The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-16
BRITISH ORDERS OF KNIeHrHooD.
Quees Victoria HAS Devised Nips asa saay
Invent Some Wore.

Invent some wore.
LONDON, May s.-Qucen Victoria has had q
long life Of business with comparatively little
pleasure In It. Most OF what the great public
looks upon as the pleasures of royalty must DO
the real business OF actual royal persons. Aftor
ono or two drawing rooms, how can any queen
or princess look forward to others except as
boresi Then besides the show business, her
most gracious Majesty has to do an immense
amount Of routine work-work that doesn't re-
auire her to put on her best or even her second
bost crown and the " ribands" Of her pet orders,
the Garter and tho Royal Hanoverian; but work
that is work Just tho same. Even when che
goes down to her own country place at Balmoral
one OF the Ministers Is constantly in attendance,
and home service messengers travel daily be-
tween London and Balmorn with papers and
documents. For nearly sixty years the Queen
has been at work, so it's only fair that she
should have some relaxation from timo to time.
1t is perhaps hardly fair to speak OF the Order
of the Garter and the Royal Hanovcrian Order
rs tho Queens pet orders. She has givon pleas
uro to many of her subjects cheaply by confer.
ring orders upon them Mt $50 per" but prob
ably she has had quito as much pleasure In In
venting tho various orders and decorations and
in granting them as the recipients have had in
receiving-and settling with the registrar.
There arc, or there woro up to last October,
fourteen orders of knighthood and decorations
bestowed by the Crown Of Great Britain and
ireland, SC. Five of these were In existence be-
fore Queen Victoria was born. These unfortu-
nato 6ve are: The Garter, said to date from
1948, and considered by tho British as the
very topmost Of all orders; non.Britons place
tho Golden Fleece ahead Of. tho Garter-but
non-Britons are wofully ignorant and biGotcd.
After the Garter como the Thistle. founded In
Scotland in 1910. by James "; the order of st.
Patrick. founded in 1883 by George Ill.,; tho
Bath, said to date from 1900, when 1t was
founded by Henry w., but really dating from
1925. whom George I. began It; and the order Of
ST. Michael and st. George. dating from 1918.
The other nine orders and decorations the Queen
has found time to invent and improve, and no
ono can grudge her the time spent, especially as
some of tho decorations mot all) are worth $50
each time they are conferred.
these: The Order OF the Star Of India. 1861; the
Order OF the Indian Empire, -1s7s-tho Queen
MsS pt the RoysI 6 6rIderos Of q Wic tnala 6 am arr Hiber t.
1869; the Imperial Order OF the Crown of India,
ls7s; the Royal VICTORIAN Order: 1896; tho
Victoria Cross, 1856; the Albert Medal. 1865;
Service Medal, 1856.
there Is to It.. All OF the orders have titles. and
the titles are so various and variegated that the
Queen must at times have been at q loss how to
The Carter is 1.-THE Most Noble Order of the
Carter, the Thistle is The Most Ancient Or
Most mustrious Order OF St. pqtrick;''' the Bath
Is The Most HONORABLE Order of the Bath"
enis frsIt or SS!on af So 9FS Micb is |T nhS Mot sIt G1 l;istin;
Now 1t would seem as II only the man who COM
poses the circus odvertisemcnts could evolve
anything in the way OF title for an order differ
ent from these titles: but Queen Victoria has
done SO.
For the Order of tho Star of India. which she
inserted between the Bath and the Michael and
George. she chose the title Most Exalted -; to
the c5der Of Et the n iETDirs she gsyg the Il;
bSen Grand Master of English Mesons Just
about two years. by an in.srcsting coincidence).
Grown of India became The Impsrial Order,
These last three orders, by the way, are for wo-
Like Kissing, the bcstowal OF these orders goes
by favor. So docs the bestowal OF the three
Albert Medal for saving. life, and the Victoria
Cross. The Distinguished Service Order III. S.
o. is for officers Of the army or navy; the Vic
toria Cross is for conspicuous braycry,' and
s soIdjssT GO o 70 am ent of,eeI m IS o nS % Uf fa as 10 Veins Stflse his cd III a
handing officer, his name isn't, sent up with
Recommendation that he receive the medal.
ia the Royal Victorian order, instituted on April
81. 1895. In one of Kipling,,s stories mention is
his feelings were depicted hastily but forcihly.
Iney were unpleasant. IL would seem probable
that the members Of the Royal Victorian Order,
unless they're glad TO get anything. must have
unpleasant feelings when they get a hill for
Fees in connection with installation rs member
Of the Royal Victorian Order, $50. Please re-
nit. There are five classes to this order:
Grand Crosses Victorian Order and Honorary
dittoes; Knight Commanders. Victorian Order.
and hon. do; Commanders. Victorian Order, and
dittoes; members. Victorian Order. &C.. and
members, ffth class, Victorian Order. and dit:
toes. The sailing master of the Prince Of
Wales's yacht is n very. recent member thfth
classl OF the Victorian Order.
II has been reported that the Queen would in
stitute a new order to celebrate her diamond
jubilee. II she does. undoubtedly she will choose
a nice name and a fine title for it, for she has
had plenty of experience.
Some OF the British orders have nicknames.
Thus a person who is a c. NJ. C.. is described by
persons who aren't c. N. as as n Colonial
Made Gentleman:" the r. v. D.. or Royal Vic
torian, is Really Very Odd and so on.
The English used to snccr at the French for
their alleged fondncss for decorations. The Eng
fish have fourteen orders, tho French only one;
and there are about AS many wearers Of English
orders rs of the French Legion of Honor.