| Awarded by | Government of Barbados |
|---|---|
| Established | 25 July 1980 |
| For | Service to Barbados. |
| Eligibility | Citizens of Barbados. |
| Status | Currently constituted |
| Chancellor | President of Barbados |
| Higher | Order of National Heroes |
| Lower | Various awards |
| Caption 2 | Ribbon of the order (1980 to 2021) |
The Order of Barbados is a national Order of honours and decorations for Barbados.
History
The first Order of Barbados was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II by letters patent dated 25 July 1980.[1][2][3] In 2019, the Parliament of Barbados passed an Act amending the Order of Barbados to include the newly created Order of Freedom of Barbados. This new order was designed to be the highest honour Barbados could offer, in order to replace the traditional Knights and Dames of St Andrew. However, the act provided that the recipient would still be able to choose between receiving the new Order of Freedom or the traditional knighthood.[4]
With Barbados becoming a republic on 30 November 2021, a new Order of Barbados came into force that was established with the Barbados National Honors and Decorations Act 2021 by the Parliament of Barbados on 28 October 2021, and which replaced the former Order of Barbados that existed under the monarchy.[5]
Order of Barbados (2021–present)
The Order under the Republic of Barbados consists of the following honours and decorations:[5]
| Award | Grade | Post-nominal letters | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order of Freedom of Barbados | Member | FB | The Most Honourable[6] |
| Order of the Republic | Member | OR | The Honourable |
| Gold Award of Achievement | — | GA[7] | — |
| Trident of Excellence | Gold Trident of Excellence | GTE | — |
| Silver Trident of Excellence | STE | — | |
| Barbados Service Award | Barbados Service Star | BSS | — |
| Barbados Service Medal | BSM | — | |
| Barbados Services Medal of Honour | — | — | — |
| Barbados Humanitarian Service Award | — | — | — |
| Award of Pride of Barbados | — | — | — |
| Prime Minister’s Award for Leadership | — | — | — |
Order of Barbados (1980–2021)
The Order while Barbados was still a Commonwealth realm (1966–2021) consisted of four classes of members, two of which were subdivided into two grades. There was a limit as to how many appointments could be made to each grade each year.[3][8]
| Class | Grade | Post-nominal letters | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knight or Dame of St. Andrew | — | KA/DA | Sir or Dame |
| Companion of Honour of Barbados | — | CHB | The Honourable |
| Crown of Merit | Gold Crown of Merit | GCM | — |
| Silver Crown of Merit | SCM | — | |
| Barbados Service Award | Barbados Service Star | BSS | — |
| Barbados Service Medal | BSM | — |
When the Order of the Commonwealth realm of Barbados became obsolete, no further appointments were made with this former Order, although "all appointments, awards or decorations conferred prior to 30 November 2021 pursuant to the Letters Patent shall continue to be acknowledged as validly conferred; and all holders of appointments, awards or decorations conferred pursuant to the Letters Patent shall be deemed to be members of the (new) Order".[5]
Officers
- Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II, as Queen of Barbados (1980–2021)
- Chancellor: The Governor-General of Barbados (1980–2021)[1] and then the President of Barbados (2021–present)[5]
References
- ^ "The History". The Barbados Parliament. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ Parliament of Barbados. "The Barbados Parliament: Independence". Government Printer. Archived from the original on 2 October 2008.
- ^ Jones, Esther (29 November 2020). "2020 Independence Day Honours List". Government Information Service. Government of Barbados. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "Top Freedom honour made legal". Barbados Today. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 2026-05-01.
- ^ Government of Barbados (28 October 2021). "Official Gazette, October 28, 2021 – Part A – No.125". Government Information Service. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- ^ Government of Barbados (19 August 2019). "Official Gazette – No. 67 (Package)". Government Information Service. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "Gold Award of Achievement Act 2001". Government of Barbados. 30 April 2001. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- ^ "National Honours and Awards". Government of Barbados. Government of Barbados. Retrieved 27 April 2021.