ROYAL WARRANT
ELIZABETH THE SECOND, by the Grace of God Queen of New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories, head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come,
GREETING:
WHEREAS We are desirous of signifying Our appreciation of the long and efficient service of Officers of Our Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve and recognised by the award of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve which has hitherto been recognised by the award of the Royal Naval and Royal Marine Reserve Decoration (R.D.) and the Royal Naval and Royal Marine Forces Volunteer Reserve Decoration (V.R.D.):
WE do by these presents for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, institute and create new Decorations.
1 Style
The Decorations shall be designated and styled “The Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve Decoration” and “The Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration”.
2 Description
Each Decoration shall be the Royal Cypher in gold surrounded by an oval loop of rope in silver, tied at the base in a sailor's knot, the whole surmounted by a Royal Crown in gold.
3 Ribbon
Each Decoration shall be worn from the left breast suspended from a ribbon, 38mm in width, which for the Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve Decoration shall be of green edged white and for the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration shall be of blue having in the centre two narrow crimson stripes separated by a broader green stripe.
4 Post-nominal distinctions
The award of each of the Decorations shall entitle the recipient, on all occasions when the use of such letters is customary, to have placed after the recipient's name the letters “R.D.” or “V.R.D.”, as may be appropriate.
5 Eligibility
Those eligible for the Decorations shall be Officers of our Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve and Our Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve, serving on or after the 1st day of December 1977, who complete the requisite qualifying service.
6 Service required
(1) The qualifying period requisite for the Decorations shall be 15 years service or an aggregated of 15 years service in Our Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve or Our Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve. (2) At least 12 of those 15 years must be efficient service as determined by Our Defence Council in New Zealand.
7 Clasps
aA Clasp to each decoration, to be attached to the ribbon when the Decoration itself is worn, may be
awarded for each additional 10 years of service subsequent to that for which the Decoration was awarded.
i At least 7 years of each such additional 10 years must be efficient service as determined by
Our Defence Council in New Zealand.
iiFor each Clasp awarded a silver rosette shall be added to the ribbon when worn alone.
8 Reckoning of service
aSubject to subclause (2) of this clause, the following service may be reckoned towards the qualifying
period for the award of the Decorations or any Clasp thereof:
i Service as an officer or rating in Our Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve or Our Royal New
Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve;
iiService in the Territorial Force of Our New Zealand Army or the Territorial Air Force of Our Royal
New Zealand Air Force or in any similar naval or marine or army of air force reserve of a
Commonwealth country of which We are Queen, (other than service that has been recognised by the
award of a decoration or medal for efficiency or long service): Provided that a maximum of 8 years
only of such service shall be reckonable.
bService before the age of 17½ years shall not be reckonable.
9 Registration
The names of all those to whom the Decorations are awarded shall be recorded in a register kept by the Secretary of Defence in Our Realm of New Zealand.
10 Names of recipients
The names of the recipient shall be engraved or stamped on the reverse of the Decoration.
11 Order of wear
In the official list showing the order in which Orders, Decorations, and Medals shall be worn, the Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve Decoration shall in Our Realm of New Zealand be placed immediately after the Efficiency Medal, and the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration shall be placed immediately after the Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve Decoration.
12 Miniatures
aReproductions of the Decorations in miniature, which may be worn on certain occasions by those to
whom the Decorations are awarded, shall be approximately half the size of the Royal New Zealand Naval
Reserve Decoration and the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration.
bA sealed pattern of each of the miniature Decorations shall be deposited with and kept by the
Secretary of Defence in Our Realm of New Zealand.
13 Delegated powers
aDelegated powers to make awards under the terms of this Our Warrant shall be vested in Our
Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Realm of New Zealand but those delegated
powers shall be exercised only on a recommendation by Our Defence Council in New Zealand.
bOur Defence Council in New Zealand shall be competent to make such orders as to the award of the
Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve Decoration and the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve
Decoration as may be necessary from time to time in amplification of this Our Royal Warrant.
14 Forfeiture and restoration
It shall be competent for Our Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Realm of New Zealand. On a recommendation of Our Defence Council in New Zealand, -
aTo cancel and annul the conferment of each Decoration or any Clasp thereof on any person; and
bWhere it has cancelled or annulled the conferment of the Decoration or any Clasp thereof on any
person, to restore the Decoration or Clasp to that person.
15 Annulment
We reserve to Ourself, Our Heirs and Successors, full power of annulling, altering, abrogating, augmenting, interpreting, or dispensing with this Our Royal Warrant, or any part thereof, by a notification under Our Sign Manual.
Given at Our Court at Saint James's, this 6th day of May 1985, in the 34th Year of Our Reign.
By Her Majesty's Command,
DAVID LANGE.
Prime Minister of New Zealand.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This note is not part of the warrant, but is intended to indicate the general effect.
The Royal Warrant establishes “The New Zealand Naval Reserve Decoration” and “The Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration”. Long and efficient service by officers of the Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve and the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve has traditionally been recognised by the award of the Royal Naval and Royal Marine Decoration (R.D.) and the Royal Naval and Royal Marine Forces Volunteer Reserve Decoration (V.R.D.) respectively.
However, the V.R.D. is no longer awarded and the differences between the organisation of the Royal Navy and the organisation of the Royal New Zealand Navy are now such that Admiralty Board regulations are no longer applicable to New Zealand conditions. The new decorations (which are of traditional design) are specific to New Zealand and are to be awarded to officers of the Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve and the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve.
