The Royal Victorian Order is an order of knighthood awarded by the sovereign of the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth realms. It is granted personally by the monarch and recognises personal service to the monarchy, the Royal Household, royal family members, and the organisation of important royal events. [1] [2] The order was officially created and instituted on 23 April 1896 by letters patent under the Great Seal of the Realm by Queen Victoria. [3] It was instituted with five grades, the two highest of which were Knight Grand Cross (GCVO) and Knight Commander (KCVO), which conferred the status of knighthood on holders (apart from foreigners, who typically received honorary awards not entitling them to the style of a knight). [4] [5] [6] Women were not admitted until Edward VIII altered the statutes of the order in 1936; those receiving the highest two awards were styled dames and those grades, when conferred on women, are Dame Grand Cross and Dame Commander (DCVO). [7]
No limit was placed on the number of appointments which could be made. [8] Queen Elizabeth II appointed 23 Knights and 5 Dames Grand Cross between 2003 and her death on 8 September 2022.
The list below is ordered by date of appointment. Full names, styles, ranks and titles are given where applicable, as correct at the time of appointment to the order. Branch of service or regiment details are given in parentheses to distinguish them from offices. Where applicable, the occasion is given that was listed either with the notices or in published material elsewhere, in which case that material is cited.
Name | Date | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Prince Michael of Kent KCVO | 2 June 2003 | On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of The Queen's coronation | [9] |
Sir John Eaton Holmes KBE CVO CMG | 5 April 2004 | [10] | |
Sir Peter James Torry KCMG | 2 November 2004 | [11] | |
Sir Walter Hugh Malcolm Ross KCVO OBE | 7 December 2005 | Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office | [12] |
The Earl Peel | 20 October 2006 | Lord Chamberlain | [13] |
Sir Robin Berry Janvrin GCB KCVO | 8 September 2007 | Private Secretary to The Queen | [14] |
Donald Charles McKinnon ONZ | 9 March 2009 | Commonwealth Secretary-General | [15] |
The Countess of Wessex | 20 January 2010 | Royal Family | [16] |
Sir Hugh Ashley Roberts KCVO | 20 April 2010 | Director of the Royal Collection | [17] |
Sir Miles Garth Hunt-Davis KCVO CBE | 14 December 2010 | Private Secretary to The Duke of Edinburgh | [18] |
The Duke of York KG KCVO ADC | 19 February 2011 | On the occasion of his 51st birthday | [19] |
The Earl of Wessex KG KCVO ADC | 10 March 2011 | On the occasion of his 45th birthday | [20] |
Sir Michael Charles Gerrard Peat KCVO | 17 October 2011 | Principal Private Secretary to The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall | [21] |
The Duchess of Cornwall | 9 April 2012 | On the occasion of her 7th wedding anniversary | [22] |
Sir Philip Alan Reid KCVO | 13 September 2012 | Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to The Queen | [23] |
The Hon. Dame Mary Anne Morrison DCVO | 15 June 2013 | Lady-in-Waiting to The Queen | [24] |
The Lady Hussey of North Bradley DCVO | 15 June 2013 | Lady-in-Waiting to The Queen | [24] |
Sir Peter Forbes Ricketts GCMG | 7 June 2014 | [25] | |
Sir Christopher Edward Wollaston MacKenzie Geidt KCB KCVO OBE | 5 October 2017 | Private Secretary to The Queen | [26] |
The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT OM GBE PC ADC | 20 November 2017 | On the occasion of his 70th wedding anniversary | [27] |
Sir Stephen Mark Jeffrey Lamport KCVO | 9 June 2018 | Receiver-General, Westminster Abbey | [28] |
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Andrew Charles Ford KCVO | 11 December 2018 | Comptroller, Lord Chamberlain’s Office | [29] |
The Lord Vestey KCVO | 12 December 2018 | Master of the Horse | [29] |
The Duchess of Cambridge | 29 April 2019 | On the occasion of her 8th wedding anniversary | [30] |
Field Marshal The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB LVO OBE | 14 June 2019 | Gold Stick in Waiting to The Queen and Colonel of The Life Guards | [31] |
The Lord Chartres KCVO | 18 July 2019 | Dean of the Chapels Royal | [32] |
Sir William Richard Michael Oswald KCVO | 28 December 2019 | National Hunt Racing Adviser | [33] |
The Lord Parker of Minsmere KCB | 14 April 2021 | Lord Chamberlain | [34] |
The Duke of Norfolk | 2 June 2022 | Earl Marshal | [35] |
In the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories, personal bravery, achievement, or service are rewarded with honours. The honours system consists of three types of award:
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V and comprises five classes across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order.
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III.
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the monarch. The present monarch, King Charles III, is the sovereign of the order. The order's motto is Victoria. The order's official day is 20 June. The order's chapel is the Savoy Chapel in London.