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Story: Royal honours system

Sir Edmund Hillary: Knight of the Garter

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 Sir Edmund Hillary: Knight of the Garter

The postage stamp shown here, one of a set issued in 2008 to mark Sir Edmund Hillary's death, depicts him in the blue velvet robes and black hat with white plumes of the Order of the Garter, to which he was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II in 1995. Every knight of the order must display their coat of arms at Windsor Castle in England. Hillary's arms included a kiwi holding an ice axe, chevrons evoking mountains, prayer wheels representing Tibetan (Himalayan) Buddhism and two emperor penguins, an antarctic reference.

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New Zealand Post

Reference: 2008 Sir Edmund Hillary stamp issue

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How to cite this page

Mandy Wong, Royal honours system – History and overview, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/postage-stamp/35639/sir-edmund-hillary-knight-of-the-garter (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Mandy Wong, published 15 May 2012.