Belgium Knighthood for our President
It is with great pleasure that we announce that by the Royal Decree of King Albert II of Belgium, our President Iain MacKenzie has been made a Knight of the Royal Order of the Crown.
Iain was Honorary Consul for Belgium in Auckland from 2000 to 2009 and a highlight of this period was his organising of the visit of the travelling exhibition “Passchendaele: The Belgians Have Not Forgotten” to Auckland in 2009. He also arranged Commemoration Services which were addressed by the Prime Minister the Right Honourable John Key, the Belgian Ambassador His Excellency Patrick Renault and His Worship the Mayor of North Shore City Andrew Williams. On retirement as the Honorary Consul Iain’s attention then turned to the forming of The Passchendaele Society which grew as a result of these activities. We can feel honoured that the hard work of our President and his team of enthusiastic Board members has been recognised in this way.
About the Order of the Crown:
The Order of the Crown was created in 1897 by King Leopold II. The Order was first intended to recognise heroic deeds and distinguished service in the Congo Free State and then in 1908 it was made a national decoration of Belgium. The Order is also bestowed on foreign nationals for services to Belgium.
