Her Majesty the Queen has agreed that Saint Lucia may award its own knighthoods under its National Honours and Awards Act.

Saint Lucia will, for the first time, award the title of Knight Commander or Dame Commander to its citizens during the Independence Parade at the Mindoo Phillip Park on Monday (Feb. 22).

Her Majesty the Queen has graciously agreed that Saint Lucia may proceed to award its own knighthoods under its National Honours and Awards Act, Cap. 17.08, as amended by Act No. 18 of 2015.

The Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia “may be awarded to any person who has rendered exceptional and outstanding service of national importance to Saint Lucia.”

The award of Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia may be granted to “no more than three persons every two years.” The number of living persons who receive these awards “shall not exceed 20 at any one time.”

According to the Schedule to the Act that establishes the Order, “A person to whom the Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia is awarded is entitled to have the use of the prefix ‘Sir’ or ‘Dame’ before his or her name immediately on publication of the award in the Gazette, if he or she is a citizen of Saint Lucia.”

Each recipient is also entitled to “have the letters ‘KCSL’ or ‘DCSL’ placed after his or her name on all occasions when the use of such letters is customary.”

These awards to do not replace the knighthood conferred by Her Majesty every five years in honour of Her birthday, or the New Year Honours, as the case may be.