Royal Victorian Order facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Royal Victorian Order
Breast star of Knights/Dames Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Awarded by Charles III
Type	Dynastic order
Established	21 April 1896
Motto	Victoria
Eligibility	Ubiquitous
Awarded for	Personal service to the Sovereign
Status	Currently constituted
Founder	Victoria
Sovereign	Charles III
Grand Master	Anne, Princess Royal
Chancellor	The Lord Parker of Minsmere
Grades	Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GCVO) Knight/Dame Commander (KCVO/DCVO) Commander (CVO) Lieutenant (LVO) Member (MVO)
Statistics
First induction	1896
Precedence
Next (higher)	Dependent on state
Next (lower)	Dependent on state
Ribbon of an ordinary member of the order Ribbon of an honorary member of the order

The Royal Victorian Order (which in French is called Ordre royal de Victoria) is a special award created in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It is given to people who have shown great personal service to the King or Queen, other members of the royal family, or important representatives of the monarch. The current King, Charles III, is the leader of the order. The order's motto is Victoria, which means "victory." Its official day is 20 June each year, and its chapel is the Savoy Chapel in London.

There is no limit to how many people can receive this award. The King or Queen decides who gets it. The order has five different levels, plus a medal with three levels, each for different kinds of service. People who receive the top two levels can use titles like "Sir" or "Dame." All levels allow people to use special letters after their names. The importance of the Royal Victorian Order compared to other awards can be different in various countries.

History of the Royal Victorian Order

Queen Victoria in 1897, the year after she founded the Royal Victorian Order

Before the late 1800s, most awards in the British Empire were given out by the Queen based on advice from her government ministers. But Queen Victoria wanted a way to personally thank people across the empire for their direct service to her. So, on 21 April 1896, she created the Royal Victorian Order. This allowed her to give awards directly, without needing government advice. The order was founded a year before her Diamond Jubilee, giving her time to choose the first people to be honored. The order's official day, 20 June, marks the day Queen Victoria became Queen.

In 1902, King Edward VII created the Royal Victorian Chain. This was a very high personal award for royal family members and important British people. Today, the Royal Victorian Chain is separate from the order itself, but it is still managed by the Royal Victorian Order's office.

From the very beginning, people from other countries could also receive this award. The first foreigners to be honored were from France in 1896.

Who is in the Royal Victorian Order?

The reigning King or Queen is the head of the Royal Victorian Order, known as its Sovereign. The next in charge is the Grand Master. This role was created in 1937. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was the Grand Master until she passed away in 2002. In 2007, Queen Elizabeth II appointed her daughter, Anne, Princess Royal, to this position.

There are also five main officials who help run the order:

• The Chancellor (who is also the Lord Chamberlain).
• The Secretary (who manages the King's private money).
• The Registrar (who keeps the records).
• The Chaplain (who is the priest of the Savoy Chapel).
• The Genealogist (who studies family histories).

After these officials, there are people honored with different levels of the order. There are five main levels, and the top two levels allow people to be called "Sir" or "Dame." Everyone in the order can use special letters after their name. There is also the Royal Victorian Medal, which comes in gold, silver, or bronze. People from other countries can become honorary members. There's no limit to how many people can be in each level, and members can be promoted to a higher level.

Before 1984, the levels of Lieutenant and Member were both called "Members" and used the same letters "MVO" after their names. On 31 December 1984, Queen Elizabeth II changed this. Those who were "Members (fourth class)" became Lieutenants and now use "LVO" after their names.

Levels of the Royal Victorian Order
Level	Knight Grand Cross	Dame Grand Cross	Knight Commander	Dame Commander	Commander	Lieutenant	Member	Royal Victorian Medal
Title	Sir	Dame	Sir	Dame	—	—	—	—
Letters after name	GCVO		KCVO	DCVO	CVO	LVO	MVO	RVM
Badge

Current Leaders of the Order

The people currently holding important roles in the Royal Victorian Order are:

• Grand Master: The Princess Royal, since 2007.
• Chancellor: The Lord Parker of Minsmere, since April 2021.
• Secretary: Sir Michael Stevens, since 2018.
• Registrar: Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Segrave, since 2019.
• Chaplain: The Reverend Canon Thomas Woodhouse, since 2019.

Special Badges and Clothes

Mantle of the order bearing the star of a Knight Grand Cross

When people join the Royal Victorian Order, they receive special badges and clothing. The main badge for all members is a Maltese cross. In the middle of the cross, there is a red circle with Queen Victoria's special symbol. This is surrounded by a blue ring with the order's motto, victoria (victory). A crown sits on top of it.

The badge looks a little different for each level:

• Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear their badge on a special chain (collar) or a wide ribbon across their body.
• Knight Commanders and male Commanders wear their badge on a ribbon around their neck.
• Male Lieutenants and Members wear their badge on a ribbon pinned to their left chest.
• Women in all levels below Dame Grand Cross wear their badge on a bow pinned to their left shoulder.

The Maltese cross is white with gold edges for the higher levels. For Knight Commanders, Dames Commander (on their star), and Members, the cross is silver. The size of the badge also changes with rank, with higher ranks having larger badges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross, and Knights and Dames Commander, also have a star that goes around their cross.

The Countess of Wessex (2013) wearing the riband of a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

The Royal Victorian Medal has a picture of the King or Queen who gave the award. On the back, it has the Royal Cypher (the monarch's special symbol) inside a laurel wreath. People can receive extra bars on their medal for more service. If someone gets a higher medal or joins a higher level of the order, they can still wear their original medal.

The order's ribbon is blue with red, white, and red stripes on the edges. The only difference is that honorary members from other countries have an extra white stripe in the middle of their ribbon. The width of the ribbon changes depending on the member's rank.

For very formal events, called collar days, Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear a special chain called a livery collar. This chain has gold pieces with a rose on a blue background and other pieces with words like Victoria or Queen of the Britons. From this chain, they hang their main badge. After a Knight or Dame Grand Cross passes away, their family can keep the badge, but the collar must be returned. These members also wear a dark blue satin cloak with red edges and a star of the order on the left side.

The Order's Chapel

The King's Chapel of the Savoy, which acts as the chapel of the Royal Victorian Order (photographed in 2020). The banners are those of the Sovereign (right) and of the Grand Master (left) of the Order as they were then in office.

Since 1938, the official chapel for the Royal Victorian Order has been the King's Chapel of the Savoy in central London, England. However, the order has grown so much that the Savoy Chapel is now too small for all the members to gather. Because of this, a larger place, St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, is now used for the main gathering that happens every four years.

The King or Queen and the Knights and Dames Grand Cross have special seats in the Savoy Chapel's choir. On the back of each seat, there is a brass plate with the person's name, family symbol (coat of arms), and the date they joined the order. These plates stay there even after the person passes away. This creates a record of all the Knights and Dames Grand Cross since 1938. Only the banners of the Sovereign and the Grand Master of the order are usually displayed in the chapel, as there isn't enough room for more.

The Chaplain of the King's Chapel of the Savoy is automatically the Chaplain to the Royal Victorian Order. The current Chaplain is Canon Thomas Woodhouse.

Who Can Join and How?

Coat of arms of Lord Baden-Powell, showing the circlet of the Royal Victorian Order around the escutcheon and the order's insignia suspended underneath

The Royal Victorian Order's heraldic circlet, as viewed when laid out flat

The King or Queen personally chooses who receives the Royal Victorian Order. They give it to people who have provided personal service to them, to any member of their family, or to their representatives in other countries. All living citizens of the Commonwealth realms (countries where the King is head of state), including women since 1936, can receive any of the five levels of the order. However, there are some special rules for Canadians and Australians.

People from other countries are usually made honorary members of the Royal Victorian Order. This often happens when the King or Queen visits their country, or when a head of state from another country visits the United Kingdom.

Sometimes, people have been removed from the order by the monarch's command if they did something wrong.

Canadians and the Order

Canadians are usually not appointed to the top two levels of the order (Knight/Dame Grand Cross and Knight/Dame Commander). This is because these levels come with a special title like "Sir" or "Dame," and the Canadian government has a policy against its citizens receiving such titles.

However, Canadians can still be appointed to the lower levels of the order. This started again in 1972. The award can be given to Canadians who serve the King's representatives in Canada, like the Governor General. The King or Queen originally chose the people personally, but the Governor General of Canada could suggest names.

In Canada, the order is sometimes jokingly called the "Royal Visit Order." This is because many Canadians have been appointed to it by the monarch during their visits to the country.

Canadian Association

There is a group called the Royal Victorian Order Association of Canada. This group is for all Canadians who have been appointed to the order or who have received the Royal Victorian Medal. It is the only group of its kind in the Commonwealth countries. It was started by Michael Jackson, and its members meet every two years.

Order of Importance

The Royal Victorian Order is given in fifteen different countries, and each country has its own system for awards. So, the importance of the Royal Victorian Order can be different in each place. Here are some examples:

Country		Before RVO	RVO Level	After RVO
Australia Order of importance		Knight/Dame of the Order of Australia (AK/AD)	Knight/Dame Grand Cross	Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)
		Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)	Knight/Dame Commander	Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
		Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)	Commander	Star of Gallantry (SG)
		Member of the Order of Australia (AM)	Lieutenant	Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)
		Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO)	Member	Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC)
		Australian Antarctic Medal (AAM)	Medal	Commendation for Gallantry
Canada Order of importance		Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (COM)	Commander	Officer of the Order of Military Merit (OMM)
		Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (OOM)	Lieutenant	Member of the Order of Military Merit (MMM)
		Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (MOM)	Member	Venerable Order of Saint John (GC/K/D/C/O/M/SB/SSStJ)
		Meritorious Service Medal (MSM)	Medal	Sacrifice Medal
New Zealand Order of importance		Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG)	Knight/Dame Grand Cross	Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
		Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG/DCMG)	Knight/Dame Commander	Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE/DBE)
		Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)	Commander	Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
		Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)	Lieutenant	Companion of the Queen's Service Order (QSO)
		Companion of the Imperial Service Order (ISO)	Member	Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM)
		New Zealand Bravery Medal (NZBM)	Medal	Queen's Service Medal (QSM)
United Kingdom	England and Wales Order of importance	Knight/Dame Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)	Knight/Dame Grand Cross	Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
		Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE/DCIE)	Knight/Dame Commander	Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE/DBE)
		Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE)	Commander	Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
		Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)	Lieutenant	Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
		Eldest son of Knight Bachelor	Member	Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
	Scotland Order of importance	Knight/Dame Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)	Knight/Dame Grand Cross	Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
		Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE/DCIE)	Knight/Dame Commander	Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE/DBE)
		Sheriffs	Commander	Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)
		Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)	Lieutenant	Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
		Eldest son of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire	Member	Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
	Northern Ireland Order of importance	Knight/Dame Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)	Knight/Dame Grand Cross	Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
		Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE/DCIE)	Knight/Dame Commander	Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE/DBE)
		Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE)	Commander	Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
		Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)	Lieutenant	Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
		Eldest son of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire	Member	Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

In the United Kingdom, the wives of male members also have a place in the order of importance. This also applies to the sons, daughters, and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders. However, the relatives of Dames do not get any special importance. Generally, people get their importance from their fathers or husbands, but not from their mothers or wives.

Current Knights and Dames Grand Cross

A detailed view of a stumpwork and goldwork embroidered star of a Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

Star and riband of a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

• Sovereign: King Charles III
• Grand Master: Anne, Princess Royal, appointed Dame Grand Cross in 1974; Grand Master since 2007.

Knights and Dames Grand Cross

Name	Known for	Year appointed
The Duke of Kent	Royal family	1960
Princess Alexandra	Royal family	1960
The Duke of Gloucester	Royal family	1974
The Duchess of Kent	Royal family	1977
The Duchess of Gloucester	Royal family	1989
Sir William Heseltine	Principal Private Secretary to the Sovereign	1990
Sir Brian Fall	Diplomat	1994
The Lord Fellowes	Principal Private Secretary to the Sovereign	1996
Major General Sir Simon Cooper	Master of the Household	2000
The Lord Luce	Lord Chamberlain	2000
Vice Admiral The Lord Sterling of Plaistow	Chairman of the Golden Jubilee Weekend Trust	2002
Prince Michael of Kent	Royal family	2003
Sir John Holmes	Diplomat	2004
Sir Peter Torry	Diplomat	2004
The Earl Peel	Lord Chamberlain	2006
The Lord Janvrin	Principal Private Secretary to the Sovereign	2007
Sir Donald McKinnon	Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations	2009
The Duchess of Edinburgh	Royal family	2010
Sir Hugh Roberts	Surveyor of the Queen's Works of Art	2010
The Duke of York	Royal family	2011
The Duke of Edinburgh	Royal family	2011
Sir Michael Peat	Principal Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales	2011
The Queen	Royal family	2012
Sir Alan Reid	Keeper of the Privy Purse	2012
The Lady Hussey of North Bradley	Woman of the Bedchamber	2013
Dame Mary Morrison	Woman of the Bedchamber	2013
The Lord Ricketts	Diplomat	2014
The Lord Geidt	Principal Private Secretary to the Sovereign	2017
Sir Stephen Lamport	Receiver-General of Westminster Abbey	2018
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Andrew Ford	Comptroller, Lord Chamberlain's Office	2018
The Princess of Wales	Royal family	2019
Field Marshal The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank	Gold Stick-in-Waiting	2019
The Lord Chartres	Dean of the Chapels Royal	2019
The Lord Parker of Minsmere	Lord Chamberlain	2021
The Duke of Norfolk	Earl Marshal	2022
The Marquess of Cholmondeley	Lord Great Chamberlain	2023
The Earl of Dalhousie	Lord Steward	2023
The Lord Young of Old Windsor	Principal Private Secretary to the Sovereign	2023
David Conner	Dean of Windsor	2023
Justin Welby	Archbishop of Canterbury	2024

Honorary Knights and Dames Grand Cross

Name	Known for	Year appointed
Crown Prince Akihito (later Emperor Akihito)	Former Emperor of Japan	1953
Prince Harald (later King Harald V)	King of Norway	1955
Princess Beatrix (later Queen Beatrix)	Former Queen of the Netherlands	1958
Prince Mengesha Seyoum	Prince of Ethiopia	1965
Albert, Prince of Liège (later King Albert II)	Former King of the Belgians	1966
Hereditary Grand Duke Henri (later Grand Duke Henri)	Grand Duke of Luxembourg	1976
Crown Prince Mohammed (later King Mohammed VI)	King of Morocco	1980
Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco	Princess of Morocco	1980
Cecilia Kadzamira	Former Official Hostess of Malawi	1985
Princess Lalla Asma of Morocco	Princess of Morocco	1987
Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco	Prince of Morocco	1987
Felipe, Prince of Asturias (later King Felipe VI)	King of Spain	1988
Khaled Al-Duwaisan	Kuwaiti Diplomat	1995
Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn (later King Rama X)	King of Thailand	1996
Princess Sirindhorn	Princess of Thailand	1996
Princess Chulabhorn	Princess of Thailand	1996
Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah	Crown Prince of Brunei	1998
Emeka Anyaoku	Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations	2000
Haitham bin Tariq	Sultan of Oman	2010
Kamalesh Sharma	Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations	2016

Honorary Knights and Dames Commander

Name	Known for	Year Appointed
Prince Abdullah (later King Abdullah II)	King of Jordan	1984
Teuku Mohammad Hamzah Thayeb	Indonesian diplomat	2012
Lim Sung-nam	South Korean diplomat	2013
Bernard Émié	French diplomat	2014
Foo Chi Hsia	Singaporean diplomat	2014
Diego Gómez Pickering	Mexican diplomat	2015

See also

In Spanish: Real Orden Victoriana para niños

• Royal Victorian Chain
• Royal Victorian Medal
• List of people who have declined a British honour