Order of St Patrick

THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS ORDER OF ST PATRICK WAS THE THIRD MOST SENIOR ORDER OF CHIVALRY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Many distinguished Ulster peers have been Knights of St Patrick.

Established in 1783, it was an order of knighthood and the letters KP followed the recipient's title.

Originally founded as a gesture of goodwill towards the Kingdom of Ireland, it was made available to Irish peers who had rendered distinguished services, and to those who could not be admitted to the Order of the Garter (limited to twenty-four).

The Order of St Patrick was restricted to twenty-two knights.

The insignia was particularly decorative: a sash riband was worn over the right shoulder, light blue in colour, with an oval pierced badge suspended from it.

This consisted of a shamrock with three crowns on its leaves (representing the kingdoms of England, Ireland and Scotland), the shamrock being placed on a cross of St Patrick.

The centre was surrounded by an oval which bore the legend QUIS SEPARABIT - who shall separate - and the Latin numerals, MDCCLXXXIII (1783).

The gold and enamel collar chain consisted of alternate roses and harps.

The breast star was of silver with a representation of the sash badge in the centre.

The mantle was also light blue satin with the star of the Order embroidered thereon.

The badge and plume of the Irish Guards are based on the Order's star and light blue colour.

The Order was discontinued following the secession of the Irish Republic from the United Kingdom in 1922.

3rd Duke of Abercorn KG KP. (Image: Government Art Collection)

The last non-royal recipient was the 3rd Duke of Abercorn, KG, KP, PC, in 1922.

The last surviving recipient of the Patrick was His late Royal Highness The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, who died in 1974.

HRH Henry, Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster KG KP etc

The last appointment to the Order was for His Royal Highness The Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George, Duke of York (later GEORGE VI), conferred on St Patrick's Day, 1936.

The Rev Professor Peter Galloway, OBE, JP, has written a book about the Order, entitled The Most Illustrious Order: The Order of Saint Patrick and its Knights, by Unicorn Press.

As Professor Galloway concluded, 

Perhaps a day may come when the Order of St Patrick could be revived but, until a new, appropriate and acceptable constituency can be discerned, this seems unlikely in the foreseeable future.

First published in July, 2008.

Royal Victorian Order Service

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal KG KT GCVO, Grand Master, the Royal Victorian Order, accompanied by Vice-Admiral Timothy Laurence CB LVO, attended an Evensong and Reception on Wednesday evening, November 3rd, 2010, in The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy, Savoy Hill, Strand, London.

The Service was conducted by the Rev Professor Peter Galloway OBE JP

IN ATTENDENCE

The Registrar, Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Matheson of Matheson, younger

The Chancellor, The Right Hon the Earl Peel GCVO PC DL

Members from NORTHERN IRELAND included

• The Lady Carswell CVO OBE JP
• Sir William Hall KCVO
• The Lord O'Neill KCVO TD
• Eric Rainey, Esq, CVO MBE DL
• David Anderson, Esq, MVO MBE
  

The Royal Victorian Order

The Royal Victorian Order is given by The Sovereign to people who have served them or the Monarchy in a personal way. It is believed that there are fewer than a dozen or so recipients of the Order in Northern Ireland presently, the Lord O'Neill and Sir William Hall both being Knight Commanders of the Order.

The Breast Star of a Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GCVO) is pictured to the right; the Mantle of a GCVO below.

Recipients may include officials of the Royal Household, family members or perhaps British Ambassadors who have helped to organise a State Visit to a particular country.

The Order was founded in April 1896 by Queen Victoria as a way of rewarding personal service to her, on her own initiative rather than by ministerial recommendation.

The Order was, and remains, entirely within the Sovereign's personal gift.

The anniversary of the institution of the Order is the 20th June, the day of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne.

There have never been any limits on the number of appointments made. Today, people receive their award either privately from The Queen or another member of the Royal Family, or during an Investiture.

Often, after a State Visit, the Queen will invest people in the country visited before returning to the United Kingdom.

The Order is also conferred on foreigners, and it is often awarded by the Sovereign during official tours overseas.

The first foreigners to receive the Order were the Prefect of Alpes Maritimes and the Mayor of Nice, during Queen Victoria's visit to the south of France in 1896.

The Chapel of the Order is The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy, a 'Royal peculiar' which for historic reasons is in the private possession of the Sovereign in his or her right as the Duke of Lancaster.

The number of members in recent years has outgrown the available space in the Savoy Chapel, so the service for those who have received awards is now held in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle every four years.

Many members of the Royal Family who have themselves received the award are present, along with the many recipients, who include servants of The Queen who have served the Monarchy for many years.

The Order's ribbon is blue with red-white-red stripe edging, the only difference being that for foreigners appointed into the society, their ribbon bearing an additional central white stripe. For Knights Grand Cross, the ribbon is 3.25 inches wide; for Dames Grand Cross, 2.25 inches; for Knights and Dames Commander, 1.75 inches; and for all other members, 1.25 inches.

Motto: Victoria

Chapel: The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy

Ranks: Knight/Dame Grand Cross, Knight/Dame Commander, Commander, Lieutenant and Member

Post-nominals: GCVO, KCVO/DCVO, CVO, LVO and MVO

Founded: 1896