Royal Guelphic Order

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Royal Guelphic Order
Ernst August
GradesAfter 1841
Grand Cross
Commander 1st Class
Commander 2nd Class
Knight
Cross of Merit
Former gradesOriginal
Knight Grand Cross
Knight Commander
Knight
Precedence
Next (higher)Order of Saint George
Next (lower)Order of Ernst August

Ribbon of the order

Badge of the Royal Guelphic Order
Medal of the Order
Flag of the Electorate of Hanover, 1692.

The Royal Guelphic Order (

House of Guelph, of which the Hanoverians were a branch. Since Hanover and the United Kingdom shared a monarch until 1837, the order was frequently bestowed upon British subjects.[2]

History

Until 1837 the order was frequently awarded to officers in the British

Knights Bachelor, as many were.[4]

The British link ended in 1837 when Hanover's royal union with Great Britain ended, with

Ernst August, Prince of Hanover.[citation needed
]

Classes

The insignia was based on the white horse on Hanover's arms.[citation needed]

The Order includes two divisions, Civil and Military, the latter indicated by crossed swords on both the badge and star.[3] It originally had three classes, but with several reorganisations since 1841, as house order today it has four classes and an additional Cross of Merit. In descending order of seniority the classes are:

1815–1841

  • Knight Grand Cross (GCH). Received a collar chain and badge, a star worn on the left breast, and a badge worn from sash over the right shoulder.[2]
  • Knight Commander (KCH). A neck badge worn from a ribbon, with a breast star, smaller than that for the GCH.[2]
  • Knight (KH). Wore the badge on the left breast. Versions in both gold and silver were awarded.[2]

Holders of the respective degrees of the order in Britain were entitled to be post-nominally addressed with the initials, which stand for Knight Grand Cross of Hanover, Knight Commander of Hanover and Knight of Hanover. The initial GCG was also used, and was cited in the original statutes of the order.[5]

Gold and silver medals were attached to the order, for award to those not eligible for the order itself, including

non commissioned officers and royal servants.[3]

After 1841

  • Grand Cross
  • Commander 1st Class
  • Commander 2nd Class
  • Knight
  • Cross of Merit

The order

Officers

The Order has six officers: the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar, the

King of Arms
, the Genealogist, and the Secretary.

Officers until 1837

The first six officers were:

Officers since 1987

  • Chancellor:
    Ernst August, Prince of Hanover

Members

List of knights of the Royal Guelphic Order

See also

References

  1. ^ Robertson, Megan C. (2 April 2007). "United Kingdom: The Royal Guelphic Order". Medals of the World.
  2. ^
    ISBN 9781908828163
    .
  3. ^ a b c Captain H. Taprell Dorling. Ribbons and Medals. pp. 31–32. A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London. 1956.
  4. ^ "No. 18907". The London Gazette. 24 February 1832. p. 414. Examples of KCH's created Knight Batchelor.
  5. ^ Disbrowe, Charlotte Anne Albinia (1903). Old Days in Diplomacy : Recollections of a Closed Century, by the Eldest Daughter of the late Sir Edward Cromwell Disbrowe, G.C.G. p 17. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

External links

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