Editing Order of Merit (section)

{{Short description|Dynastic order recognising distinguished service with the Commonwealth}}
{{About|the Order of Merit in the Commonwealth realms|orders of merit in general|Order of merit|other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox order
| title       = Order of Merit
| image       = Order of Merit Dorothy Hodgkin (cropped).jpg
| image_size  = 150px
| caption     = Badge and ribbon bow of the order<br/>(for wear by female recipients)
| awarded_by  = [[Charles III]]
| type        = [[Order of merit]]
| established = 26 June 1902
| motto       = ''For Merit''
| eligibility = All living citizens of the [[Commonwealth realm]]s
| criteria    = [[At the monarch's pleasure]]
| founder     = [[Edward VII]]
| head_title  = Sovereign
| head        = [[Charles III]]
|head2_title=Secretary and Registrar|head2=[[Robin Janvrin, Baron Janvrin]]| grades      = Member (OM)
| date        = 1902
| higher      = [[#Order of wear|Dependent on state]]
| lower       = [[#Order of wear|Dependent on state]]
| image2      = Order of Merit (Commonwealth realms) ribbon.svg
| image_size2 = 130px
| caption2    = [[Ribbon bar]] of the order
}}
The '''Order of Merit''' ({{langx|fr|link=no|Ordre du Mérite}}){{#tag:ref|For use in Canada, in accordance with [[official bilingualism in Canada|the country's policy of official bilingualism]].|group=n|name=Lingo}} is an [[order of merit]] for the [[Commonwealth realm]]s, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by [[Edward VII]], admission into the order remains the personal gift of its Sovereign—currently Edward VII's great-great-grandson [[Charles III]]—and is restricted to a maximum of 24 living recipients from the Commonwealth realms, plus honorary members.<ref name=RHOM>{{cite web| url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Honours/OrderofMerit.aspx| publisher=Royal Household| title=Order of Merit |access-date=28 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090718173106/http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Honours/OrderofMerit.aspx|archive-date=18 July 2009}}</ref><ref name="gg.ca">{{cite web |date= |title=Order of Merit |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/canadian-honours/directory-honours/order-merit |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221174728/https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/canadian-honours/directory-honours/order-merit |archive-date=2024-02-21 |access-date=2024-08-03 |website=[[The Governor General of Canada]]}}</ref> While all members are awarded the right to use the [[post-nominal letters]] ''OM'' and wear the badge of the order,<ref name="Jackson">{{cite periodical |last=Jackson |first=Michael |date=Summer 2007 |title=Book review: The Order of Merit 1902–2002: One Hundred Years of Matchless Honour |url=http://www.monarchist.ca/files/publications/CMNsummer2007.pdf#page=15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090708040312/http://www.monarchist.ca/cmn/2007/Summer_2007_CMN.pdf#page=15 |archive-date=8 July 2009 |magazine=Canadian Monarchist News |publisher=[[Monarchist League of Canada]] |location=Oakville, Ontario |page=15 |issue=26}}</ref> the Order of Merit's [[Order of precedence|precedence]] among other honours differs between countries.