Royal Victorian Order
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The Royal Victorian Order ( Dt . : Victoria-Orden ) is a British house order , which was donated on April 21, 1896 by Queen Victoria and with which people are awarded who have personally served the British monarch or a member of the royal family . These are mostly members of the royal household and court, but also family members, members of the armed forces and British diplomats who have organized a state visit. A loan to foreigners is also possible.
Unlike most other orders and decorations in the United Kingdom , the Royal Victorian Order is not awarded on the basis of a nomination by the Prime Minister , but the right to award rests solely with the ruling monarch.
Religious Day is June 20, the day Queen Victoria's accession to the throne is celebrated, its motto is Victoria . The Royal Victorian Order ranks sixth in the ranking of orders and decorations in the United Kingdom .
Order structure
The members of the order are divided into five classes:
| Levels of the Royal Victorian Order: | |||||
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| Order level | Knight / Dame Grand Cross | Knight / Dame Commander | Commander | Lieutenant | Member |
| predicate | Sir / lady | Sir / lady | |||
| Post-nominal | GCVO | KCVO / DCVO | CVO | LVO | MVO |
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In addition, the order has a number of offices: The sovereign of the Royal Victorian Order is the respective British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The sovereign is supported by an order grandmaster. This office was exercised from 1937 to 2002 by Queen Elisabeth, the Queen Mother († 2002). In April 2007, Princess Anne succeeded her grandmother as Grand Master.
There are five administrative offices within the order: chancellor, secretary, registrar, chaplain and genealogist. Unlike most other British knightly orders, the Royal Victorian Order does not have a gentleman usher. Chancellor is the respective British Court Marshal ( Lord Chamberlain of the Household ), currently William Peel, 3rd Earl Peel . The Secretary to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood is always the secretary of the Royal Bookkeeping ( Keeper of the Privy Purse ) and the Registrar is the respective Secretary to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood . Ordenskaplan is the respective chaplain of the Queen's Chapel of the Savoy on the Strand in London , which also serves as the chapel of the Royal Victorian Order.
Ceremonial clothing and regalia
The members of the Order wear their own ceremonial clothing on important occasions such as the coronation of British monarchs , which depends on the class:
- The cape is only worn by the Knights and Dames Grand Cross. It is made of dark blue satin framed by red satin. The breast star (see below) is worn on the left.
- The collar , also only worn by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of gold. Its links consist of alternating octagonal links and framed elements. A golden rose is depicted on a blue field on each of the octagons, while the framed fields alternate with the inscriptions Victoria , Brit. Reg. (Queen of Great Britain), Def. Fid. (Defender of the Faith) and Ind. Imp. (Empress of India). In the center there is a medallion with the image of Queen Victoria.
Simpler insignia are used on less important occasions:
- The breast star is only worn by the Knights and Dames Grand Cross and by the Knights and Dames Commander on the left chest. The star of the Knights and Dames Grand Cross is eight-pointed with an enamelled Maltese cross in the middle. For Knights and Dames Commander it is an eight-pointed silver Maltese cross with silver rays in between and a smaller silver Maltese cross in the middle. In the middle there is an oval medallion with the initials VRI (Victoria, Regina, Imperatrix) on a red background. The motto of the order is reproduced in the blue, crowned ribbon on the edge of the medallion.
- The medal is the only one worn by all members of the order. It is worn on a blue ribbon with red, white and red edges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on a sash that is carried over the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights commanders and male commanders wear the badge as a neck medal . Male lieutenants and members wear it on a ribbon on their left chest. All female medalists (with the exception of the Dames Grand Cross) wear it on a bow on their left shoulder. The medal itself is a Maltese cross. The oval medallion in the middle corresponds to that of the star. The size of the medal increases from class to class. Only lieutenants and members have characters of the same size; that of the lieutenants is enameled, just like that of the higher classes, while that of the members is silver-plated.
On certain days determined by the monarch, the so-called collar days , the members of the order, if they take part in a ceremony, can wear the collans over their military uniform or their civilian evening clothes. The medal is attached to the collar when it is worn on a collar day or during important ceremonies.
All collans awarded since 1948 must be returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood upon the member's death . The remaining insignia remain with the heirs.
chapel
The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy of the former Savoy Hospital in London has been the order 's chapel since 1937 . The clergyman of this royal, diocesan-independent chapel is also the chaplain of the order. Religious celebrations for the entire Order, however, are held every four years in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle because it can accommodate more people; the inclusion of new Knights and Dames Grand Cross takes place during such a celebration.
In the Order Chapel in London there are special seats for the members of the Order of the highest ranks. On their backrests are brass plaques with the names, enamelled coats of arms and the date of admission of the member. These are never removed and form a colorful ornament to the seating. There is no place in the chapel for the typical helmets and banners of the members of this order.
Hierarchy and privileges
Only citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth of Nations can become regular members of the Royal Victorian Order . Citizens of other countries can, however, be appointed honorary members. Knights and Dames Grand Cross have the letters GCVO behind their names ; Knights Commander and Dames Commander the letters KCVO and DCVO respectively ; Companions the letters CVO ; Lieutenants the letters LVO and Members the letters MVO (so-called post-nominal ).
The members of the order receive a position in the protocolary ranking ( Order of Precedence ), a ranking list in which the registered persons are classified according to their nominal importance and which plays an important role in ceremonial events. Wives of male members are also accepted there; so are the sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander. In contrast, relatives of a female member are not included in the list.
By awarding the top two levels of the Royal Victorian Order, citizens of the United Kingdom and citizens of those Commonwealth states that recognize the British monarch as their head of state ( Commonwealth Realms ) can be elevated to the nobility . The Knights Grand Cross and the Knight Commander is the occasion of the Order of Merit ( investiture ) by the monarch to the Knights ( Knight ) beaten and then use the title Sir before their first name. Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander do not receive an accolade, but are also considered ennobled and bear the title of lady . Like the wives of all British Knights, the wives of the Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order may have the addition Lady in front of their name; a comparable privilege does not exist for the husbands of the Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander. Clergymen do not receive the knighthood , nor do the foreign members of the Royal Victorian Order. Anyone who is not a citizen of the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth has honorary membership in the Order.
Knights and Dames Grand Cross are authorized to include shield holders in their coat of arms . They are also allowed to include a bracelet showing the order's motto and a picture of the Collane in their coat of arms. Knights and Dames, Commander and Companions are only allowed to show the bracelet in their coat of arms, but not the chain of the order.
Royal Victorian Medal
The Royal Victorian Medal was donated at the same time as the order. It is also given to persons who have personally served the Majesty. However, it is a separate award, not a special tier of the Royal Victorian Order. However, there is a close connection to the order.
Well-known medal bearers
literature
- Paul Ohm Hieronymussen: Handbook of European orders in colors . Universitas Verlag, Berlin 1966.
- William Arthur Shaw: The Knights of England. Volume 1, Sherratt and Hughes, London 1906, pp. Xxxiii f.
