Ron Brierley officially loses knighthood

Ron Brierley has officially lost his knighthood after surrendering it earlier this month.

Brierley resigned in April after pleading guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material.

According to a statement in the New Zealand Gazette, Brierley's resignation was accepted by the Queen late last week. 

"The Queen has accepted the resignation of Ronald Alfred Brierley, of Sydney, Australia, as a Knight Bachelor, and directed that the knighthood announced on December 31 1987, and conferred upon him on May 18 1988, be cancelled and annulled."

Brierley was knighted in 1988 for services to business management and the community.

Speaking to reporters earlier this month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Brierley's knighthood would have been stripped had he not resigned. 

"My intention was, if he were not to offer up the knighthood, that it would be removed," Ardern said. 

"In notifying him of that process, he has resigned the title as it were. But I am really clear, if he had not done so, it would have been removed."

Brierley pleaded guilty to three charges relating to child sexual abuse material possession in Sydney last month. 

A knighthood can be removed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister when it's believed the individual's actions would bring the honours system into disrepute.

Brierley, 83, was arrested at Sydney Airport in 2019 after authorities searched his luggage and found "large amounts of child abuse material" on his devices, according to a statement from New South Wales police at the time. 

The multi-millionaire was well-known as a corporate raider and for founding RA Brierley Investments in 1961.