Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom 204,344pages on The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories . The system consists of three types of award: honours, decorations and medals: Honours are used to recognise merit in terms of achievement and service. Decorations tend to be used to recognise specific deeds. Medals are used to recognise bravery, long and/or valuable service and/or good conduct. Contents Edit Although the Anglo-Saxon monarchs are known to have rewarded their loyal subjects with rings and other symbols of favour, it was the Normans who introduced knighthoods as part of their feudal government. The first English order of chivalry, the Order of the Garter , was created in 1348 by Edward III . Since then the system has evolved to address the changing need to recognise other forms of service to the United Kingdom .

Modern honours Edit As the head of state, the Sovereign remains the " fount of honour ", [1] but the system for identifying and recognising candidates to honour has changed considerably over time. Various orders of knighthood have been created (see below) as well as awards for military service, bravery, merit, and achievement which take the form of decorations or medals. Most medals are not graded. Each one recognises specific service and as such there are normally set criteria which must be met. These criteria may include a period of time and will often delimit a particular geographic region. Medals are not normally presented by the Sovereign. A full list is printed in the "order of wear", published infrequently by the London Gazette. Orders of Honours Edit Honours are split into classes ("orders") and are graded to distinguish different degrees of achievement or service. There are no criteria to determine these levels; various honours committees meet to discuss the candidates and decide which ones deserve which type of award and at what level. [2] New Year and Birthday Honours Edit A complete list of approximately 1350 names is published twice a year, at New Year and on the date of the Sovereign's (official) birthday .

Since their decisions are inevitably subjective, the twice-yearly honours lists often provoke criticism from those who feel strongly about particular cases. [3] [4] Candidates are identified by public or private bodies, by government departments or are nominated by members of the public. Depending on their roles, those people selected by committee are submitted either to the Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, or Secretary of State for Defence for their approval before being sent to the Sovereign for final approval. Certain honours are awarded solely at the Sovereign's discretion, such as the Order of the Garter , [5] the Order of the Thistle, the Royal Victorian Order , [6] the Order of Merit [7] and the Royal Family Order . The awards are then presented by the Sovereign or her designated representative. The Prince of Wales , the Duke of Cambridge and the Princess Royal have deputised for the Queen at investiture ceremonies at Buckingham Palace. New Year Honours lists Edit Orders were created for particular reasons at particular times. In some cases these reasons have ceased to have any validity and orders have fallen into abeyance, primarily due to the decline of the British Empire during the twentieth century.

Reforms of the system have sometimes made other changes. For example the British Empire Medal ceased to be awarded in the UK in 1993, as was the companion level award of the Imperial Service Order (although its medal is still used). The British Empire Medal was revived however in 2012 with 293 BEMs awarded for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. In addition, BEM is used by the Cook Islands and by some other Commonwealth nations. The Order of St Patrick Quis Separabit? ("Who will separate us?") At the monarch's pleasure The Order of St Patrick was founded in 1783 by George III for the Kingdom of Ireland , and after the Acts of Union 1800 continued for Irish peers in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . After the Irish Free State's secession in 1922, only members of the royal family were appointed to the order, the last in 1936. The last surviving knight was Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester , who died on 10 June 1974. Although dormant, the order technically still exists, and may be awarded at any time.

Queen Elizabeth II is the current sovereign of this order. Imperial orders King George VI Long, faithful and honourable service of members of certain armed forces in Burma These orders, relating to the British Raj or the British Indian Empire, are also dormant. The senior order, the Order of the Star of India, was divided into three grades, Knight Grand Commander, Knight Commander and Companion, of which the first and highest was conferred upon the Princes and Chiefs of Indian states and upon important British civil servants working in India. Women were not eligible to receive the award. The junior order, the Order of the Indian Empire, was divided into the same ranks and also excluded women. The third order, the Order of the Crown of India, was used exclusively to honour women. Its members, all sharing a single grade, consisted of the wives and close female relatives of Indian Princes or Chiefs; the Viceroy or Governor-General; the Governors of Bombay, Madras and Bengal; the Principal Secretary of State for India; and the Commander-in-Chief in India. Upon Indian independence in 1947, appointments to all these orders ceased. H.H.

Maharaja Tej Singh Prabhakar Bahadur of Alwar , who was a KCSI and the last surviving member of the Order of the Star of India , died in February 2009, aged 97. The sole surviving member of the Order of the Indian Empire , H.H. Maharaja Meghrajji III of Dhrangadhra-Halvad , a KCIE died in August 2010, aged 87. Queen Elizabeth II was appointed to the Order of the Crown of India (then as Princess Elizabeth) and is the last surviving former member of that order. The Queen remains also the Sovereign of the Indian orders as they have never been abolished. The Order of Burma was created in May 1940 by King George VI of the United Kingdom to recognise subjects of the British colony of Burma (Myanmar). This order had one class which entitled the member to the postnominal letters OB but no title. It was originally intended to reward long and faithful service by military and police. In 1945 the Royal Warrant was altered to allow for membership for acts of gallantry as well as meritorious service.

The Order was one of the rarest awarded with only 33 appointments by the time appointments were discontinued in 1948 when Burma declared independence. Orders formerly associated with the British monarch Since 1841 (Hanoverian House Order) Prince Regent (later George IV) Nec Aspera Terrent (Not afraid of difficulties) At the monarch's pleasure The Royal Guelphic Order , also known as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, was an honour founded by George, Prince Regent in the name of his father King George III in 1815. In the United Kingdom it was used only briefly, until the death of William IV in 1837 that resulted in the ending of the personal union with the Kingdom of Hanover due to succession to the throne of Hanover following the Salic Law, unlike in the United Kingdom where women could inheirit the throne. The order continued for some time as a national order of Hanover until the defeat and forced dissolution of the kingdom by Prussia in 1866. Since then the order has been a house order to be awarded by the House of Hanover .

The order's current head is Ernst August Prinz von Hanover , head of the house of Hanover. The Order includes two Divisions, Civil and Military. During the personal union of the United Kingdom and Hanover it originally had three classes, but with several reorganizations since 1841 as house order today it has four classes and an additional Cross of Merit. Decorations The decorations awarded are, in order of wear: [15] Complete name Edit There are five ranks of hereditary peerage: Duke , Marquess , Earl, Viscount and Baron. Until the mid 20th century, peerages were usually hereditary (bar legal peerages - see below) and, until the end of the 20th century, English, British and UK peerages (except, until very recent times, those for the time being held by women) carried the right to a seat in the House of Lords. Hereditary peerages are now normally only given to members of the Royal Family.

The most recent were the grants to the Queen's youngest son, the Earl of Wessex , on his marriage in 1999, and to the Queen's grandson Prince William who was made the Duke of Cambridge on the morning before his marriage to Catherine Middleton on 29 April 2011. No hereditary peerages were granted to commoners after the Labour Party came to power in 1964, until Margaret Thatcher tentatively reintroduced them by two grants to men with no sons in 1983, respectively the Speaker of the House of Commons George Thomas and the former Deputy Prime Minister William Whitelaw . Both these titles died with their holders. She followed this with an Earldom in 1984 for the former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan not long before his death, reviving a traditional honour for former Prime Ministers. Macmillan's grandson succeeded him on his death in 1986. No hereditary peerages have been created since, and Thatcher's own title was a life peerage (see further explanation below). The concession of a baronetcy (i.e.

hereditary knighthood), was granted to Margaret Thatcher's husband Denis following her resignation (explained below, see Baronet). Hereditary peerages are not "honours under the crown" and so cannot be withdrawn. A peerage can only be revoked by an Act of Parliament. Most recently, when changes were made to the House of Lords register of interests, making further declarations mandatory, peers sitting in the house were allowed to disclaim their peerage in order to leave the house and avoid the register. Only 5 peers did so, and all were life peers. Life peerage Edit Modern life peerages were introduced under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 , following a test case (the Wensleydale Peerage Case ) which established that non-statutory life peers would not have the right to sit in the House of Lords. At that time, life peerages were intended only for Law Lords , there being a desire to introduce legal expertise into the chamber to assist appellate law work, without conferring rights on future generations of these early working peers because the future generations might contain no legal experts.

Subsequently, under the Life Peerages Act 1958 , life peerages became the norm for all new grants outside the Royal Family, this being seen as a modest reform of the nature of the second legislative chamber. However, its effects were gradual because hereditary peers, and their successors, retained until recently their rights to attend and vote with the life peers. All hereditary peers except 92 – chosen in a secret ballot of all hereditary peers – have now lost their rights to sit in the second chamber. All hereditary peers retain dining rights to the House of Lords, retaining its title as "the best club in London". All Life Peers hold the rank of Baron and automatically have the right to sit in the House of Lords. The title exists only for the duration of their own lifetime and is not passed to their heirs (although the children even of life peers enjoy the same courtesy titles as hereditary peers). Some life peerages are created as an honour for achievement, some for the specific purpose of introducing legislators from the various political parties (known as working peers) and some under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876, with a view to judicial work.

There is a discrete number appointed as "People's Peers", on recommendation of the general public. Twenty-six Church of England bishops have a seat in the House of Lords. As a life peerage is not technically an "honour under the Crown", it cannot be withdrawn once granted. Thus, while knighthoods have been withdrawn as "honours under the Crown", convicted criminals who have served their sentences have returned to the House of Lords. In the case of Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare , he has chosen only to exercise dining rights and has yet to speak following his release from his conviction for perjury. Baronetcy Edit This is a hereditary honour carrying the title Sir. Baronetcies are not peerages; they are commonly (albeit incorrectly) considered a species of knighthood, albeit a senior one.[ citation needed ] When a baronetcy becomes vacant on the death of a holder, the heir, if he wishes to be addressed as "Sir", is required to register the proofs of succession. The Official Roll of Baronets is kept at the Ministry of Justice (transferred from the Home Office in 2001) by the Registrar of the Baronetage.

Anyone who considers that he is entitled to be entered on the roll may petition the Crown through the Lord Chancellor. Anyone succeeding to a baronetcy therefore must exhibit proofs of succession to the Lord Chancellor. [18] A person who is not entered on the roll will not be addressed or mentioned as a baronet or accorded precedence as a baronet, effectively declining the honour. The baronetcy can be revived at any time on provision of acceptable proofs of succession. [19] As of 2008, 158 baronetcies are listed as presumedly not extinct, but awaiting proofs of succession. [20] As with hereditary peerages, baronetcies generally ceased to be granted after the Labour Party came to power in 1964. The sole subsequent exception was a baronetcy created in 1990 for the husband of Margaret Thatcher , Sir Denis Thatcher , later inherited by their son Mark Thatcher . Knighthood Edit Ribbon of a Knight Bachelor Descended from mediaeval chivalry , knights exist both within the orders of chivalry and in a class known as Knights Bachelor . Regular recipients include High Court judges and senior civil servants.

Knighthood carries the title Sir; the female equivalent Dame only exists within the orders of chivalry. Order of St John Edit Ribbon of the Order of St John Members of the Most Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem (founded 1888) may wear the Order's insignia but the ranks within the Order of St John do not confer official rank in the order of precedence and, likewise, the abbreviations or postnominal initials associated with the various grades of membership in the Order of St John do not indicate precedence among the other orders. Thus someone knighted in the order does not take precedence with the knights of other British orders nor should they be addressed as "Sir" or "Dame". Other orders Other British and Commonwealth orders, decorations and medals which do not carry titles but entitle the holder to place post-nominal letters after his or her name also exist, as do a small number of Royal Family Orders. Honorary awards For a more comprehensive list, see List of honorary British knights and dames . Citizens of countries which do not have the Queen as their head of state sometimes have honours conferred upon them, in which case the awards are "honorary".

In the case of knighthoods, the holders are entitled to place initials behind their name but not style themselves "Sir" as they are not entitled to receive the accolade . [21] [22] Examples of foreigners with honorary knighthoods are Billy Graham , Bill Gates , Bob Geldof , Bono and Rudolph Giuliani , while Arsène Wenger and Gérard Houllier are honorary OBEs. Honorary knighthoods arise from Orders of Chivalry rather than as Knights Bachelor as the latter confers no postnominal letters. Recipients of honorary awards who later become subjects of Her Majesty may apply to convert their awards to substantive ones. [23] Examples of this are Marjorie Scardino , American CEO of Pearson PLC , and Yehudi Menuhin , the American-born violinist and conductor. They were granted an honorary damehood and knighthood respectively while still American citizens, and converted them to substantive awards after they assumed British nationality, becoming Dame Marjorie and Sir Yehudi. Menuhin later accepted a life peerage with the title Lord Menuhin.

Sir Tony O'Reilly , who holds both British and Irish nationality , [24] uses the style "Sir", but has also gained approval from the Irish Government to accept the award as is necessary under the Irish Constitution . [25] Elisabeth Schwarzkopf , the German soprano, became entitled to be known as "Dame Elisabeth" when she took British nationality. Irish-born Sir Terry Wogan was initially awarded an honorary knighthood, but by the time he collected the accolade from the Queen in December 2005, he had obtained dual nationality [24] and the award was upgraded to a substantive knighthood. Bob Geldof is often erroneously referred to as "Sir Bob"; he is not entitled to this style as an honorary knight as he is a citizen of the Republic of Ireland. There is no law in the UK preventing foreigners from holding a peerage (e.g. Newburgh ), though only Commonwealth and Irish citizens may sit in the House of Lords. This has yet to be tested under the new arrangements. However, some other countries have laws restricting the acceptances of awards granted to would-be recipients by foreign powers.

In Canada, where the Canadian House of Commons has opposed the granting of titular honours with its Nickle Resolution , then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien advised the Queen not to grant Conrad Black a titular honour while he remained a Canadian citizen. [26] Ceremony Edit Each year, around 2,600 people receive their awards personally from The Queen or a member of the Royal Family . Approximately 22 investitures are held annually in Buckingham Palace, one or two at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and one in Cardiff. There are approximately 120 recipients at each Investiture. The Queen usually conducts the investitures, although the Prince of Wales , The Princess Royal or, more recently, the Duke of Cambridge also hold some investitures on behalf of the Queen. During the ceremony, the Queen enters the ballroom of Buckingham Palace attended by two Gurkha orderly officers, a tradition begun in 1876 by Queen Victoria . On duty on the dais are five members of the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard , which was created in 1485 by Henry VII ; they are the oldest military corps in the United Kingdom.

Four gentlemen ushers are on duty to help look after the recipients and their guests. The Queen is escorted by either the Lord Chamberlain or the Lord Steward . After the National Anthem has been played, he stands to the right of the Queen and announces the name of each recipient and the achievement for which they are being decorated. The Queen is provided with a brief background for each recipient by her equerry as they approach to receive their award. Those who are to be knighted kneel on an investiture stool to receive the accolade , which is bestowed by the Queen using the sword used by her father, George VI as Duke of York and Colonel of the Scots Guards . Occasionally an award for gallantry may be made posthumously and in this case the Queen presents the decoration or medal to the recipient's next-of-kin in private before the public investiture begins. After the award ceremony, those honoured are ushered out of the Ballroom into the Inner Quadrangle of Buckingham Palace, where the Royal Rota of Photographers are stationed. Here recipients are photographed with their awards. In some cases, members of the press may interview some of the more well-known people who have received honours.

Refusal or forfeiture For a more comprehensive list, see List of revocations of appointments to orders and awarded decorations and medals of the United Kingdom . A small number of people each year refuse the offer of an award, usually for personal reasons. Conversely, honours are sometimes removed (forfeited), for example if a recipient is subsequently convicted of a criminal offence . The Honours Forfeiture Committee is an occasional committee convened under the chairmanship of the Head of the Home Civil Service , [27] to consider cases where information has been received which indicates an individual is unsuitable to hold an award. Sometimes the original decision to grant an honour was made on the basis of inaccurate information (including through manipulation of the public nominations system), but normally cases relate to actions that took place after the award was made. Recommendations are made to The Monarch of the United Kingdom, who has the sole authority to rescind an honour.

[28] In 2009, Gordon Brown confirmed [29] that the process remains as set out in 1994 by the then Prime Minister John Major in a written answer to the House of Commons: The statutes of most orders of knighthood and the royal warrants of decorations and medals include provision for the Queen to "cancel and annul" appointments and awards. Cancellation is considered in cases where retention of the appointment or award would bring the honours system into disrepute. There are no set guidelines for cancellations, which are considered on a case-by-case basis. Since 1979, the London Gazette has published details of cancellations of 15 appointments and awards—three knighthoods, one CBE, five OBEs, four MBEs and two BEMs. Notable examples of persons who forfeited their honours include: Kaiser Wilhelm II was a Knight of the Garter prior to the start of the First World War, when it was revoked. Emperor Hirohito of Japan was a Knight of the Garter prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was revoked soon afterwards.

Anthony Blunt , knighted as Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures for his services to Art, lost his knighthood in the 1980s when he was revealed to be the "Fourth Man" in the early 1950s Burgess and Maclean spying scandal which also touched on the 1960s Philby spying affair, as a result of which he confessed to the security services. Although Blunt was never charged or convicted, the honour was withdrawn on the advice of the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Roger Casement had been honoured for his human rights work while a British diplomat; however, upon being convicted on 30 June 1916 of High Treason for his role in the Irish 1916 Easter Rising , the King directed that Casement would cease to be a member of the Order of St Michael and St George, his name being stricken from the register, and letters patent were also issued "degrading" him "from the degree, title and dignity of Knight Bachelor". [30] He was executed that August. Nicolae Ceauşescu forfeited his honorary knighthood that he earlier received for his friendship with Western democracies.

Albert Henry was the former Premier of the Cook Islands. He was later convicted of electoral fraud in the 1980s. Terry Lewis , knighted for his services to Queensland police, was stripped of his knighthood in 1993 after being sentenced to prison on charges of corruption and forgery as a result of the findings of the Fitzgerald Inquiry . Jack Lyons, who had received his knighthood for his huge charitable donations and services to industry, lost it when he was convicted of fraud in the 1980s. Robert Mugabe was stripped of his honorary GCB after calls from the Government to the Royal Family due to the crisis in Zimbabwe under his régime, including hyperinflation , and violence in the 2008 Presidential elections. Lester Piggott , the high-profile jockey, had his OBE removed after being convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for tax evasion. Fred Goodwin , the former CEO of Royal Bank of Scotland had his knighthood annulled, after the Financial Services Authority found that the failure of RBS had an important role in the financial crisis of 2008-9, because Fred Goodwin was the dominant decision maker at the time.

James Crosby , former CEO of HBOS and non-Executive Director of the Financial Services Authority was formally stripped of his Knighthood at his request in April 2013 as the result of the banks collapse during the UK financial crisis. Order of wear Edit Honours, decorations and medals are arranged in "order of wear", an official list [31] which describes the order in which they should be worn. Additional information on the social events at which an award may be worn is contained in the insignia case given to each recipient. The list places the Victoria and George Crosses at the top, followed by the orders of knighthood arranged in order of date of creation. Individuals of a higher rank precede those of a lower rank. For instance, a Knight Grand Cross always precedes a Knight Commander. For those of equal rank, members of the higher-ranked Order take precedence. Within the same Order, precedence is accorded to that individual who received the honour earlier. Not all orders have the same number of ranks.

The Order of Merit, the Order of the Companions of Honour, the Distinguished Service Order and the Imperial Service Order are slightly different, being single-rank awards, and have been placed at appropriate positions of seniority. Knights Bachelor come after knights in the orders, but before those with the rank of Commander or lower. Decorations are followed by medals of various categories, being arranged in date order within each section. These are followed by Commonwealth and honorary foreign awards of any level. Miscellaneous details are explained in notes at the bottom of the list. The order of wear is not connected to and should not be confused with the Order of precedence . Style For peers, see Forms of address in the United Kingdom . For baronets, the style Sir John Smith, Bt (or Bart) is used. Their wives are styled simply Lady Smith. The rare baronetess is styled Dame Jane Smith, Btss. For knights, the style Sir John Smith, [ postnominals ] is used, attaching the proper postnominal letters depending on rank and order (for knights bachelor, no postnominal letters are used). Their wives are styled Lady Smith, with no postnominal letters.

A dame is styled Dame Jane Smith, [postnominals]. More familiar references or oral addresses use the first name only, e.g. Sir John, or Dame Joan. Wives of knights and baronets are officially styled Lady Smith, although customarily no courtesy title is automatically reciprocated to male consorts. Recipients of orders, decorations and medals receive no styling of Sir or Dame, but they may attach the according postnominal letters to their name, e.g. John Smith, VC. Recipients of gallantry awards may be referred to in Parliament as "gallant", in addition to "honourable", "noble", etc.: The honourable and gallant Gentleman. Bailiffs or Dames Grand Cross (GCStJ), Knights/Dames of Justice/Grace (KStJ/DStJ), Commander Brothers/Sisters (CStJ), Officer Brothers/Sisters (OStJ), Serving Brothers/Sisters (SBStJ/SSStJ)and Esquires (EsqStJ) of the Order of St John do not receive any special styling with regards to prenominal address i.e. Sir or Dame. They may, however, attach the relevant postnominal initials.

In the Priory of Australia, the award of Serving Brother/Sister is no longer granted. The award now granted is referred to as Member of the Order of St John for both males and females. For honours bestowed upon those in the entertainment industry (e.g., Anthony Hopkins , Maggie Smith ), it is an accepted practice to omit the title for professional credits. [32] Reform Edit Reforms of the system occur from time to time. In the last century notable changes to the system have included a Royal Commission in 1925 following the scandal in which Prime Minister David Lloyd George was found to be selling honours. The sale of British Honours, including titles is now prohibited by the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 . There was a further review in 1993 when Prime Minister John Major created the public nominations system. In July 2004, the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) of the House of Commons and, concurrently, Sir Hayden Phillips, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Constitutional Affairs , both concluded reviews of the system. The PASC recommended some radical changes; Sir Hayden concentrated on issues of procedure and transparency.

In February 2005 the Government responded to both reviews by issuing a Command paper detailing which of the proposed changes it had accepted. These included diversifying and opening up the system of honours selection committees for the Prime Minister's list and also the introduction of a miniature badge. As of 2012, same-sex civil partners of individual recipients of British honours are not themselves granted honours by way of their partnered relation. In July 2012, Conservative MP Oliver Colvile announced a private member's bill , titled "Honours (Equality of Titles for Partners) Bill", to amend the honours system to both allow husbands of those made dames and for civil partners of recipients to receive honours by their relationship statuses. [33] Controversies Edit A scandal in the 1920s was the sale by Maundy Gregory of honours and peerages to raise political funds for David Lloyd George . In 1976, the Harold Wilson era was mired by controversy over the 1976 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours , which became known as the "Lavender List".

Main article: Cash for Honours In 2006 the Sunday Times newspaper revealed that every donor who had given £1,000,000 or more to the Labour Party since 1997 was given a Knighthood or a Peerage. On top of this, the government had given honours to 12 of the 14 individuals who have given Labour more than £200,000 and of the 22 who donated more than £100,000, 17 received honours. An investigation by the Crown Prosecution Service did not lead to any charges being made. See also British Monarchy in the 20th Century | The Classroom | Synonym British Monarchy in the 20th Century by Dell Markey Queen Elizabeth II was the reigning monarch of Great Britain at the close of the 20th century. Related Articles The British Army Commander Who Surrendered in 1781 to End the American Revolutionary War Queen Victoria ascended to the throne of Great Britain in 1837 at the age of 18 and remained queen through the beginning of the 20th century.

From a young age, she loved to draw, paint and write personal journals. Her reign is associated with the British industrial age and the expansion of the British Empire. During the Victorian Era, the role of the monarchy became increasingly symbolic as the power and roles of democratically elected officials increased. King Edward VII Edward was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Because of his mother's long reign, he was heir apparent to the British throne for 60 years -- longer than any prince in British history. Edward's social life and philandering were the source of much scandal before he became king in 1901. King Edward VII spoke German and French fluently and was actively involved in foreign affairs. His diplomatic work is credited with helping forge a lasting alliance with France. Edward VII was also influential in the modernization of the British military. King George V King George V succeeded to the British throne upon the death of his father, Edward VII, in 1910. In 1911, he visited India, the only British Emperor to do so.

A veteran of the Royal Navy, he dedicated much of his time during the First World War -- 1914 to 1918 -- to visiting troops in the field and in hospitals. In 1917, owing to anti-German sentiment in Britain, the king changed his family name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor, named in honor of the royal residence Windsor Castle. In politics, George V often served as a conciliatory mediator. He began the lasting tradition of presenting a royal radio address to the British at Christmas. King Edward VIII Edward VIII became King of Great Britain in January, 1936 on the death of his father and abdicated the throne in December of the same year to marry American Wallis Simpson. He is the only British monarch to willingly abdicate. Although given the title Duke of Windsor in 1937, he lived abroad for most of the remainder of his life. King George VI George VI became King of Britain upon the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in December, 1936.

He was known for his devout religious faith, for working closely with Prime Minister Winston Churchill through World War II and for his role in helping transform the British Empire into the more loosely associated Commonwealth of Nations in the post-war years. A veteran of the British Navy and Royal Air Force, he made regular visits to the troops on several battlefronts, including France and North Africa. Recognizing the heavy toll war took on civilians, George VI regularly visited bombed portions of London and established the George Cross and George Medal to honor civilians who had displayed bravery during war time. Queen Elizabeth II Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of England upon her father's death in February, 1952. Prior to becoming queen, she served as a truck driver in the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II. Her 1953 coronation ceremony was the first to be televised and broadcast throughout the British Commonwealth and the world. The reign of Queen Elizabeth II continued through the turn of the century to the present.

During her reign, she oversaw significant changes to the monarchy, including opening the royal residences to the public, offering to pay income and capital gains taxes in 1992 and supporting changes to policy on male primogeniture and the ban on British royals marrying Roman Catholics. She is known for instituting the "walkabout," in which she informally meets and greets large numbers of British citizens in public. References British Monarchy – twiggietruth King George V 3 June 1865 – The Man with the spooky Eyes George was born on 3 June 1865, in Marlborough House, London. His full name was George Frederick Ernest Albert. He was the second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Albert Edward & Alexandra (later King Edward VII & Queen Alexandra). His father was the eldest son of Queen Victoria & Prince Albert, and his mother was the eldest daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark. As a son of the Prince of Wales, George was styled His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales at birth. As a younger son of the Prince of Wales, there was little expectation that George would become king.

He was third in line to the throne, after his father & elder brother, Prince Albert Victor. Albert Victor died aged 28 from influenza in the pandemic of 1889–92. Portrait photograph of Prince George of Wales, later King George V, wearing a Lieutenant Naval uniform, 1886 Three-quarter length portrait photograph of Prince George of Wales wearing his Lieutenant Naval uniform with the Star of the Order of the Garter. The Prince is holding a pair of white gloves and the handle of his sword in his left hand, and has his right hand resting on a table. The Duke and Duchess of York (later George V & Queen Mary) on their wedding day 6 Jul 1893 Photograph of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George V and Queen Mary: full length portrait, Princess Mary seated in her wedding gown of ivory silk satin, trimmed with Honiton lace and orange blossom. The Duke in full military uniform decorated with many orders. Photograph of King George V, when George Duke of York, standing in left side profile as he holds his infant son, Prince Edward of York, who later became King Edward VIII then the Duke of Windsor.

The portrait was probably taken when Prince Edward was Christened at White Lodge, Richmond, on the 16th July 1894 by the Richmond firm of photographers, Gunn and Stuart. The Duke and Duchess of York (later King George V & Queen Mary) at the Devonshire House Ball, 2 Jul 1897. Photograph of King George V when Duke of York standing facing the viewer and wearing fancy dress costume in the 16th Century style. On his right stands Queen Mary when Duchess of York also standing, facing the viewer and wearing a pearl necklace with Warwick sun brooch. On her bodice she wears the necklace that was a wedding gift from the ‘Ladies of England’. She also wears the Kensington Bow brooch and the Dorset Bow brooch. George, Duke of York (later George V) & Nicholas II of Russia (Nikolai II), Jul 1893 Queen Victoria with the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George V & Queen Mary), 12 Aug 1893 George, Duke of York, later King George V, as Captain on HMS Crescent Jun or Aug 1898 He holds telescope in right hand; taken on deck of HMS Crescent.

Prince George of Wales, later King George V, wearing Full Field Marshal’s Uniform, 1905 Photograph showing half length portrait of Prince George of Wales. He faces three-quarters left and wears Full Field Marshall’s uniform with the Order of the Bath, Thistle and St. George. The Prince and Princess of Wales (later King George V & Queen Mary) and their six children. The Prince and the older boys wear Highland dress, which was usually worn at Balmoral so presumably this photograph was taken at Balmoral; within archway. Photograph of King George V & Queen Mary with their six children (from left to right): Princess Mary (later Princess Royal) (b.1897-d.1965), Prince John (b.1905-d.19), in his mother’s arms, Prince Henry, later Duke of Gloucester (b.1900-d.74) (seated), Prince George, later Duke of Kent (b.1902- d.42).

Prince Edward (later King Edward VIII, then Duke of Windsor) (b.1894-d.1972), Prince Albert (later King George VI) (b.1895-d.1952). . King Edward VII, King George V, when Prince of Wales, and Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia on the deck of the Russian Imperial Yacht Standart during the Cowes Regatta, 1909 The ageing King Edward VII stands at the centre of the group, with the Prince of Wales (George V) to the left & Nicholas II to the right. All are wearing ceremonial naval uniform & holding swords. In August 1909 Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia & his family attended the annual Cowes Regatta. Their visit was hosted by King Edward VII, an uncle of the Emperor.

Photograph of King Edward VII (b.1841-d.1910), the Prince of Wales (b.1865-d.1936), later King George V, & Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia (b.1868-d.1918) on the deck of the Russian Imperial Yacht Standart during the Cowes Regatta, Isle of White 1909 On 6 May 1910, King Edward VII died, and George became king. He wrote in his diary, “I have lost my best friend and the best of fathers … I never had a [cross] word with him in my life. I am heart-broken and overwhelmed with grief but God will help me in my responsibilities and darling May will be my comfort as she has always been. May God give me strength and guidance in the heavy task which has fallen on me”. George had never liked his wife’s habit of signing official documents and letters as “Victoria Mary” and insisted she drop one of those names. They both thought she should not be called Queen Victoria, and so she became Queen Mary.

Later that year, a radical propagandist, Edward Mylius, published a lie that George had secretly married in Malta as a young man, and that consequently his marriage to Queen Mary was bigamous. The lie had first surfaced in print in 1893 but George had shrugged it off as a joke. In an effort to kill off rumours, Mylius was arrested, tried and found guilty of criminal libel, and was sentenced to a year in prison. George objected to the anti-Catholic wording of the Accession Declaration that he would be required to make at the opening of his first parliament. He made it known that he would refuse to open parliament as long as he was obliged to make the declaration in its current form. As a result the Accession Declaration Act 1910 shortened the declaration and removed the most offensive phrases. King George and Queen Mary at the Delhi Durbar, 1911 George and Mary’s coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on 22 June 1911, and was celebrated by theFestival of Empire in London. In July, the King and Queen visited Ireland for five days; they received a warm welcome, with thousands of people lining the route of their procession to cheer.

Reign 1910 HM King George V and Queen Mary at the Red Fort during the Delhi Durbar, Dec 1911 Photograph of King George V wearing Coronation robes and the Imperial Crown of India turns, smiling, to face the viewer. On his left is seated Queen Mary who also turns to face the viewer. She wears the Durbar diadem and State robes. In the foreground are seated Indian boys and men dressed in traditional Indian costume. Photographed in the Red Fort, Coronation Park. The Delhi Durbar, was a mass assembly at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times, in 1877, 1903, and 1911, at the height of the British Empire. The 1911 Durbar was the only one attended by the sovereign, who was George V. The term was derived from common Mughal term durbar. Formal portrait of George, Duke of York (later King George V wearing formal dress with Garter Star and the Order of Malta Cross.

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha The House of Windsor is the royal house of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V by royal proclamation on 17 July 1917, when he changed the name of the British Royal Family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (a branch of the House of Wettin) to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the British Empire during World War I King George V and Queen Mary with the Duke and Duchess of York on board the Royal Yacht, Cowes circa 1935.

Photograph showing King George V and Queen Mary, the Duke of York (later George VI) and the Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth) on board the Royal Yacht, Cowes, Isle of Wight Titles and styles 3 June 1865 – 24 May 1892: His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales 24 May 1892 – 22 January 1901: His Royal Highness The Duke of York 22 January 1901 – 9 November 1901: His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall and York 9 November 1901 – 6 May 1910: His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in Scotland: His Royal Highness The Duke of Rothesay 6 May 1910 – 20 January 1936: His Majesty The King and, occasionally, outside of the United Kingdom, and with regard to India: His Imperial Majesty The King-Emperor His full style as king was “His Majesty George V, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender

 of the Faith, Emperor of India” until the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927, when it changed to “His Majesty George V, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India”.

British honours KG: Knight of the Garter, 4 August 1884 The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry and the third most prestigious honour (after the Victoria Cross and George Cross) in England and of the United Kingdom, and is dedicated to the image and arms of St. George as England’s patron saint. KT: Knight of the Thistle, 5 July 1893 KP: Knight of St Patrick, 20 August 1897 The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is a dormant British order of chivalry associated with Ireland. The Order was created in 1783 by George III at the request of the then Lord-Lieutenant, Lord Buckingham. The regular creation of knights of Saint Patrick lasted until 1921, when most of Ireland became independent as the Irish Free State. GCSI: Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India, 28 September 1905 The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861.

The Order includes members of three classes: Knight Grand Commander (GCSI) Companion (CSI) GCMG: Knight Grand Cross of St Michael and St George, 9 March 1901 The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later King George IV,[1][2] while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour of two military saints, St Michael and St George. GCIE: Knight Grand Commander of the Indian Empire, 28 September 1905 GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 30 June 1897 The Imperial Service Order was established by King Edward VII in August 1902. It was awarded on retirement to the administration and clerical staff of the Civil Service throughout the British Empire for long and meritorious service. Royal Victorian Chain, 1902 The Royal Victorian Chain is an award instituted in 1902 by King Edward VII as a personal award of the monarch (i.e.

not an award made on the advice of any Commonwealth realm government). Although it is similarly named (and has a similar insignia and ribbon), the chain is not an award of the Royal Victorian Order. PC: Privy Counsellor, 18 July 1894 Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign in the United Kingdom. Its membership is mostly made up of senior politicians who are (or have been) members of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords. Privy Counsellor (Ireland), 20 August 1897 Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Medal, with 1897 bar The Golden Jubilee Medal was instituted in 1887 by Royal Warrant as a British decoration to be awarded to participants of Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee celebrations. King Edward VII Coronation Medal The King Edward VII Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal issued in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

Military appointments September 1877: Cadet, HMS Britannia 8 January 1880: Midshipman, HMS Bacchante and the corvette HMS Canada 3 June 1884: Sub-Lieutenant, Royal Navy 8 October 1885: Lieutenant, HMS Thunderer; HMS Dreadnought; HMS Alexandra; HMS Northumberland 21 June 1887: Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen July 1889 I/C HMS Torpedo Boat 79 By May 1890 I/C the gunboat HMS Thrush 24 August 1891: Commander, I/C HMS Melampus 2 January 1893: Captain, Royal Navy 1 January 1901: Rear-Admiral, Royal Navy 25 February 1901: Personal Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King 26 June 1903: Vice-Admiral, Royal Navy 1 March 1907: Admiral, Royal Navy 1910: Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy 1910: Field Marshal, British Army 1919

: Chief of the Royal Air Force (title not rank) 1 January 1901: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Marine Forces 29 November 1901: Honorary Colonel of the 4th County of London Yeomanry Regiment (King′s Colonials) 21 December 1901: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Foreign honours Knight of the Order of the Elephant (Denmark), 11 October 1885 Badge of the Order of the Dannebrog (Denmark) Knight of the Order of the Seraphim (Sweden), 14 June 1905 Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Spain) Order of Saint Hubert (Bavaria) Knight of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (Italy) House Order of Hohenzollern (Prussia) Order of the Wendish Crown (Mecklenburg) Order of Osmanieh (Ottoman Empire) Order of St.

Andrew (Russian Empire) Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle (Prussia) Saxe-Ernestine House Order (Saxe-Coburg) Knight of the Order of the Rue Crown (Saxony) Order of the Red Eagle (Prussia) Order of the White Falcon (Saxe Weimar) Badge of the Order of the Redeemer (2nd type) (Greece) King Christian IX Jubilee Medal (Denmark) King Christian IX and Queen Louise of Denmark Golden Wedding Commemorative Medal (Denmark) Cross of Liberty (Estonia), 1st class, 17 June 1925 Grand Cross of the Order of the Colonial Empire (Portugal), 19 February 1934 Honorary foreign military appointments 1 February 1901: À la suite of the German Navy 26 January 1902: Colonel-in-Chief of the Rhenish Cuirassier Regiment “Count Geßler” No.

8 (Kingdom of Prussia) Honorary degrees and offices 8 June 1893: Royal Fellow of the Royal Society,installed 6 February 1902 1899: Doctor of Laws (LLD), University of the Cape of Good Hope 1901: Doctor of Laws (LLD), University of Sydney 1901: Doctor of Laws (LLD), University of Toronto 1901: Doctor of Civil Law (DCL), Queen’s University, Ontario 1902: Doctor of Laws (LLD), University of Wales 1901: Chancellor of the University of Cape Town 1901–1912: Chancellor of the University of the Cape of Good Hope 1902–1910: Chancellor of the University of Wales Posted on The Royal Order of Victoria & Albert was a British Royal Family Order instituted on 10 February 1862 by Queen Victoria, & enlarged on 10 October 1864; 15 November 1865; & 15 March 1880. No awards were made after the death of Queen Victoria.

The order had four classes & was only granted to female members of the British Royal Family & female courtiers. For the first three classes, the badge consisted of a medallion of Queen Victoria & Albert, The Prince Consort, differing in the width & jewelling of the border as the classes descend, whilst the fourth substitutes a jeweled cipher. All four were surmounted by a crown, which was attached to a bow of white silk moiré ribbon. The honour conferred no rank or title upon the recipient, but recipients were entitled to use the post-nominal letters “VA”. The last holder of the Order, Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, died in 1981. Like other British Orders which have fallen into disuse, it has never been formally abolished. Each British monarch since Victoria has become Sovereign of the Order upon accession to the throne. The current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, thus has been Sovereign of the Order since 1952. There are too many recipients to mention, but here are a few; .

Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress (21 November 1840 – 5 August 1901) Queen Alexandra (1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) . Queen Mary (26 May 1867 – 24 March 1953) . Among the Foreign recipients were; Louise of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark (7 September 1817 – 29 September 1898) . Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, German empress and queen of Prussia (22 October 1858 – 11 April 1921) . Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix of Hesse), Empress consort of Russia (6 June 1872 – 17 July 1918) . Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) .

Royal Family Order The Royal Family Order is an order awarded by the sovereign of a monarchy to female members of the royal family, as female members of the royal family typically do not wear the commemorative medals that men wear. The order is more of a personal memento rather than a state decoration although it can be worn during state occasions. The only way to know who the order has been given to is to see the recipient wearing it. The first Royal Family Order was issued during & after the regency of George IV. Prior to 1820, he started the practice of presenting the order to ladies & gentlemen of the Court, particularly female members of the Royal family. His order was rather ornate in appearance, & the frame that surrounded his portrait was of diamond oak leaves & acorns. The badge was suspended from a white silk bow which varied for men & women. As a young woman, Princess Victoria of Kent (later Queen Victoria) received this badge from her uncle.

Question: Which British monarch instituted The Distinguished Service Order?
Answer: Queen Victoria