The Royal Victorian Order (French: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the monarch. The present monarch, King Charles III, is the sovereign of the order. The order's motto is Victoria. The order's official day is 20 June. The order's chapel is the Savoy Chapel in London.
Royal Victorian Order | |
---|---|
Breast star of Knights/Dames Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order | |
Awarded by Charles III | |
Type | Dynastic order |
Established | 21 April 1896 |
Motto | Victoria |
Awarded for | Personal service to the Sovereign |
Status | Currently constituted |
Founder | Victoria |
Sovereign | Charles III |
Grand Master | Anne, Princess Royal |
Chancellor | The Lord Parker of Minsmere |
Grades |
|
Statistics | |
First induction | 1896 |
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | Dependent on state |
Next (lower) | Dependent on state |
Ribbon of an ordinary member of the order Ribbon of an honorary member of the order |
There is no limit on the number of individuals honoured at any grade. Admission is at the sole discretion of the monarch. Each of the order's five grades represent different levels of service, as does the medal, which has three levels of service. While all those honoured may use the prescribed styles of the order – the top two grades grant titles of knighthood, and all grades accord distinct post-nominal letters – the Royal Victorian Order's precedence amongst other honours differs from realm to realm and admission to some grades may be barred to citizens of those realms by government policy.
History
Prior to the close of the 19th century, most general honours within the British Empire were bestowed by the sovereign on the advice of her British ministers, who sometimes forwarded advice from ministers of the Crown in the Dominions and colonies (appointments to the then most senior orders of chivalry, the Most Noble Order of the Garter and the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, had been made on ministerial advice since the 18th century and were not restored to the personal gift of the sovereign until 1946 and 1947, respectively). Queen Victoria thus established on 21 April 1896 the Royal Victorian Order as a junior and personal order of knighthood that allowed her to bestow directly to an empire-wide community honours for personal services. The organisation was founded a year before Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, so as to give the Queen time to complete a list of first inductees. The order's official day was made 20 June of each year, marking the anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne.
In 1902, King Edward VII created the Royal Victorian Chain "as a personal decoration for royal personages and a few eminent British subjects" and it was the highest class of the Royal Victorian Order. It is today distinct from the order, though it is officially issued by the chancery of the Royal Victorian Order.
The order was open to foreigners from its inception, the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes and the Mayor of Nice being the first foreigners to receive the honour in 1896.
Composition
The reigning monarch is at the apex of the Royal Victorian Order as its Sovereign, followed by the Grand Master; the latter position was created in 1937 and was occupied by Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) from that date until her death in 2002. Queen Elizabeth II then appointed her daughter, Anne, Princess Royal, to the position in 2007. Below the Grand Master are five officials of the organisation: the Chancellor, held by the Lord Chamberlain; the Secretary, held by the Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the King; the Registrar, held by the Secretary to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood; the Chaplain, held by the Chaplain of the King's Chapel of the Savoy; and the Genealogist.
Thereafter follow those honoured with different grades of the order, divided into five levels: the highest two conferring accolades of knighthood and all having post-nominal letters and, lastly, the holders of the Royal Victorian Medal in gold, silver or bronze. Foreigners may be admitted as honorary members. There are no limits to the number of any grade, and promotion is possible. The styles of knighthood are not used by princes, princesses, or peers in the uppermost ranks of the society, save for when their names are written in their fullest forms for the most official occasions. Retiring Deans of the Royal Peculiars of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and Westminster Abbey are customarily inducted as Knights Commander; clergymen appointed to the higher levels of the Royal Victorian Order do not use the associated styles, however, and honorary members are not permitted to hold them at all.
Prior to 1984, the grades of Lieutenant and Member were classified as Members (fourth class) and Members (fifth class), respectively, but both with the post-nominals MVO. On 31 December of that year, Queen Elizabeth II declared that those in the grade of Member (fourth class) would henceforth be Lieutenants with the post-nominals LVO.
Grades of the Royal Victorian Order | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grade | Knight Grand Cross | Dame Grand Cross | Knight Commander | Dame Commander | Commander | Lieutenant | Member | Royal Victorian Medal |
Prefix | Sir | Dame | Sir | Dame | — | — | — | — |
Post-nominals | GCVO | KCVO | DCVO | CVO | LVO | MVO | RVM | |
Insignia |
- The order is different for honours received prior to 1 June 1972.
In the United Kingdom, the wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders; relatives of Dames, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not from their mothers or wives.
Current Knights and Dames Grand Cross
Sovereign and Grand Master
Name | Year of appointment | Present age |
---|---|---|
The King (ex officio) | Sovereign since 2022 | 75 |
The Princess Royal KG, KT, GCVO, GCStJ, QSO, GCL, CMM, CD, ADC | 1974 as Dame Grand Cross; Grand Master since 2007 | 74 |
Knights and Dames Grand Cross
Name | Known for | Year of appointment | Present age |
---|---|---|---|
The Duke of Kent KG, GCMG, GCVO, CD, ADC | Royal Family | 1960 | 89 |
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy KG, GCVO, CD | Royal Family | 1960 | 87 |
The Duke of Gloucester KG, GCVO, GCStJ, SSI | Royal Family | 1974 | 80 |
The Duchess of Kent GCVO | Royal Family | 1977 | 91 |
The Duchess of Gloucester LG, GCVO, DStJ, CD | Royal Family | 1989 | 78 |
Sir William Heseltine GCB, GCVO, AC, QSO, PC | Private Secretary to the Sovereign | 1990 | 94 |
Sir Brian Fall GCVO, KCMG | Ambassador to Russia and High Commissioner to Canada | 1994 | 86 |
Major General Sir Simon Cooper GCVO | Master of the Household | 2000 | 87–88 |
The Lord Luce KG, GCVO, PC, DL | Lord Chamberlain and Governor of Gibraltar | 2000 | 88 |
Vice Admiral The Lord Sterling of Plaistow GCVO, CBE | Chairman of the Golden Jubilee Weekend Trust | 2002 | 89 |
Prince Michael of Kent GCVO, KStJ, CD | Royal Family | 2003 | 82 |
Sir John Holmes GCVO, KBE, CMG | Ambassador to France | 2004 | 73 |
Sir Peter Torry GCVO, KCMG | Ambassador to Germany and Ambassador to Spain | 2004 | 76 |
The Earl Peel GCVO, PC, DL | Lord Chamberlain | 2006 | 77 |
The Lord Janvrin GCB, GCVO, QSO, PC | Private Secretary to the Sovereign | 2007 | 78 |
Sir Donald McKinnon ONZ, GCVO, PC | Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations | 2009 | 85 |
The Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO, GCStJ, CD | Royal Family | 2010 | 59 |
Sir Hugh Roberts GCVO, FSA | Surveyor of the Queen's Works of Art | 2010 | 76 |
The Duke of York KG, GCVO, CD | Royal Family | 2011 | 64 |
The Duke of Edinburgh KG, KT, GCVO, CD, ADC | Royal Family | 2011 | 60 |
Sir Michael Peat GCVO, FCA | Principal Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales | 2011 | 74 |
The Queen LG, LT, ONZ, GCVO, GBE, CSM, CD, PC | Royal Family | 2012 | 77 |
Sir Alan Reid GCVO | Keeper of the Privy Purse | 2012 | 77 |
The Baroness Hussey of North Bradley GCVO | Woman of the Bedchamber | 2013 | 85 |
Dame Mary Morrison GCVO | Woman of the Bedchamber | 2013 | 85 |
The Lord Ricketts GCMG, GCVO | National Security Adviser and Permanent Under-Secretary of State of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office | 2014 | 72 |
The Lord Geidt GCB, GCVO, OBE, QSO, PC, FKC | Private Secretary to the Sovereign | 2017 | 63 |
Sir Stephen Lamport GCVO, DL | Receiver-General of Westminster Abbey | 2018 | 72 |
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Andrew Ford GCVO | Comptroller, Lord Chamberlain's Office | 2018 | 67 |
The Princess of Wales GCVO, CH | Royal Family | 2019 | 42 |
Field Marshal The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB, GCVO, OBE, DL | Gold Stick-in-Waiting | 2019 | 85 |
The Lord Chartres GCVO, ChStJ, PC, FSA, FBS | Dean of the Chapel Royal | 2019 | 77 |
The Lord Parker of Minsmere GCVO, KCB, PC | Lord Chamberlain | 2021 | 62 |
The Duke of Norfolk GCVO, DL | Earl Marshal | 2022 | 67 |
The Marquess of Cholmondeley GCVO, DL | Lord Great Chamberlain | 2023 | 64 |
The Earl of Dalhousie GCVO, CStJ, DL | Lord Steward | 2023 | 76 |
The Lord Young of Old Windsor GCB, GCVO, PC | Private Secretary to the Sovereign | 2023 | 57 |
David Conner GCVO | Dean of Windsor | 2023 | 77 |
Justin Welby GCVO, PC | Archbishop of Canterbury | 2024 | 68 |
Honorary Knights and Dames Grand Cross
Country | Name | Known for | Year of appointment | Present age | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | Emperor Akihito of Japan KG, GCVO | Emperor of Japan | 1953 as Crown Prince; Emperor from 1989; abdicated 2019 | 90 | |
Norway | The King of Norway KG, GCVO | King of Norway | 1955 as Prince Harald; King since 1991 | 87 | Recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain; also Honorary Colonel in the Royal Marines and Honorary General in the British Army |
Netherlands | Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands LG, GCVO | Queen of the Netherlands | 1958 as Princess Beatrix; Queen from 1980; abdicated 2013 | 86 | Recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain |
Ethiopian Empire | Prince Mengesha Seyoum GCVO | Prince of Ethiopia | 1965 | 96 | |
Belgium | King Albert II of Belgium GCVO | King of the Belgians | 1966 as Prince of Liège; King from 1993; abdicated 2013 | 90 | |
Luxembourg | The Grand Duke of Luxembourg GCVO | Grand Duke of Luxembourg | 1976 as Hereditary Grand Duke; Grand Duke since 2000 | 69 | |
Morocco | The King of Morocco GCVO | King of Morocco | 1980 as Crown Prince; King since 1999 | 61 | |
Morocco | Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco GCVO | Princess of Morocco | 1980 | 62 | |
Malawi | Cecilia Kadzamira GCVO | Official Hostess of Malawi | 1985 | 86 | |
Morocco | Princess Lalla Asma of Morocco GCVO | Princess of Morocco | 1987 | 59 | |
Morocco | Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco GCVO | Prince of Morocco | 1987 | 54 | |
Spain | The King of Spain KG, GCVO | King of Spain | 1988 as Prince of Asturias; King since 2014 | 56 | |
Kuwait | Khaled Al-Duwaisan GCVO, KCMG | Kuwaiti diplomat | 1995 | 77 | |
Thailand | The King of Thailand GCVO | King of Thailand | 1996 as Crown Prince; King since 2016 | 72 | |
Thailand | The Princess Royal of Thailand GCVO | Princess Royal of Thailand | 1996 | 69 | |
Thailand | Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand GCVO | Princess of Thailand | 1996 | 67 | |
Brunei | The Crown Prince of Brunei GCVO | Crown Prince of Brunei | 1998 | 50 | |
Nigeria | Emeka Anyaoku GCVO | Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations | 2000 | 91 | |
Oman | The Sultan of Oman GCMG, GCVO | Sultan of Oman | 2010 as Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq bin Taimur Al Said; Sultan since 2020 | 69 | |
India | Kamalesh Sharma GCVO | Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations | 2016 | 83 |
Honorary Knights and Dames Commander
Country | Name | Known for | Year of appointment | Present age | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jordan | The King of Jordan GCB, GCMG, KCVO | King of Jordan | 1984 as Crown Prince; King since 1999 | 62 | Colonel-in-Chief of The Light Dragoons |
Indonesia | Teuku Mohammad Hamzah Thayeb KCVO | Ambassador to the United Kingdom | 2012 | 72 | |
South Korea | KCVO | Ambassador to the United Kingdom | 2013 | ||
France | Bernard Émié KCVO | Ambassador to the United Kingdom | 2014 | 66 | |
Singapore | DCVO | High Commissioner to the United Kingdom | 2013 | ||
Mexico | Diego Gómez Pickering KCVO | Ambassador to the United Kingdom | 2015 | 47 |
Officers
- Chaplain: The Reverend Canon Thomas Woodhouse, as Chaplain of the King's Chapel of the Savoy, since 2019
- Chancellor: The Lord Parker of Minsmere GCVO, KCB, PC, as Lord Chamberlain, since April 2021
- Secretary: Sir Michael Stevens KCVO, as Keeper of the Privy Purse, since 2018
- Registrar: Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Segrave, as Secretary of the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, since 2019
See also
- List of knights grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Victoria
- List of knights commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Victoria
- List of knights grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Edward VII
- List of knights commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Edward VII
- List of knights grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by George V
- List of knights commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by George V
- List of knights and dames of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Edward VIII
- List of knights and dames grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by George VI
- List of knights and dames commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by George VI
- List of knights and dames grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Elizabeth II (1952–1977)
- List of knights and dames grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Elizabeth II (1978–2002)
- List of knights and dames grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Elizabeth II (2003–2022)
- List of knights and dames commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Elizabeth II (1952–1977)
- List of knights and dames commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Elizabeth II (1978–2002)
- List of knights and dames commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Elizabeth II (2003–2022)
- List of knights and dames grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Charles III
- List of knights and dames commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Charles III
- Royal Victorian Chain
- Royal Victorian Medal
- List of people who have declined a British honour
Notes
- For use in Canada, in accordance with the country's policy of official bilingualism.
- 20 June 1837 was Victoria's Accession Day.
- The Royal Victorian Medal does not make a person a member of the Order, but the award is associated with the Order.
References
Citations
- Dundas, Charles (Spring 2008). "The Royal Victorian Order Conundrum" (PDF). Canadian Monarchist News. No. 28. Toronto: Monarchist League of Canada. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2020.
- "Irene White Appointed to Royal Victorian Order" (Press release). Queen's Printer for Saskatchewan. 27 June 1995. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
- Royal Household. "The Queen and the UK > Queen and Honours > Royal Victorian Order". royal.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
- "Select Committee on Public Administration Fifth Report". Queen's Printer. 13 July 2007. Retrieved 8 November 2006.
- "No. 26733". The London Gazette. 24 April 1896. p. 2455.
- Office of the Governor General of Canada. "Honours > National Orders > Royal Victorian Order". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 9 October 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
- "Birthday Honours – A Long List – Five New Peers – Many Baronets And Knights". The Times. 4 June 1917. p. 9.
An interesting honour is that awarded to Lord Rosebery, upon whom the King has conferred the Royal Victorian Chain, the highest class of the Royal Victorian Order.
- "People > Honours > Orders of Chivalry > Royal Victorian Order". Debrett's Limited. Archived from the original on 21 October 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
- "The Royal Victorian Order". Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
- "The Royal Victorian Order". Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- McCreery 2008, p. 42.
- McCreery 2008, p. 43.
- Office of the Governor General of Canada (11 September 2012). "Third Biennial Gathering of the Royal Victorian Order Association of Canada". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- "Photos & Video: Royal visit to Ottawa". Ottawa Citizen. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
Sources
- (2008). On Her Majesty's Service; Royal Honours and Recognition in Canada. Toronto: Dundurn Press. ISBN 978-1-55002-742-6.
Further reading
- Galloway, P.; Stanley, D.; Martin, S. (1996). Royal Service. Vol. I. London: Victorian Publishing. ISBN 0-9528527-0-5.
- Galloway, Peter (2016). The Royal Victorian Order. Spink Books. ISBN 978-1907427763.
- Weatherly, Cecil Octavius (1911).
The United Kingdom has eight orders of knighthood....
. In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 851–867, see page 856.
External links
- Orders and Medals (cabinetoffice.gov.uk)
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