Order of Camões

Order of Camões
*Ordem de Camões*
Order of Camões; Ordem de Camões ;
	Breast Star of the Order of Camões
Awarded by Portuguese Republic
Type	Order
Established	30 June 2021
Motto	Aqueles que por obras valerosas se vão da lei da morte libertando; ("The Lieges who by deeds memorious brake from the doom that binds the vulgar dead", The Lusiads, Canto I)
Eligibility	Portuguese and foreigners; military and civilian
Criteria	Relevant services to the Portuguese language and its international dissemination, and to the strengthening of cultural relations between Portuguese-speaking nations and communities.
Grand Master	President of Portugal
Chancellor	Manuela Ferreira Leite
Grades	Grand Collar; Grand Cross; Grand Officer; Commander; Officer; Knight/Dame
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of Liberty
Next (lower)	Order of Merit
	; Ribbon of the Order of Camões; ;

The Order of Camões (Portuguese: Ordem de Camões) is a Portuguese order of knighthood originally created in 1985 but only fully integrated into the Portuguese honours system on 30 June 2021.^[1]^[2] 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.^[1] 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.