The Maha Sabha, the Hindu organisation, and the Islamic Relief Centre Ltd have been fighting to get a new non-religious order of merit since 2004.

The High Court in Trinidad and Tobago ruled the decoration discriminated against non Christians but said it did not have the power to invalidate the royal order.

Judge Jamadar said: ‘The Trinity Cross – the nation’s highest award – is strictly a Christian symbol, and as a result, it discriminates in a multi-religious society.’