Order of Merit Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by King Edward VII, admission into the order remains the personal gift of its Sovereign—currently Edward VII's great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II—and is restricted to a maximum of 24 living recipients from the Commonwealth realms, plus a limited number of honorary members. While all members are awarded the right to use the post-nominal letters "OM" and wear the badge of the order, the Order of Merit's precedence among other
Order of Merit for Labour renounced the title after he was found guilty of tax fraud. Order of Merit for Labour The Order of Merit for Labour (Italian: "Ordine al Merito del Lavoro") was founded as a national order of chivalry in 1923 by King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy; it is awarded to those "who have been singularly meritorious" in agriculture, industry and commerce, crafts, lending and insurance. It is a continuation of the earlier "Ordine al Merito Agrario, Industriale e Commerciale" founded in 1901. Members of the order may use the title "Cavaliere del lavoro". The origins of the order lie with King