List of Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
Encyclopedia
Below is a List of Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire from the Order's
creation in 1917 until the present day:
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
creation in 1917 until the present day:
1910s
- 1917: Mary of TeckMary of TeckMary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, The Begum of BhopalKaikhusrau Jahan, Begum of BhopalNawab Begum Dame Sultan Kaikhusrau Jahan GCSI GCIE GBE GCStJ CI KIH was a notable and progressive Begum of Bhopal who ruled from 1901 to 1926.-Early life:...
, Katharine FurseKatharine FurseDame Katharine Furse, GBE, RRC , founder of the English Voluntary Aid Detachment force, was born Katharine Symonds, daughter of the poet and critic John Addington Symonds and Janet Catherine North...
, The Baroness WenlockArthur Lawley, 6th Baron WenlockArthur Lawley, 6th Baron Wenlock, GCIE, KCMG was a British politician, soldier and administrator who served as the administrator of Matabeleland, Governor of Western Australia, Lieutenant-Governor of Transvaal and Governor of Madras.Lawley was born in 1860 to 2nd Baron Wenlock and his wife, Lady...
, Louise Paget, Flora ReidFlora ReidDame Florence "Flora" Reid GBE was the wife of the Prime Minister of Australia Sir George Reid.-Biodata:... - 1918: The Countess of Liverpool, The Viscountess ChelmsfordFrederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount ChelmsfordFrederic John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GBE, PC was a British statesman who served as Governor of Queensland , Governor of New South Wales from 1909 to 1913, and Viceroy of India from 1916 to 1921, where he was responsible for the creation of the Montagu-Chelmsford...
, The Lady AmpthillMargaret Russell, Baroness AmpthillMargaret Russell, Baroness Ampthill, GCVO, CI, GBE was the daughter of the 6th Earl Beauchamp.Born as Margaret Lygon, she married the 2nd Baron Ampthill, in Madresfield, Worcestershire on 6 October 1894 .She was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary, and in 1918 was made a Dame Grand Cross of the...
, The Marchioness of Winchester, The Viscountess Novar, The Duchess of Montrose, Lady Aimée Evelyn DawsonDouglas DawsonBrigadier-General Sir Douglas Frederick Rawdon Dawson , GCVO, KCB, CMG, was a British Army general officer.He was the second son of the Hon. Thomas Vesey Dawson, an officer of the Coldstream Guards who was killed at the Battle of Inkerman. Hispaternal grandfather was Richard Thomas Dawson, 2nd...
, The Viscountess HarcourtLewis Vernon Harcourt, 1st Viscount HarcourtLewis Vernon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt PC was a British Liberal Party politician who held the Cabinet office of Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1910 to 1915...
, Sidney Jane BrowneSidney BrowneDame Sidney Jane Browne, GBE, RRC was the first appointed Matron-in-Chief of the newly formed Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service....
, Edith Benyon, The Viscountess NorthcliffMary Harmsworth, Viscountess NorthcliffeMary Harmsworth, Viscountess Northcliffe, Lady Hudson, GBE, DStJ, ARRC was born as Mary Elizabeth Milner, the daughter of Robert Milner, of Kidlington, Oxfordshire, England.-Marriages:... - 1919: The Countess of BuxtonMildred Buxton, Countess BuxtonMildred, Countess of Buxton, GBE, JP , born Mildred Anne Smith, the daughter of Hugh Colin Smith and Constance Maria Josepha , married Sydney Charles Buxton, 1st and last Earl of Buxton, son of Charles Buxton and Emily Mary Holland, on 7 July 1896 at Roehampton, Surrey.As a result of her marriage,...
, The Marchioness of WaterfordBeatrix Beauclerk, Duchess of St AlbansBeatrix Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans, Marchioness of Waterford, GBE, DGStJ , born Beatrix Frances Petty-FitzMaurice, was a daughter of the 5th Marquess of Lansdowne and his wife, Maud....
, Princess Henry of BattenbergPrincess Beatrice of the United KingdomThe Princess Beatrice was a member of the British Royal Family. She was the fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Juan Carlos, King of Spain, is her great-grandson...
, Princess Marie LouisePrincess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Titles:*1872–1891: Her Highness Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein*1891–1900: Her Highness Princess Aribert of Anhalt*1900–1917: Her Highness Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein...
, The Duchess of Bedford, Sarah SwiftSarah SwiftDame Sarah Ann Swift, GBE, RRC was a nurse and founder in 1916 of the Royal College of Nursing, thereby introducing Nurse registration.-Early life:...
, Ethel Becher, Maud McCarthyMaud McCarthyDame Emma Maud McCarthy, GBE, RRC was a nursing sister and army Matron-in-Chief. She was the eldest child of William Frederick McCarthy, a solicitor, and his Sydney-born wife, Emma Mary à Beckett...
1920s
- 1920: Margaret Lloyd GeorgeMargaret Lloyd GeorgeDame Margaret Lloyd George, GBE , née Margaret Owen, was the first wife of British Prime Minister David Lloyd George - from 1888 until her death in 1941.-Biography:...
, The 1st Marchioness of ReadingAlice Isaacs, Marchioness of ReadingAlice Edith Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading GBE CI , née Alice Edith Cohen, was the first wife of Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading and a prominent philanthropist in colonial India....
, The Countess of AirlieMabell Ogilvy, Countess of AirlieMabell Frances Elizabeth Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie, GCVO, GBE was a British courtier and author.-Early life:... - 1924: The Marchioness of WillingdonMarie Freeman-Thomas, Marchioness of WillingdonMarie Freeman-Thomas, Marchioness of Willingdon, GBE CI was born as Marie Adelaide Brassey, a daughter of Thomas Brassey, 1st Earl Brassey....
- 1925: Ivy Chamberlain, Ellen TerryEllen TerryDame Ellen Terry, GBE was an English stage actress who became the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain. Among the members of her famous family is her great nephew, John Gielgud....
- 1926: The Baroness Forster, Christina Massey
- 1927: Princess Mary, Viscountess LascellesMary, Princess Royal and Countess of HarewoodThe Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family; she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
, Nellie MelbaNellie MelbaDame Nellie Melba GBE , born Helen "Nellie" Porter Mitchell, was an Australian operatic soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian Era and the early 20th century... - 1929: Helen Gwynne-VaughanHelen Gwynne-VaughanDame Helen Charlotte Isabella Gwynne-Vaughan, GBE , née Fraser, was a prominent British botanist and mycologist....
1930s
- 1932: The Baroness Baden-PowellOlave Baden-PowellOlave St Clair Baden-Powell, Baroness Baden-Powell, GBE was born Olave St Clair Soames in Chesterfield, England...
, The Viscountess Cowdray - 1937: Enid LyonsEnid LyonsDame Enid Muriel Lyons, AD, GBE was an Australian politician and the first woman to be elected to the Australian House of Representatives as well as the first woman appointed to the federal Cabinet...
, The Countess Baldwin of BewdleyLucy Baldwin, Countess Baldwin of BewdleyLucy Baldwin, Countess Baldwin of Bewdley, GBE, DGStJ was the wife of British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin...
, Princess Alice, Duchess of GloucesterPrincess Alice, Duchess of GloucesterPrincess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was a member of the British Royal Family, the wife and then widow of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of George V and Queen Mary.The daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch & Queensberry, Scotland’s largest landowner, her brothers Walter and...
, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, Princess Alice, Countess of AthlonePrincess Alice, Countess of AthlonePrincess Alice, Countess of Athlone was a member of the British Royal Family. She was the longest-lived Princess of the Blood Royal of the British Royal Family and the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria... - 1938: The Marchioness of CarisbrookeIrene Mountbatten, Marchioness of CarisbrookeLady Irene Francis Adza "Iris" Denison, Marchioness of Carisbrooke, GBE, DJ.St.J was born in London, England, the daughter of William Francis Henry Denison, 2nd Earl of Londesborough and Lady Grace Adelaide ....
1940s
- 1944: The 2nd Marchioness of ReadingStella Isaacs, Marchioness of ReadingStella Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading, GBE , née Stella Charnaud, was a British political and military figure....
- 1946: Isobel CrippsIsobel CrippsDame Isobel Cripps, GBE , also known as Lady Cripps, was a British overseas aid organiser and the wife of Sir Stafford Cripps....
, The Baroness Spencer-ChurchillClementine Churchill, Baroness Spencer-ChurchillClementine Ogilvy Spencer-Churchill, Baroness Spencer-Churchill, GBE, CStJ was the wife of Sir Winston Churchill and a life peeress in her own right.-Early life:... - 1947: The Countess Mountbatten of BurmaEdwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of BurmaEdwina Cynthia Annette Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma,, GBE, DCVO, CI, DStJ was an English heiress, socialite, relief-worker, wife of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and last Vicereine of India.- Lineage and wealth :Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma...
- 1948: Beryl OliverBeryl OliverDame Beryl Carnegy Oliver GBE RRC , née Beryl Carnegy Joseph, was a British charity administrator as well as the British Red Cross Society's Director of Education.-Personal life:...
1950s
- 1951: The Baroness Denman
- 1953: The Baroness FreybergBarbara Freyberg, Baroness FreybergBarbara Freyberg, Baroness Freyberg GBE, DStJ was a British peeress.Born as Barbara Jekyll, she was a daughter of Colonel Sir Herbert Jekyll . On 20 July 1911, she married Hon...
- 1954: The Countess Alexander of TunisMargaret Alexander, Countess Alexander of TunisMargaret Alexander, Countess Alexander of Tunis GBE, DStJ , born Lady Margaret Bingham, was a daughter of George Bingham, Lord Bingham . On 14 October 1931, she married Hon. Harold Alexander and they had four children....
, The Countess of Limerick, Pattie MenziesPattie MenziesDame Pattie Maie Menzies GBE was the wife of Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies.-Biography:... - 1957: Dehra ParkerDehra ParkerDame Dehra S. Parker, GBE, PC was the longest serving woman MP in the Northern Ireland House of Commons.-Family life:...
1960s
- 1961: The Baroness SharpEvelyn Sharp, Baroness SharpEvelyn Adelaide Sharp, Baroness Sharp of Hornsey was a British civil servant and the first women to hold the position of Permanent Secretary, the most senior civil servant in a Ministry.-Early life:...
- 1964: Lady Dorothy MacmillanLady Dorothy MacmillanLady Dorothy Evelyn Macmillan GBE was a daughter of the 9th Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and the wife of the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.-Family life:...
1980s
- 1983: The Baroness Donaldson of LymingtonMary Donaldson, Baroness Donaldson of LymingtonDorothy Mary Warwick, Baroness Donaldson of Lymington, GBE DStJ , better known as Dame Mary Donaldson, was the first, and to date the only, female Lord Mayor of London ....