Royal Society of St George
Encyclopedia
The Royal Society of St George is an English
patriotic
society established in 1894 to encourage interest in the English way of life, and English customs
and traditions. It operates from offices in Folkestone
, Kent
.
of England after the English soldiers fighting under the command of King Henry V
had beaten the French
at the Battle of Agincourt
. Ever since then, St George has been the patriotic rallying point for the English people
.
Howard Ruff was the founder in 1894 and the first Honorary Secretary of the Royal Society of St. George. In 1900 he gave up farming to devote his time exclusively to the Society. The Society's first Royal Patron was Queen Victoria - each monarch since has been the patron of the Society.
The Society is incorporated by a Royal Charter
which was presented by Elizabeth II in 1963 and has its own Armorial Bearings
granted under Letters Patent
in 1990 and also now has members and branches around the world.
The objectives of the charity are to:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
patriotic
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
society established in 1894 to encourage interest in the English way of life, and English customs
Convention (norm)
A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted standards, norms, social norms or criteria, often taking the form of a custom....
and traditions. It operates from offices in Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
History
In 1415 St. George became the Patron SaintPatron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of England after the English soldiers fighting under the command of King Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
had beaten the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
. Ever since then, St George has been the patriotic rallying point for the English people
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
.
Howard Ruff was the founder in 1894 and the first Honorary Secretary of the Royal Society of St. George. In 1900 he gave up farming to devote his time exclusively to the Society. The Society's first Royal Patron was Queen Victoria - each monarch since has been the patron of the Society.
The Society is incorporated by a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
which was presented by Elizabeth II in 1963 and has its own Armorial Bearings
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
granted under Letters Patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
in 1990 and also now has members and branches around the world.
The Society's role today
Today the Society considers itself as the standard bearer of traditional English values, both at home and abroad. Of itself, the Society says, ourThe Society's objects
The objects are specified in the terms of its Royal Charter:- To foster the love of England and to strengthen England and the CommonwealthCommonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
by spreading the knowledge of English history, traditions and ideals. - To keep fresh the memory of those in all walks of life, who have served England or the Commonwealth in the past, to inspire leadership in the future.
- To combat all activities to undermine the strength of England or the Commonwealth.
- To further English interest everywhere to ensure that St. George's Day is properly celebrated and to provide focal points all the world over where English men and women may gather together.
Charity
The Society runs its own charity - No. 263076.The objectives of the charity are to:
- help and encourage young people to greater achievement
- encourage the enterprise, skills and enthusiasm of young people
Membership criteria
Membership of the Society is open to:- All those who subscribe to the Objects of the Society; and who
- Are born in England or wherever born being English men or English women or children or remoter issue of the same; or
- Not being of English descent nevertheless support the aims and objectives of the Society.
Former Presidents
- HRH The Duke of CambridgePrince George, Duke of CambridgePrince George, Duke of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a male-line grandson of King George III. The Duke was an army officer and served as commander-in-chief of the British Army from 1856 to 1895...
- HRH The Prince of Wales (later Edward VIIIEdward VIII of the United KingdomEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
then Duke of WindsorDuke of WindsorThe title Duke of Windsor was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1937 for Prince Edward, the former King Edward VIII, following his abdication in December 1936. The dukedom takes its name from the town where Windsor Castle, a residence of English monarchs since the Norman Conquest, is...
) - Field Marshal The Viscount Montgomery of AlameinBernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of AlameinField Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
- Rudyard KiplingRudyard KiplingJoseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
and - His Grace The Duke of DevonshireDuke of DevonshireDuke of Devonshire is a title in the peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the richest and most influential aristocratic families in England since the 16th century, and have been rivalled in political influence perhaps only...
Previous Vice Presidents
- Sir Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
- His Grace The Duke of Wellington
- His Grace The Duke of WestminsterGerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of WestminsterMajor-General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, , is the son of Robert George Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster, and his wife Hon. Viola Maud Lyttelton. He is the owner of property company Grosvenor Group...
- The Rt Hon The Earl of AylesfordEarl of AylesfordEarl of Aylesford, in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1714 for the lawyer and politician Heneage Finch, 1st Baron Guernsey. He had already been created Baron Guernsey in the Peerage of England in 1703...
- The Rt Hon The Earl NelsonPeter Nelson, 9th Earl NelsonPeter John Horatio Nelson, 9th Earl Nelson was Earl Nelson. He was the oldest son of Captain John Nelson, and grandson of Edward Agar Horatio Nelson, 5th Earl Nelson....
- The Rt Hon The Lord ForteCharles Forte, Baron ForteCharles Forte, Baron Forte was a British caterer and hotelier. His obituary in The Guardian obituary stated that: He created a worldwide empire of restaurants and hotels from virtually nothing-Early life:...
- The Rt Hon Field Marshal The Lord BramallEdwin Bramall, Baron BramallField Marshal Edwin Noel Westby Bramall, Baron Bramall KG, GCB, OBE, MC, DL, JP is a British Army officer who served as Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, between 1979 and 1982, and as Chief of the Defence Staff, professional head of the British Armed Forces,...
- The Rt Hon The Lord KingsdownRobin Leigh-Pemberton, Baron KingsdownRobert "Robin" Leigh-Pemberton, Baron Kingsdown, is a crossbencher on the House of Lords, and was formerly a lawyer and banker....
- Major General C. C. Taylor CB
- Brigadier F. G. Stafford CMG CBE
- The Rt Hon The Lord Cope of BerkeleyJohn Cope, Baron Cope of BerkeleyJohn Ambrose Cope, Baron Cope of Berkeley, PC is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was educated at Oakham School before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant. He served as Member of Parliament for South Gloucestershire from 1974 to 1983...
PC - The Rt Hon The Baroness ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
LG OM FRS - B. M. Cronan
- A. H. Hamilton Hopkins
- G. F. Sadler MBE
- C. P. Fairweather
- W. R. Firth