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Aust'n PM Turnbull, Queen of England remove Knights and Dames from Order of Australia awards

Xinhua, November 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Australian government has been given approval from the Queen of England to remove Knights and Dames from the Australian honor system.

The medieval honor system was reintroduced last year, when former Prime Minister Tony Abbott made the controversial call to reinstate Knights and Dames.

He came under further fire for knighting Prince Phillip on Australia Day, with many in Parliament - including some from his own party - calling him "out of touch."

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is a republican, released a statement on Monday, saying the Queen had given permission to scrap the titles from the Order of Australia.

"The Cabinet recently considered the Order of Australia, in this its 40th anniversary year, and agreed that Knights and Dames are not appropriate in our modern honor system," Turnbull said.

"The Cabinet resolved to recommend to Her Majesty that she amend the Letters Patent, which establish the Order of Australia, so that Knights and Dames would no longer be appointed to the Order."

Since the reintroduction of the titles last year, five people have been recognized as a Knight or Dame in Australia.

However Turnbull said the changes will not affect the titles of "existing Knights and Dames of the Order." Enditem