Good afternoon Stanley Bannerman

Your request below has been received and a decision on your request will be provided as soon as possible and no later than 7 November 2025. Responses to requests for information that are considered to be in the wider public interest will be published on the New Zealand Defence Force website (www.nzdf.mil.nz).

Regards

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force | Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa
www.nzdf.mil.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: Stanley Bannerman <[FOI #32536 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 9 October 2025 5:51 pm
To: Ministerial Services <[NZDF request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - NZDF Insignia updates

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Dear New Zealand Defence Force,

I would like to request information about whether the New Zealand Defence Force has considered updating its badges, rank insignia, or other emblems to reflect the Tudor Crown and the royal cypher “C III R” for King Charles III.

Specifically:

1. Has the NZDF (or any of its branches, regiments, corps, etc) discussed or made any plans to update insignia, badges, or designs in connection with the new reign?
2. If so, could you please outline what stage that process is at, and whether there is an expected timeline for introducing any new designs?

For context, similar updates have already been made across other Commonwealth militaries including the UK, Canada (albeit with the new Canadian Royal Crown) and most recently in August, Australia updated their badges, rank insignia, etc. Historically, New Zealand has also made similar updates following Queen Elizabeth II’s accession, when the Tudor Crown (used under George VI) was replaced with the St Edward’s Crown on New Zealand military insignia. At present I have noted that these updates have only sporadically and inconsistently appeared on some military insignia such as

• The new colours of 2/1 RNZIR (https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/media-centre/new...)
• The RNZN officer’s sword – although oddly with both the Tudor crown on the kings cypher and the St Edward’s crown on the Navy badge (https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/media-centre/new...)
• I also noted that the Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers Facebook page has raised the topic of updates to its badges some time ago (https://www.facebook.com/CorpsOfRoyalNew...)

If any review or planning work has begun within the NZDF for a more consistent and force wide update, I’d be interested in understanding the general approach and state of this process.

Yours faithfully,

Stanley Bannerman

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Dear Stanley Bannerman

Please find attached the response to your request for information.

Regards

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force
www.nzdf.mil.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: Stanley Bannerman [mailto:[FOI #32536 email]]
Sent: Thursday, 9 October 2025 5:51 p.m.
To: Ministerial Services <[NZDF request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - NZDF Insignia updates

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.
Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If in any doubt, please forward the email to [email address] and then delete the email from your Inbox. Thank you

Dear New Zealand Defence Force,

I would like to request information about whether the New Zealand Defence Force has considered updating its badges, rank insignia, or other emblems to reflect the Tudor Crown and the royal cypher “C III R” for King Charles III.

Specifically:

1.Has the NZDF (or any of its branches, regiments, corps, etc) discussed or made any plans to update insignia, badges, or designs in connection with the new reign?
2.If so, could you please outline what stage that process is at, and whether there is an expected timeline for introducing any new designs?

For context, similar updates have already been made across other Commonwealth militaries including the UK, Canada (albeit with the new Canadian Royal Crown) and most recently in August, Australia updated their badges, rank insignia, etc. Historically, New Zealand has also made similar updates following Queen Elizabeth II’s accession, when the Tudor Crown (used under George VI) was replaced with the St Edward’s Crown on New Zealand military insignia. At present I have noted that these updates have only sporadically and inconsistently appeared on some military insignia such as

•The new colours of 2/1 RNZIR (https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/media-centre/new...)
•The RNZN officer’s sword – although oddly with both the Tudor crown on the kings cypher and the St Edward’s crown on the Navy badge (https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/media-centre/new...)
•I also noted that the Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers Facebook page has raised the topic of updates to its badges some time ago (https://www.facebook.com/CorpsOfRoyalNew...)

If any review or planning work has begun within the NZDF for a more consistent and force wide update, I’d be interested in understanding the general approach and state of this process.

Yours faithfully,

Stanley Bannerman

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #32536 email]

Is [NZDF request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to New Zealand Defence Force? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The information contained in this Internet Email message is intended
for the addressee only and may contain privileged information, but not
necessarily the official views or opinions of the New Zealand Defence Force.
If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or
distribute this message or the information in it.

If you have received this message in error, please Email or telephone
the sender immediately.

hide quoted sections