The Order of Camões () is a Portuguese order of knighthood originally created in 1985 but only fully integrated into the Portuguese honours system on 30 June 2021. It commemorates Luís de Camões, considered Portugal's national poet.
It is a six-tier order, whose titles are awarded for relevant services to the Portuguese language and its international promotion, and to the strengthening of cultural relations between Portuguese-speaking peoples and communities. The number of members in each grade is restricted by its constitution, and titles are conferred by special decree by the Grand Master of the Order, i.e., the President of Portugal.
Grades The order includes several classes; in decreasing order of seniority, these are:
Grand Collar (Grande-Colar – GColCa) Grand Cross (Grã-Cruz – GCCa) Grand Officer (Grande-Oficial – GOCa) Commander (Comendador – ComCa) Officer (Oficial – OCa) Knight/Dame (Cavaleiro – CvCa / Dama – DmCa) Honorary Member (MHCa) (Membro Honorário) — for places or institutions, without indication of a specific grade
The special distinction of Grand Collar can be awarded only to heads of state.
Membership to the Order is conferred by the President, either on his own initiative, upon the recommendation of his Ministers or following nomination by the Council of the Order.
Recipients Grand Collar 11 August 2021: Jorge Carlos Fonseca, former President of Cape Verde 16 November 2021: José Saramago, writer and Nobel laureate (posthumous) 6 August 2022: Paula Rego, visual artist (posthumous) 31 October 2022: José Ramos-Horta, President of East Timor 22 April 2023: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil 5 March 2026: António Lobo Antunes, writer (posthumous)
Grand Cross 5 November 2022: Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
References
External links
Honorific orders of Portugal