Knight Bachelor's Badge
Overview
The title Knight Bachelor dates from the 9th century when King Henry III introduced it to signify a battelier (one who fought in battle). It remains the only honour still not available to women.
The Knight Bachelor's Badge was instituted by King George V on 21 April 1926 in response to a request from the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelors who wished to have a distinctive badge denoting their rank.
Many New Zealanders were made Knights Bachelor prior to 1996, when the New Zealand Order of Merit was introduced.
Description
The Knight Bachelor's Badge is enameled in scarlet and oval in shape. At the centre is a gold-coloured cross-hilted sword, belted and sheathed with the pommel upwards, surrounded by two spurs, rowels upwards, and a sword belt.
The badge is suspended on a ribbon of scarlet with broad yellow borders.
The Knight Bachelor's Badge was worn as a breast badge until 1973 when Queen Elizabeth II granted that a neck badge might be worn. In 1998, the Royal Warrant was amended to permit the wearing of both the breast and neck badges.
In New Zealand, the neck badge is received at an Investiture while the breast badge needs to be purchased. The neck badge is worn around the neck by a ribbon in the same manner as the neck badge of an Order and the breast badge on the left side of the coat like the star of an Order.
Recipients are entitled to use the title ‘Sir' however the award carries no post-nominal letters.
Queries & requests
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Wearing this honour
The Knight Bachelor's Badge is worn with Orders of Chivalry and Other Orders in the New Zealand Order of Wear.
For more information on how to wear and care for honours, medals, and awards:
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Recommending someone for this honour
Since the institution of the New Zealand Order of Merit on 30 May 1996, New Zealand no longer recommends individuals for the various British State Orders of Chivalry (e.g. Orders of the Bath, St Michael and St George and British Empire) and Orders (e.g. the Order of the Companions of Honour), and the honour of Knight Bachelor.
For further information, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has provided a history of the New Zealand Honours System(external link).
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Checking if this honour was awarded
Honours, medals, and awards bestowed on an individual for service in the New Zealand Armed Forces are recorded in their individual service record. NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals holds a collection of about 1.5 million service records relating to 420,000 New Zealand service personnel who served in New Zealand’s Military Forces after the First World War.
Service records are not currently digitised, but we can locate it and find the information you might be looking for or help you book a time for you to see the records in Trentham by completing the form on the Service Record page.