The British Monarchy Miscellany
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exclusively until death. It is not automatic, and must expressly be bestowed by the monarch when the title is available since it can only be held by one person at a time. Consequently not all firstborn daughters of
monarchs have carried the title of Princess Royal, and the ones who did hold it received it at different times in their lives. As of May 2018, there have been seven women who have born the title of Princess Royal:
Mary
(1632-1660)
Firstborn daughter of: Charles I
Tenure: 1642-1660
Other Titles: Princess of Orange
Anne
(1709-1759)
Firstborn daughter of: George II
Tenure: 1727-1759
Other Titles: Princess of Orange
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Charlotte
(1766-1828)
Firstborn daughter of: George III
Tenure: 1789-1828
Other Titles: Queen of Wurttemberg
Victoria
(1840-1901)
Firstborn daughter of: Victoria
Tenure: 1841-1901
Other Titles: Empress of Germany
Louise
(1867-1931)
Firstborn daughter of: Edward VII
Tenure: 1905-1931
Other Titles: Duchess of Fife
Mary
(1897-1965)
Firstborn daughter of: George V
Tenure: 1932-1965
Other Titles: Countess of Harewood
Anne
(1950- )
Firstborn daughter of: Elizabeth II
Tenure: 1987-
Other Titles: None
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British Honours
and Decorations
Honours in the United Kingdom are divided between
Orders of Chivalry, Decorations and Medals, Life
Peerages, and Knights Bachelor titles. The monarch is considered the Fountain of Honours, and all honours and decorations must expressly be bestowed by him or her.
Most honours today are awarded by the monarch under the advice of the government of the day, however a few honours remain in the monarch’s personal gift (see
below).
Most British honours are awarded yearly in two separate lists: on 1 January—the New Year’s Honours List—and on the second/third Saturday in June—the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Special Honours lists are also issued on the resignation of a government and for unique royal
occasions like coronations and jubilees. Currently, each of the two yearly Honours Lists contains between 1,000-1,350 individuals, the vast majority of whom receive introductory honours in the Order of the British Empire (see below). All honours are for life, and can only be revoked, or ‘degraded’, under special circumstances.
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Listed below are the current Orders of Chivalry as well as the most significant decorations and medals.
ORDERS OF CHIVALRY
Given by the Monarch as a Personal Gift
(Listed in order precedence)
The Order of the Garter
Foundation: 1348 by King Edward III.
Purpose: The first and oldest order of chivalry, associated with England, it is awarded for distinguished
achievements in someone’s field, or for meritorious service to the monarch or the nation.
Membership: Restricted to 24 members who are citizens of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth
Realms. Members of the Royal Family are usually
admitted as Royal Companions, whilst foreign monarchs are normally admitted as Stranger Companions. From the 18th to the 20th century appointments to the order were made on the advice of government. Appointments
reverted into the monarch’s personal gift in 1946.
Chapel: St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
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The Order of the Thistle
Foundation: 1687 by King James VII of Scotland and II of England.
Purpose: The second-oldest order of chivalry, associated with Scotland, it is awarded for distinguished
achievements in someone’s field, or for meritorious service to the monarch or the nation.
Membership: Restricted to 16 members who are citizens of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth Realms and who normally must have strong connections to
Scotland. Members of the Royal Family are normally
admitted as honorary members. From the 18th to the 20th century appointments to the order were made on the
advice of government. Appointments reverted into the monarch’s personal gift in 1946.
Chapel: St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh.
The Royal Victorian Order
Foundation: 1896 by Queen Victoria.
Purpose: Awarded for distinguished personal service to the monarch or to the institution of the monarchy.
Membership: Membership numbers are unlimited and open to citizens of any Commonwealth realm of which the British monarch is also head of state. Citizens from other countries may be admitted to the order as
honorary members. Members of the Royal Family are
often awarded this honour and there are currently 10
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family members in the order. Total membership is
currently between 40-45 members.
Chapel: The Savoy Chapel, London, and St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
The Order of Merit
Foundation: 1902 by King Edward VII.
Purpose: Awarded for distinguished achievement in the arts, sciences, culture, politics, the military, and fields of public service. Appointment to the Order is often
considered the most prestigious honour in the United Kingdom after the Victoria Cross.
Membership: Restricted to 24 members who are citizens of any Commonwealth Realm. Citizens from other
countries may be admitted as honorary members in
unlimited numbers though admission is rare.
Chapel: The Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, London.
Given by the Monarch
on the Government’s Advice
(Listed in order precedence)
The Order of the Bath
Foundation: 1725 by King George I.
Purpose: Awarded to military officers and senior civil servants who achieved distinguished service in their 440
careers. The order is considered the highest honour that can be bestowed by the British government on civilians for public service.
Membership: Restricted to roughly 2400 members who are citizens of the United Kingdom and other
Commonwealth Realms, though actual membership is
lower at any one time. Ranks are divided between
Knights or Dames Grand Cross, Knights or Dame
Commanders, and Companions. Honorary membership is
often conferred on foreign heads of state with good relations with the United Kingdom.
Chapel: Henry VII’s Chapel, Westminster Abbey, London.
The Order of St Michael and St George
Foundation: 1818 by George, Prince Regent (later King George IV).
Purpose: Awarded to non-military government personnel who have performed important services in a foreign
country, and to other people who performed important services in foreign and commonwealth affairs. The order is generally awarded to people working in foreign
diplomacy, and to Governors-Generals of Commonwealth Realms.
Membership: Restricted to roughly 2250 members who are citizens of the United Kingdom and other
Commonwealth Realms, though actual membership is
lower at any one time. Ranks are divided between
Knights or Dames Grand Cross, Knights or Dame
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Commanders, and Companions. Honorary membership is
often conferred on selected foreign heads of state, and on foreign individuals with distinguished diplomatic achievements.
Chapel: St Paul’s Cathedral, London.
Order of the British Empire
Foundation: 1917 by King George V.
Purpose: Awarded for public service, for services to charities and public welfare, and for achievement in all fields of human endeavour.
Membership: The order is the largest of all British orders.
It is divided in five classes. The first three classes—
Knights or Dames Grand Cross, Knights or Dame
Commanders, and Commanders—are restricted to
roughly 10,100 members combined. Membership
numbers to the lower two classes, Officers and Members, is unlimited but no more than 2322 people may be
appointed in any one year. The award is open to citizens of the United Kingdom, and of other Commonwealth
realms that wish to nominate their citizens for the honour. Citizens from other countries may be admitted as honorary members.
Chapel: St Paul’s Cathedral, London.
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The Order of the Companions of Honour
Foundation: 1917 by King George V.
Purpose: Awarded for services to the arts, sciences, culture, politics, the military, and fields of public service.
It is generally regarded as the junior class of the Order of Merit, the only difference being that members are
appointed on the advice of the government.
Membership: Restricted to 65 members who are citizens of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth
Realms. Citizens from other countries may be admitted as honorary members.
DECORATIONS AND MEDALS
Awarded on government’s advice. The awards below are listed in order of precedence and include the most senior award classes only.
Victoria Cross
Category: Military
Foundation: 1856 by Queen Victoria.
Purpose: Awarded in exceptional circumstances for most conspicuous bravery, daring acts of valour, or extreme self-sacrifice before the enemy in military combat. The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration and highest honour in the United Kingdom, outranking all other honours including orders of chivalry.
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George Cross
Category: Civilian/Military
Foundation: 1940 by King George VI.
Purpose: The George Cross is awarded to civilians for great acts of heroism in circumstances of extreme
danger, either in wartime or peacetime. It is also
awarded to military personnel for non-combat acts of heroism.
Distinguished Service Order
Category: Military
Foundation: 1886 by Queen Victoria.
Purpose: Awarded to military personnel for outstanding acts of leadership during active operations, and for distinguished leadership service.
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
Category: Military
Foundation: 1993 by Queen Elizabeth II.
Purpose: Awarded to military personnel for acts of conspicuous gallantry during active operations against the enemy. It is considered a second level bravery award in the Armed Forces after the Victoria Cross.
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Royal Red Cross
Category: Nursing
Foundation: 1883 by Queen Victoria.
Purpose: Awarded to military nursing personnel, or civilian nurses working for the military, for exceptional acts of bravery while performing nursing duties, or for exceptional devotion and competency over a long period of time. A second level award with the same name was created by King George V in 1917.
Distinguish Service Cross
Category: Military
Foundation: 1914 by King George V.
Purpose: Awarded to any member of the British Armed Forces for exemplary gallantry shown during active
operations against the enemy at sea.
Military Cross
Category: Military
Foundation: 1914 by King George V.
Purpose: Awarded to any member of the British Armed Forces for exemplary gallantry shown during active
operations against the enemy on land.
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Distinguish Flying Cross
Category: Military
Foundation: 1918 by King George V.
Purpose: Awarded to any member of the British Armed Forces for exemplary gallantry shown during active
operations against the enemy in the air.
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The Sovereign’s Guard
The monarchy has a special relationship with regiments in the British Army who have the honour and duty of guarding the Sovereign and other members of the Royal Family. These relationships began in the Middle Ages when select troops of knights provided protection to the monarch. The present relationships between the British monarch and the regiments below began in the Tudor era and became formalised during the reign of Charles II at the Restoration. These regiments constitute the
Sovereign’s Guard, an elite group of soldiers who are charged with guarding the monarch and providing a
ceremonial escort at major occasions. The Sovereign’s Guard is roughly divided between a Ceremonial Guard and a Military Guard, as described below. Some information about the Changing of the Guard follows at the end of this chapter.
THE CEREMONIAL GUARD
The monarch’s Ceremonial Guard comprises the oldest military corps in Britain. Members are not full time soldiers but instead retired members of the Armed
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Forces or civilians, most of whom are called to perform ceremonial duties only on specific occasions. Although still charged with a formal degree of protection to the monarch, the guard’s role is overwhelmingly ceremonial today. The four corps making up the ceremonial guard are listed below in order of foundation date.
The Yeomen of the Guard
History: The oldest military corps in Britain, it was founded by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and has been in attendance upon the sovereign ever
since. Its original role was to act as personal bodyguard to the monarch at all times, including accompanying him into battle. Its last appearance on the battlefield was at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743 under George II.
Duties: Fully ceremonial today. The Yeomen of the Guard take part in the State Opening of Parliament, the Royal Maundy Service, the Garter Service, coronations, lyings-in-state, funerals, investitures, and garden parties.
Composition: Retired members from the British Armed Forces with a distinguished career of at least 22 years.
Members are called for service only on specific occasions, and must retire by the age of 70.
Uniform: Tudor-era uniform in scarlet and gold, flat hat, collar ruff and ribbon-laced shoes. On some state
occasions they carry medieval halberds.
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The Yeomen Warders
History: Closely related to the Yeoman of the Guard, this corps was spun from them in Henry VIII’s reign with the specific task of guarding the Tower of London, which they have done ever since. They were confirmed as a separate corps in Edward VI’s reign. Their popular nickname of Beefeaters is thought to originate from the fact that the original Yeomen of the Guard were allowed to eat as much beef as they wanted from the King’s table. The term then became associated specifically with the
Yeomen Warders guarding the Tower of London.
Duties: The Yeomen remain the guardians of the Tower of London. Their main official role is to safeguard the Tower, its residents, and its visitors. In addition, they act as guides and storytellers to visitors to the Tower, and also take part in the Ceremony of the Keys at the end of each day. Ceremonial roles outside the Tower include providing a guard of honour to the monarch during the coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey.
Composition: Retired members from the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces with a distinguished career of at least 22 years, and who must be between 40-50
years of age on joining. There are currently 35-40
Yeomen Warders, plus a Chief Yeomen Warder, who
must all live within the precincts of the Tower of London.
Uniform: A Tudor-era uniform of dark blue and red with a flat hat is used for everyday use at the Tower of 449
London. The ceremonial uniform used for state occasions is almost exactly the same as the Yeomen of the Guard’s, except that it lacks a shoulder belt worn across the chest.
The Gentlemen at Arms
History: Formed by Henry VIII in 1509, its original role was to provide a mounted escort to the monarch on the battlefield and on progress. They have however been acting solely as a ceremonial foot guard since 1660.
Although the corps was founded after the Yeomen of the Guard, the Gentlemen have always been classed as the most senior bodyguard to the monarch because originally gentlemen outranked yeomen.
Duties: Fully ceremonial today. Gentlemen at Arms retain the privilege of providing the nearest guard to the sovereign at major ceremonial occasions like the State Opening of Parliament, State Visits, religious services for the orders of chivalry, and coronations.
Composition: Retired members of the British Army and Royal Marines who must be less than 55 years of age on joining and must retire by the age of 70. There are currently between 25 and 35 Gentlemen at Arms. The