Royal Victorian Order

Royal Victorian Order
Breast star of Knights/Dames Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Awarded by Charles III
TypeDynastic order
Established21 April 1896
MottoVictoria
EligibilityUbiquitous
Awarded forPersonal service to the Sovereign
StatusCurrently constituted
FounderVictoria
SovereignCharles III
Grand MasterAnne, Princess Royal
ChancellorThe Lord Parker of Minsmere
Grades
  • Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GCVO)
  • Knight/Dame Commander (KCVO/DCVO)
  • Commander (CVO)
  • Lieutenant (LVO)
  • Member (MVO)
Statistics
First induction1896
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

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.

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

Queen Victoria in 1897, the year after she founded the Royal Victorian Order

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

List of officers

The current officers of the Royal Victorian Order are as follows:

Insignia and vestments

Mantle of the order bearing the star of a Knight Grand Cross

Upon admission into the Royal Victorian Order, members are given various insignia. Common for all members is the badge, which is a Maltese cross with a central medallion depicting on a red background the Royal Cypher of Queen Victoria surrounded by a blue ring bearing the motto of the order – victoria (victory) – and surmounted by a Tudor crown. However, there are variations on the badge for each grade of the order: Knights and Dames Grand Cross on certain formal occasions (see below) wear the badge suspended from the Order's collar (chain), but otherwise on a sash passing from the right shoulder to the left hip; Knight Commanders and male Commanders wear the badge on a ribbon at the neck; male Lieutenants and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; and women in all grades below Dame Grand Cross wear the badge on a bow pinned at the left shoulder. For Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Commanders, and Lieutenants, the Maltese cross is rendered in white enamel with gold edging, while that for Knights and Dames Commander (on the star) and Members (the badge itself) is in silver. Further, the size of the badge varies by rank, that for the higher classes being larger, and Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commander have their crosses surrounded by a star: for the former, an eight-pointed silver star, and for the latter, an eight-pointed silver Maltese cross with silver rays between each arm.

The Countess of Wessex (2013) wearing the riband of a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

The medal bears the effigy and name of the reigning sovereign at the time of its awarding, as well as the phrase DEI • GRATIA • REX (or REGINA) • F.D. (by the grace of God, King (or Queen), Defender of the Faith), and on the reverse is the Royal Cypher upon an ornamental shield within a laurel wreath. Bars may be awarded to each class of medal for further services, and should recipients be awarded a higher level of medal or be appointed to a grade of the order itself, they may continue to wear their original medal along with the new insignia.

The order's ribbon is blue with red-white-red stripe edging, the only difference being that for foreigners appointed into the society, their ribbon bears an additional central white stripe. For Knights Grand Cross, the ribbon is 82.5 millimetres (3.25 in) wide, for Dames Grand Cross 57.1 millimetres (2.25 in), for Knights and Dames Commander 44.4 millimetres (1.75 in), and for all other members 31.7 millimetres (1.25 in).

At formal events, or collar days, of which there are 34 throughout the year, such as New Year's Day and royal anniversaries, Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear the Royal Victorian Order's livery collar, consisting of an alternating string of octagonal gold pieces depicting a gold rose on a blue field and gold oblong frames within which are one of four inscriptions: Victoria, Britt. Reg. (Queen of the Britons), Def. Fid. (fidei defensor, or Defender of the Faith), and Ind. Imp. (Empress of India). The chain supports a larger octagonal medallion with a blue enamel surface edged in red and charged with a saltire, over which is an effigy of Queen Victoria; members of the order suspend from this medallion their insignia as a badge apendant. Though after the death of a Knight or Dame Grand Cross their insignia may be retained by their family, the collar must be returned. Knights and Dames Grand Cross also wear a mantle of dark blue satin edged with red satin and lined with white satin, bearing a representation of the order's star on the left side.

Chapel

The King's Chapel of the Savoy, which acts as the chapel of the Royal Victorian Order (photographed in 2020). The banners are those of the Sovereign (right) and of the Grand Master (left) of the Order as they were then in office.

Since 1938, the chapel of the Royal Victorian Order has been the King's Chapel of the Savoy, in central London, England. However, the population of the order has grown to the point that the Savoy chapel can no longer accommodate the gathering of members held every four years, and St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle is now employed for the event.

The Sovereign and Knights and Dames Grand Cross of the order are allotted stalls in the Savoy chapel's choir, and on the back of each stall is affixed a brass plate displaying the occupant's name, coat of arms, and date of admission into the organisation. Upon the occupant's death, the plate is retained, leaving the stalls festooned with a record of the order's Knights and Dames Grand Cross since 1938. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Royal Victorian Order and of the Grand Master of the Royal Victorian Order as there is insufficient space in the chapel for more knights' and dames' banners or other heraldic devices.

The Chaplain of the King's Chapel of the Savoy is ex officio the Chaplain to the Royal Victorian Order. The current incumbent is Canon Thomas Woodhouse.

Eligibility and appointment

Coat of arms of Lord Baden-Powell, showing the circlet of the Royal Victorian Order around the escutcheon and the order's insignia suspended underneath
The Royal Victorian Order circlet laid out
The Royal Victorian Order's heraldic circlet, as viewed when laid out flat

Membership in the Royal Victorian Order is conferred by the monarch without ministerial advice on those who have performed personal service for the sovereign, any member of his or her family, or any of his or her Governors-General. All living citizens of any Commonwealth realm, including women since 1936, are eligible for any of the five levels of the order, save for Canadians (see below) and, in practice, Australians (although all classes of the Royal Victorian Order remain in the Australian order of precedence of honours, Elizabeth II never created knights or dames in the Order when the Australian government has been opposed to "titles").[citation needed]

Foreign members will generally be admitted as honorary members of the Royal Victorian Order when the sovereign is making a state visit to the individual's country or a head of state is paying a state visit to the United Kingdom.

Persons have been removed from the order at the monarch's command. Anthony Blunt, a former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures, was in 1979 stripped of his knighthood after it was revealed that he had been a spy for the Soviet Union. Also, George Pottinger, a senior civil servant, in 1975 lost his membership in both the Order of the Bath and the Royal Victorian Order when he was jailed for corruptly receiving gifts from the architect John Poulson.[citation needed]

Canadians

As admission to the top two levels of the organisation provides for an honorary prefix, Canadians are not normally appointed to these levels as long as the monarch's Canadian ministry adheres to the Nickle Resolution of 1919.

As it was deemed by the Canadian Cabinet to be an honour within the gift of the monarch, the appointment of Canadians to the order resumed in 1972 and eligibility was extended to those who render services to the monarch's representatives in the country; officials within the provincial spheres being included after 1984. Originally, the sovereign chose inductees personally, though the Governor General of Canada and the Canadian Secretary to the King could provide suggestions, some passed to them by the lieutenant governors. The practice of notifying the Prime Minister of Canada of nominees ended in 1982, to distance the order as far from politics as possible.

It was reported in 2008 that some in the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall wished to eliminate the Royal Victorian Order from the Canadian honours system and sometimes contested when a Canadian was appointed; however, no formal changes were ever planned. In Canada, the order has come to be colloquially dubbed as the "Royal Visit Order", as the majority of appointments had been made by the then sovereign during her tours of the country.

Association

The Royal Victorian Order Association of Canada exists for all Canadians appointed to the order or who have received the Royal Victorian Medal; it is the only such organisation in the Commonwealth realms. Founded by Michael Jackson, the group has, since 2008, gathered biennially.

Precedence

As the Royal Victorian Order is open to the citizens of fifteen countries, each with their own system of orders, decorations, and medals, the RVO's place of precedence varies from country to country. Some are as follows:

Country Preceding RVO grade Following
Australia Australia
Order of precedence
Knight/Dame of the Order of Australia (AK/AD) Knight/Dame Grand Cross Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)
Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) Knight/Dame Commander Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) Commander Star of Gallantry (SG)
Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Lieutenant Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)
Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) Member Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC)
Australian Antarctic Medal (AAM) Medal Commendation for Gallantry
Canada Canada
Order of precedence
Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (COM) Commander Officer of the Order of Military Merit (OMM)
Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (OOM) Lieutenant Member of the Order of Military Merit (MMM)
Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (MOM) Member Venerable Order of Saint John (GC/K/D/C/O/M/SB/SSStJ)
Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) Medal Sacrifice Medal
New Zealand New Zealand
Order of precedence
Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) Knight/Dame Grand Cross Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG/DCMG) Knight/Dame Commander Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE/DBE)
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) Commander Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Lieutenant Companion of the Queen's Service Order (QSO)
Companion of the Imperial Service Order (ISO) Member Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM)
New Zealand Bravery Medal (NZBM) Medal Queen's Service Medal (QSM)
United Kingdom United Kingdom England England and
Wales Wales

Order of precedence
Knight/Dame Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE) Knight/Dame Grand Cross Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE/DCIE) Knight/Dame Commander Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE/DBE)
Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) Commander Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Lieutenant Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Eldest son of Knight Bachelor Member Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Scotland Scotland
Order of precedence
Knight/Dame Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE) Knight/Dame Grand Cross Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE/DCIE) Knight/Dame Commander Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE/DBE)
Sheriffs Commander Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) Lieutenant Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
Eldest son of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Member Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Northern Ireland
Order of precedence
Knight/Dame Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE) Knight/Dame Grand Cross Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE/DCIE) Knight/Dame Commander Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE/DBE)
Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) Commander Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Lieutenant Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Eldest son of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Member Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
  1. ^ The order is different for honours received prior to 6 October 1992.
  2. ^ 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

A detailed view of a stumpwork and goldwork embroidered star of a Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Star and riband of a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Knights and Dames Grand Cross
Name Post-nominals Known for Year
appointed
The Duke of Kent KG GCMG GCVO CD ADC Royal family 1960
Princess Alexandra KG GCVO CD Royal family 1960
The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO GCStJ SSI Royal family 1974
The Duchess of Kent GCVO Royal family 1977
The Duchess of Gloucester GCVO DStJ CD Royal family 1989
Australia Sir William Heseltine GCB GCVO AC QSO Principal Private Secretary to the Sovereign 1990
United Kingdom Sir Brian Fall GCVO KCMG Diplomat 1994
United Kingdom The Lord Fellowes GCB GCVO QSO PC Principal Private Secretary to the Sovereign 1996
United Kingdom Major General Sir Simon Cooper GCVO Master of the Household 2000
United Kingdom The Lord Luce KG GCVO PC DL Lord Chamberlain 2000
United Kingdom Vice Admiral The Lord Sterling of Plaistow GCVO CBE Chairman of the Golden Jubilee Weekend Trust 2002
Prince Michael of Kent GCVO KStJ CD Royal family 2003
United Kingdom Sir John Holmes GCVO KBE CMG Diplomat 2004
United Kingdom Sir Peter Torry GCVO KCMG Diplomat 2004
United Kingdom The Earl Peel GCVO PC DL Lord Chamberlain 2006
United Kingdom The Lord Janvrin GCB GCVO QSO PC Principal Private Secretary to the Sovereign 2007
New Zealand Sir Donald McKinnon ONZ GCVO Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations 2009
The Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO GCStJ CD Royal family 2010
United Kingdom Sir Hugh Roberts GCVO CBE Surveyor of the Queen's Works of Art 2010
The Duke of York KG GCVO CD Royal family 2011
The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT GCVO CD ADC Royal family 2011
United Kingdom Sir Michael Peat GCVO Principal Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales 2011
The Queen LG LT GCVO ONZ CSM CD PC Royal family 2012
United Kingdom Sir Alan Reid GCVO Keeper of the Privy Purse 2012
United Kingdom The Lady Hussey of North Bradley GCVO Woman of the Bedchamber 2013
United Kingdom Dame Mary Morrison GCVO Woman of the Bedchamber 2013
United Kingdom The Lord Ricketts GCMG GCVO Diplomat 2014
United Kingdom The Lord Geidt GCB GCVO OBE QSO PC Principal Private Secretary to the Sovereign 2017
United Kingdom Sir Stephen Lamport GCVO DL Receiver-General of Westminster Abbey 2018
United Kingdom Lieutenant Colonel Sir Andrew Ford GCVO Comptroller, Lord Chamberlain's Office 2018
The Princess of Wales GCVO Royal family 2019
United Kingdom Field Marshal The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB GCVO OBE DL Gold Stick-in-Waiting 2019
United Kingdom The Lord Chartres GCVO ChStJ PC FSA Dean of the Chapels Royal 2019
United Kingdom The Lord Parker of Minsmere GCVO KCB PC Lord Chamberlain 2021
United Kingdom The Duke of Norfolk GCVO DL Earl Marshal 2022
United Kingdom The Marquess of Cholmondeley GCVO DL Lord Great Chamberlain 2023
United Kingdom The Earl of Dalhousie GCVO DL Lord Steward 2023
United Kingdom The Lord Young of Old Windsor GCB GCVO PC Principal Private Secretary to the Sovereign 2023
United Kingdom David Conner GCVO Dean of Windsor 2023
United Kingdom Justin Welby GCVO PC Archbishop of Canterbury 2024
Honorary Knights and Dames Grand Cross
Name Post-nominals Known for Year
appointed
Japan Crown Prince Akihito (later Emperor Akihito) KG GCVO Former Emperor of Japan 1953
Norway Prince Harald (later King Harald V) KG GCVO King of Norway 1955
Netherlands Princess Beatrix (later Queen Beatrix) LG GCVO Former Queen of the Netherlands 1958
Ethiopian Empire Prince Mengesha Seyoum GCVO Prince of Ethiopia 1965
Belgium Albert, Prince of Liège (later King Albert II) GCVO Former King of the Belgians 1966
Luxembourg Hereditary Grand Duke Henri (later Grand Duke Henri) GCVO Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1976
Morocco Crown Prince Mohammed (later King Mohammed VI) GCVO King of Morocco 1980
Morocco Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco GCVO Princess of Morocco 1980
Malawi Cecilia Kadzamira GCVO Former Official Hostess of Malawi 1985
Morocco Princess Lalla Asma of Morocco GCVO Princess of Morocco 1987
Morocco Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco GCVO Prince of Morocco 1987
Spain Felipe, Prince of Asturias (later King Felipe VI) KG GCVO King of Spain 1988
Kuwait Khaled Al-Duwaisan GCVO KCMG Kuwaiti Diplomat 1995
Thailand Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn (later King Rama X) GCVO King of Thailand 1996
Thailand Princess Sirindhorn GCVO Princess of Thailand 1996
Thailand Princess Chulabhorn GCVO Princess of Thailand 1996
Brunei Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah GCVO Crown Prince of Brunei 1998
Nigeria Emeka Anyaoku GCVO Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations 2000
Oman Haitham bin Tariq GCMG GCVO Sultan of Oman 2010
India Kamalesh Sharma GCVO Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations 2016
Honorary Knights and Dames Commander
Name Post-Nominals Known for Year
Appointed
Jordan Prince Abdullah (later King Abdullah II) GCB GCMG KCVO King of Jordan 1984
Indonesia Teuku Mohammad Hamzah Thayeb KCVO Indonesian diplomat 2012
South Korea Lim Sung-nam KCVO South Korean diplomat 2013
France Bernard Émié KCVO French diplomat 2014
Singapore Foo Chi Hsia DCVO Singaporean diplomat 2014
Mexico Diego Gómez Pickering KCVO Mexican diplomat 2015

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-03-27 12:37 UTC. Update now. View original page.

All our content comes from Wikipedia and under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.


Top

If mathematical, chemical, physical and other formulas are not displayed correctly on this page, please useFirefox or Safari