ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Commonwealth realms orders and decorations

Okay, so imagine you're playing a game with your friends and you do something really nice or really cool. Your friends might want to give you a gold star or a special award to show that they appreciate what you did. Well, governments have something similar called orders and decorations.

In countries known as Commonwealth realms, which are countries that are part of the British Empire, there are different levels of orders and decorations that the government can give out to people who have done things that are helpful, brave, or important.

Orders are like really big awards that come with a special title that the person can use before their name, like "Sir" or "Dame," kind of like a superhero name. Some orders also have different ranks, so it's kind of like leveling up in a video game.

Decorations, on the other hand, are like medals that people can wear on their jackets or uniforms to show that they did something special. They often come with a ribbon or a badge that people can wear too.

Now, you might be asking what kinds of things people need to do to get these orders and decorations. Well, it can be anything from serving in the military and showing bravery in battle, to helping out in the community or doing something really amazing in their job.

In short, orders and decorations are like special awards that governments give out to people who have done something super great, and they come with a fancy title and a medal that people can wear to show off their achievement.