgomery Lewis
  Sir Allen Montgomery Lewis GCMG, GCVO, K.St.J was a barrister and public servant from Saint Lucia who twice served as the country's Governor-General . He was one of the founders and the first president of the Saint Lucia Labour Party in 1950...
  
  , 1982
• H.E. Dame Calliopa Pearlette Louisy, GCSL, GCMG
  Pearlette Louisy
  Dame Pearlette Louisy, GCMG is the Governor-General of Saint Lucia. She is the first woman to hold this office, which she was sworn into on 19 September 1997....
  
  , 1997
• H.E. Sir George William Mallet, GCSL, GCMG, CBE
  George Mallet
  Sir George William Mallet GCSL GCMG CBE was a politician who held a number of high offices in Saint Lucia, one of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Eastern Caribbean. Sir George served as the Minister for Trade, Industry, Agriculture and Tourism in the first post-independence...
  
  , 1996
• H.E. Boswell Williams, GCSL
  Boswell Williams
  Boswell Williams was a Saint Lucian politician who represented the district of Vieux Fort in the legislature from 1974 to 1979. He was chosen by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom to carry out the position of Governor-General of the island on June 19, 1980, replacing Sir Allen Montgomery...
  
  , 1980

The Saint Lucia Cross

• The Hon. Charles Marie Emmanuel Cadet, 2005 (for distinguished and outstanding service to Saint Lucia)
• The Hon. Dr. Julian Robert Hunte, OBE
  Julian Hunte
  Dr. Julian Robert Hunte, OBE was the foreign minister of Saint Lucia from April 2001 to 26 October 2004, when he was succeeded by Petrus Compton...
  
  , 2005 (for distinguished and outstanding service to Saint Lucia)
• The Hon. Louis Bertrand George, 2009 (for contribution to national development, especially to the field of Education)
• The Hon. Dr. Winston Clive Victor Parris, SLMM, CMG, 2010 (for outstanding contribution in the area of medicine)
• The Hon. George Theophilus, 2009 (for outstanding contribution to the financial sector)
• The Hon. Dr. Leon Felix Thomas, 2006 (for distinguished and outstanding national service in the fields of Education and Public Administration)
• The Hon. Arnott Francois Valmont, 2008 (for outstanding contribution to the business community)

External links

• http://www.stlucia.gov.lc/stluciasilver/order_of_saint_lucia.htm Saint Lucia Government