Canberra, 10 September 1973
I promised to follow up with the Prime Minister the discussion he and you had in Ottawa about Victorian Order awards by the Queen when she comes in October and February.
What the Prime Minister asks me to say is that he feels he should ask that Her Majesty agree not to make awards. He understands that no K’s were in mind in any event but he feels he needs to go beyond that and suggest that there be no awards at all.
I sense that he has come to his conclusion with a degree of reluctance because he respects the personal nature of the awards and Her Majesty’s wish to acknowledge personal services to her. But at the same time he believes she will understand the point of principle involved for him and his Government.1
1 Established by Queen Victoria in 1896, the Royal Victorian Order was intended to recognise those who had served the monarch with distinction. It is a dynastic order of knighthood. Citizens of Commonwealth countries are eligible.
Charteris replied to Bunting on 19 September: ‘Thank you for your letter of 10th September about the Prime Minister’s views on The Queen making awards in the Royal Victorian Order in the course of her forthcoming visit to Australia. You may be assured that Her Majesty will not do anything in this matter contrary to Mr. Whitlam’s wishes’ (NAA: A1209, 1974/6369).
[NAA: A/209, 1974/6369]