Orders, decorations, and medals of New Ingrea
The honours system of New Ingrea is a means of awarding for merit those who are deserving, either for achievement or service to the country. The awards exist within a graduated series of importance and with names and principles sometimes dating back centuries. The honours system consists of three types of award - honours, decorations, and medals.
As the head of state, the monarch is the fount of honour for all honours, decorations, medals and grants of arms, but the system for identifying and recognising candidates to honour is in practice carried out by the Chancellery of Honours within the Royal Household.
Civil decorations
Orders of chivalry
There three orders of chivalry currently awarded in New Ingrea:
The Order of New Ingrea (post nominal GK/GD) is the highest honour in the nation for actions excluding acts of valour and gallantry. The Order was constituted by Queen Charlotte in 1838 consists of the Sovereign, as well as a Chancellor, Registrar, Herald, twenty-four knights, six supernumerary knights, and three honorary companions, all of whom are foreign heads of state. The motto of the order is OMNIUM RERUM PRINCIPIA PARVA SUNT or in Ingerish EVERYTHING HAS A SMALL BEGINNING.
The New Ingrean Order of Merit (post nominal KGCM/DGCM, KM/DM, CM, OM and MM) is awarded for public service to the nation. Established by Earnest V in 1927, the order consists of five grades, and is often granted to long serving ministers, members of defence force, civil servants and diplomats for meritorious service to the nation and the King. The New Ingrean Order of Merit is the only order of chivalry to consist of multiple grades, and has the largest number of recipients of any of the three orders.
The Royal Service Order (post nominal KSO/DSO) is a dynastic order of knighthood conferred for personal service to the Sovereign. The order consists of two divisions of Knight and Member. The order was established by Earnest V in 1936, and is the most personal gift of the Sovereign for services rendered by an individual to him. There are just eighteen members of the order at any given time, only six of whom may be knights. Typical recipients include members of the Royal Household, equerries, and other courtiers.
Bravery decorations
There are four medals awarded for various acts of bravery by civilians.
The Cross of Gallantry (post nominal CG) is the highest civilian honour that can be awarded, and ranks above all other honours except the Alexander Cross. Whilst it is primarily a civilian award, the Cross of Gallantry is also awarded to military personnel for the highest acts of conspicuous gallantry not in the face of the enemy. Like the Alexander Cross, the Cross of Gallantry is also seldom granted, and there have been just sixteen recipients of the award.
The Bravery Star (post nominal BS) is New Ingrea's second highest civilian award for bravery. The star is awarded for acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril. It is ranked second as a bravery decoration, and as of 2012, 325 awards have been made.
The Bravery Medal (post nominal BM) is awarded for acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances. The decorations recognise acts of bravery by members of the community who selflessly put themselves in jeopardy to protect the lives or property of others. It is ranked third as a civilian bravery decoration, and as of 2012, 843 awards have been made.
The National Citation for Bravery is a commendation for acts of bravery considered to worthy of recognition. The Citation is ranked third among the civilian awards for bravery, and has been awarded 1,213 times.
Commemorative medals
Commemorative medals are issued by the Sovereign on special occasions such as the coronation and any major national anniversaries. The medals are usually granted to members of community groups, emergency services who have completed five or more years of meritorious service. Such commemorative medals have been issued in 1888, 1918, 1939, and 1973. The award is relatively common and does not confer a post nominal title.
Military decorations
In the Defence Force decorations are given to military personnel or units by the monarch for heroism in battle or distinguished service. There is a strict hierarchy to the system of decorations, with two bravery awards at the top, followed five lesser medals granted for specifically defined actions.
Decisions as to whom is awarded a decoration is the prerogative of the monarch on the advice of the Awards Committee of the Joint Defence Headquarters Chiefs of Staff Council. With the exception of the Kings Service Medal, the awards are only granted during wartime or war-like situations, with most being granted during the First and Second world wars. Additional awards have been granted for defence personnel on Assembly of Nations missions.
Campaign medals
There also exists a number of campaign medals, which are awarded to an individual who participates in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theatre. Many of these medals are identical to their Ingerish counterparts, having been issued as part of the imperial honours system. There are campaign awards for action during the First World War, Second World War, Korean War, or Assembly of Nations missions.
Efficiency, meritorious, and long service awards
There are a large number of civilian and military service medals considered generally to be of the lowest degree in the New Ingrean honours system. A service medal is awarded to a member of the military or emergency service who joins, or is already serving, during a designated time period. No other requirement is needed to obtain the service medal other than a person must simply be a member of the defence force or the emergency services.