Royal Family Order
Encyclopedia
The Royal Family Order is an order awarded by the sovereign of the United Kingdom
to female members of the royal family
(and occasionally to senior female members of the royal household
). The order is a personal memento rather than a state decoration. The same practice is in place in the Norwegian Royal Family
, the Swedish Royal Family
and the Danish Royal Family
.
. Prior to 1820, he started the practice of presenting the order to ladies and gentlemen of the Court, particularly female members of the Royal family. His order was rather ornate in appearance, and the frame that surrounded his portrait was of diamond oak leaves and acorns. The badge was suspended from a white silk bow. As a young woman, Princess Victoria of Kent (later Queen Victoria
) received this badge from her uncle.
After George IV, each succeeding sovereign, except William IV
and Edward VIII, has issued his or her own Royal Family Order.
A slight variation in the practice of the Royal Family Order came with the reign of Queen Victoria
. When Victoria came to the throne there was no Royal Family Order until after her marriage she created her Royal Order of Victoria and Albert
in 1862, which then served as her Royal Family Order. The order consisted of a cameo portrait of Victoria and Albert, and was suspended from a white ribbon. No other Royal Family Order has depicted both the sovereign and the sovereign's consort.
Related to the Royal Family Order is Queen Alexandra's
ladies' order, which is sometimes mistakenly called Queen Alexandra's Royal Family Order. This is not an official order, but rather one that was personally issued by Queen Alexandra to those in her service or family.
Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, for example, had four.)
The badge of the order consists of a portrait of the Sovereign set in diamonds, which is suspended from a ribbon. The ribbon of each Royal Family Order changes with each monarch: Edward VII's
was variegated of red, blue, and white (similar to the colors of the Royal Victorian Order), George V's
was pale blue, and George VI's was rose pink. Each contained a portrait of the sovereign, usually in uniform (if male), or an evening dress (if female). The reverse of the order contains the royal cypher of the sovereign.
The Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
depicts The Queen in evening dress wearing the ribbon and star of the Order of the Garter. The miniature, painted on ivory, is bordered by diamonds and surmounted by a Tudor crown in diamonds and red enamel. The reverse, in silver-gilt, is patterned with rays and depicts the royal cypher and St Edward's Crown in gold and enamel. The watered silk ribbon is chartreuse yellow and formed into a bow.
The Royal Family Orders are worn pinned to the left shoulder at formal evening occasions when other orders and decorations are worn. If a sash is worn also over the left shoulder, the order is pinned to the sash. If more than one Royal Family Order is worn, they are layered, with the most recent always on top.
More than one Royal Family Order may be worn. The Queen
herself wears the Family Orders of her father King George VI and her grandfather King George V; for obvious reasons she does not wear her own. Princess Alexandra
has those of King George VI and The Queen. Those who wear that of The Queen only are The Princess Royal
, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Countess of Wessex, The Duchess of Gloucester, and The Duchess of Kent.
Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
, wore those of King George V, King George VI, and The Queen. Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
, also wore those of King George V, King George VI and The Queen. Princess Margaret
wore the same as her mother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
wore those of King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI and The Queen. In addition she also wore The Royal Order of Victoria and Albert - one of only 2 women, the other being Queen Mary
, who was a member of 5 British Royal Family orders at the same time. Diana, Princess of Wales
wore that of The Queen only.
It is notable that marriage into the Royal Family does not automatically bestow the Order. Although Diana, Princess of Wales
was known to have received the Order, neither Sarah, Duchess of York
, Princess Michael of Kent
or Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge have been seen to hold the order.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
to female members of the royal family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
(and occasionally to senior female members of the royal household
Royal Households of the United Kingdom
The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the organised offices and support systems for the British Royal Family, along with their immediate families...
). The order is a personal memento rather than a state decoration. The same practice is in place in the Norwegian Royal Family
Norwegian Royal Family
The Royal Family of Norway is the family of King Harald V of Norway. In Norway there is a distinction between the Royal House and the Royal Family. The Royal House includes only the King and his spouse, the Queen, the King's eldest son with spouse, being the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and the...
, the Swedish Royal Family
Swedish Royal Family
The Swedish Royal Family since 1818 consists of a number of persons in the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. They are entitled to royal titles and style , and some perform official engagements and ceremonial duties of state...
and the Danish Royal Family
Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
.
History
The first Royal Family Order was issued during and after the regency of George IVGeorge IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. Prior to 1820, he started the practice of presenting the order to ladies and gentlemen of the Court, particularly female members of the Royal family. His order was rather ornate in appearance, and the frame that surrounded his portrait was of diamond oak leaves and acorns. The badge was suspended from a white silk bow. As a young woman, Princess Victoria of Kent (later Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
) received this badge from her uncle.
After George IV, each succeeding sovereign, except William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
and Edward VIII, has issued his or her own Royal Family Order.
A slight variation in the practice of the Royal Family Order came with the reign of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
. When Victoria came to the throne there was no Royal Family Order until after her marriage she created her Royal Order of Victoria and Albert
Royal Order of Victoria and Albert
The Royal Order of Victoria and Albert was a British Royal Family Order instituted in on 10 February 1862 by Queen Victoria, and enlarged on 10 October 1864; 15 November 1865; and 15 March 1880. No awards were made after the death of Queen Victoria....
in 1862, which then served as her Royal Family Order. The order consisted of a cameo portrait of Victoria and Albert, and was suspended from a white ribbon. No other Royal Family Order has depicted both the sovereign and the sovereign's consort.
Related to the Royal Family Order is Queen Alexandra's
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
ladies' order, which is sometimes mistakenly called Queen Alexandra's Royal Family Order. This is not an official order, but rather one that was personally issued by Queen Alexandra to those in her service or family.
Classes and insignia
Today, the Royal Family Order appears to exist in a single class. Previous Royal Family Orders had three or four classes. (Queen Victoria'sVictoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, for example, had four.)
The badge of the order consists of a portrait of the Sovereign set in diamonds, which is suspended from a ribbon. The ribbon of each Royal Family Order changes with each monarch: Edward VII's
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
was variegated of red, blue, and white (similar to the colors of the Royal Victorian Order), George V's
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
was pale blue, and George VI's was rose pink. Each contained a portrait of the sovereign, usually in uniform (if male), or an evening dress (if female). The reverse of the order contains the royal cypher of the sovereign.
The Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
depicts The Queen in evening dress wearing the ribbon and star of the Order of the Garter. The miniature, painted on ivory, is bordered by diamonds and surmounted by a Tudor crown in diamonds and red enamel. The reverse, in silver-gilt, is patterned with rays and depicts the royal cypher and St Edward's Crown in gold and enamel. The watered silk ribbon is chartreuse yellow and formed into a bow.
Wearing the Order
More than one Royal Family Order may be worn. The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
herself wears the Family Orders of her father King George VI and her grandfather King George V; for obvious reasons she does not wear her own. Princess Alexandra
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
has those of King George VI and The Queen. Those who wear that of The Queen only are The Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Countess of Wessex, The Duchess of Gloucester, and The Duchess of Kent.
Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
, wore those of King George V, King George VI, and The Queen. Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Princess 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...
, also wore those of King George V, King George VI and The Queen. Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
wore the same as her mother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
Princess 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...
wore those of King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI and The Queen. In addition she also wore The Royal Order of Victoria and Albert - one of only 2 women, the other being Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary 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....
, who was a member of 5 British Royal Family orders at the same time. Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
wore that of The Queen only.
It is notable that marriage into the Royal Family does not automatically bestow the Order. Although Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
was known to have received the Order, neither Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
, Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent is an Austrian-Hungarian member of the British Royal Family. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, who is a grandson of King George V....
or Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge have been seen to hold the order.
List of Royal Family Orders
- Royal Family Order of King George IVRoyal Family Order of King George IVThe Royal Family Order of King George IV was a high honour bestowed as a mark of personal esteem on titled female members of the British Royal Family for personal service to King George IV....
(1811/1821) - Royal Order of Victoria and AlbertRoyal Order of Victoria and AlbertThe Royal Order of Victoria and Albert was a British Royal Family Order instituted in on 10 February 1862 by Queen Victoria, and enlarged on 10 October 1864; 15 November 1865; and 15 March 1880. No awards were made after the death of Queen Victoria....
(1862) - Royal Family Order of King Edward VIIRoyal Family Order of King Edward VIIThe Royal Family Order of King Edward VII was a high honour bestowed as a mark of personal esteem on titled female members of the British Royal Family for personal service to King Edward VII...
(1901) - Royal Family Order of King George VRoyal Family Order of King George VThe Royal Family Order of King George V was a high honour bestowed as a mark of personal esteem on titled female members of the British Royal Family for personal service to King George V.Queen Elizabeth II is the only surviving member of the Order....
(1911) - Royal Family Order of King George VIRoyal Family Order of King George VIThe Royal Family Order of King George VI was a high honour bestowed as a mark of personal esteem on titled female members of the British Royal Family for personal service to King George VI....
(1937) - Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth IIRoyal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth IIThe Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II is a high honour bestowed as a mark of personal esteem on titled female members of the British Royal Family for personal service to Queen Elizabeth II. It is not automatically awarded and there is no public announcement of the honour...
(1953)