ROYAL VICTORIAN ORDER GCVO / KCVO / CVO / LVO / MVO / RVM UPDATED: 01 MARCH 2021 CURRENT TO: 09 OCTOBER 2020 (LG) Heather Salloum, LVO 28 DECEMBER 2019 (LG) Shelagh Cimpaye, MVO 23 FEBRUARY 2019 (CG) CH Atwood; CBE, OBE, MBE, BEM 26 JANUARY 2019 (CG) Ricki Ashbee LVO and Tania Carnegie 06 JUNE 2018 (LG) Mary Margaret Thompson, LVO 31 MARCH 2018 (CG) Companion of Honour M. MacMillan 20 JANUARY 2018 (CG) 30 DECEMBER 2006 (LG) 25 MARCH 2006 (CG) 29 DECEMBER 2007 (LG) 30 DECEMBER 2009 (LG) 09 OCTOBER 2010 (CG) 06 JULY 2013 (LG) 04 JULY 2015 (CG) PAGES: 57 PREPARED BY: Surgeon Captain John BLATHERWICK, CM, CStJ, OBC, CD, MD, FRCP(C), LLD(Hon) + = after a Gazette date indicates a London Gazette date a = after a Gazette date indicates date of appointment; Gazette listing date not found by the author = nothing after a Gazette date indicated a Canada Gazette date ================================================================================== ================================================================================== 1 2 ROYAL VICTORIAN ORDER (GCVO / KCVO / CVO / LVO / MVO / RVM) Towards the end of the reign of Queen Victoria (1896), Her Majesty asked the Prime Minister of England (Lord Salisbury) if he would object to an honour that would be entirely in the hands of the Sovereign. He did not object as long as the Government did not have to contribute to the expenses of the new order. The new order with five classes was instituted to honour such persons as might have rendered extraordinary or important or personal services to the Sovereign or who might thereafter merit the Royal favour. The first two classes, Knights (Dames) Grand Cross and Knights (Dames) Commanders would confer knighthood. While these two classes ranked behind the existing Orders, members of the Third Class (Commanders) ranked senior to Companions of the Order of the Bath and the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George. Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order wore their badges around their neck while Companions of the other two orders still wore their badges on their left breast. This anomaly was corrected in 1917 with the addition of the Order of the British Empire when Companions of the Order of the Bath and of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George took precedence over Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order and these Companions now also wore their badges around their necks in a similar fashion to a CVO. The Royal Victorian Order took precedence over the Order of the British Empire and therefore a CBE ranked immediately after a CVO. The Fourth and Fifth Classes of the Order were both called Members (MVO). This was not changed until 31 December 1984 when a Member of the Fourth Class was changed to a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) and only a member of the Fifth Class is now called a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO). The Chapel of the Order is the Queen's Chapel of the Savoy. Queen Victoria's Birthday, 20th June is the major day for the Order. The motto of the Order is 'Victoria'. The Order was given very sparingly by Queen Victoria. It was awarded much more generously by King Edward VII. He would quite often put an M.V.O. badge into the hand of a person who had rendered a relatively small service and often forgot to tell the record keepers that he had done so. King George V followed Queen Victoria's example and gave the award very sparingly which helped to establish the Order as justifying its place of importance. King Edward VIII opened the Order to females and made his mother a Dame Grand Cross but made no other appointments to the Order. Several persons who helped him during his abdication were made members of the Order by his brother. King George VI followed his father's example and by carefully screening all awards, continued to increase the prestige of this award. Queen Elizabeth II has continued this policy. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was the first Grand Master of the Order and served until her death in 2002. The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, is the current Grand Master taking over in 2007. Princess Margaret was also a Dame Grand Cross. 3 The Duke of York (Prince Andrew) and the Earl of Wessex (Prince Edward) were appointed Knights Grand Cross of the Order in 2011. Prince Harry was made a KCVO on 4 June 2015. While not a part of the Order, THE ROYAL VICTORIAN MEDAL (RVM) is awarded by the Sovereign to those rendering personal services to the Queen. After 31 December 1984, the post-nominal letters RVM were allowed to be used by holders of the medal. It is awarded in silver gilt (gold), silver and bronze. The medals bear the current effigy of the reigning Sovereign with the current legend on the obverse. On the reverse is the Royal Cypher upon an ornamental shield within a wreath of laurel. The medal is smaller than most medals being only 28-mm across. A holder of a bronze medal could wear both the bronze medal and a subsequent silver (or gold) medal if it were awarded; in addition, bars can be awarded to holders of the medals. In most circumstances, the silver medal is awarded. The medal is worn from the Order's ribbon (32-mm wide) on the left breast with other medals or from a bow by females not in uniform. The medal was worn after the Polar Medal and before the Imperial Service Medal but after the changes on 31 December 1984, it is now worn after the Queen's Gallantry Medal and before the British Empire Medal. a) GCVO (Knight or Dame Grand Cross): The COLLAR of the Knight Grand Cross is of gold, composed of octagonal pieces and oblong perforated and ornamental frames alternately, linked together with gold; the said pieces being edged and ornamented with gold, and each containing upon a blue enameled ground a gold rose jeweled with a carbuncle. The frames are of gold, and each contains a portion of the inscription 'VICTORIA ... BRIT.REG ... DEF.FID ... IND.IMP' in letters of white enamel. The Legend is repeated three times so there are 12 frames and 11 pieces. In the centre of the collar is an octagonal piece, enameled blue, edged with red, and charged with a white saltire, thereon being a gold medallion of the effigy of Queen Victoria, from which hangs the badge of the order. The BADGE consists of a white enameled Maltese cross of eight points, in the centre of which is an oval of crimson enamel with the royal and imperial cypher enameled in proper colours. The badge is edged in gold. When the collar is not worn, the badge is worn from a RIBAND, dark-blue with narrow edges of three stripes (red, white, and red), 95-mm wide for Knights and 57-mm wide for Dames, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. The MANTLE is of dark-blue silk, edged with red satin and lined with white silk, and fastened by a cordon of dark-blue silk and gold. On the left side of the mantle is a representation of the star of the order. The STAR is a silver chipped star of eight points in the centre of which is a representation of the badge. 4 b) KCVO / DCVO (Knight Commander of Dame Commander): The BADGE is a described above but smaller and is worn around the neck from a riband of 44-mm as described above. The STAR is quite different being in the form of a chipped silver Maltese Cross, with smaller rays issuing from the centre between the angles of the cross, and in the centre, the badge of the order which is described above but instead of having the cross of white enamel, it is of frosted silver. c) CVO (Commander): The BADGE is as described for a GCVO but smaller (51-mm across) and is worn around the neck from a ribbon, 38-mm wide, dark-blue with 6-mm borders of red/white/red. d) LVO (Lieutenant): The BADGE is as described for a GCVO but smaller (44-mm across) and is worn on the left breast from a ribbon, 32-mm, dark-blue with 5-mm borders of red/white/red. e) MVO (Member): The BADGE is as described for a GCVO but slightly smaller than an LVO (41-mm across) but rather than being enameled in white, the cross is of frosted silver. The ribbon is the same as for the LVO and the badge is worn on the left breast from a similar ribbon. All of the badges of the Order are numbered on the reverse. 1 f) RVM (Royal Victorian Medal): The MEDAL is one of the smallest medals being only 1 1/8" across and is as described above. ============================================================================== ============================================================================== 1 MVO RVM CVO 5 GCVO awarded to CANADIANS (GCVO) 11/08/ DOUGLAS, Charles Lucius Admiral Royal Navy 1905+ Quebec City, Quebec GCB (1911) KCB (1905) 2nd Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Royal Navy ============================================================================== 23/01/ STEPHEN, George President, CPR (1881 - 1888) 1905+ Dufftown, Banffshire, Baron (1891) Baronet (1886) / to Canada age 21 "GCVO effective 23 January 1905 to George, Baron Mount Stephen" Lord Mount Stephen ============================================================================== 23/04/ DRURY, Charles Carter Admiral – RN C-in-C Mediterranean 1907+ Rothesay, New Brunswick GCB (1911) KCSI (1903) KCB (1905) Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet 2nd Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Royal Navy Awarded as “Commander in Chief Mediterranean Fleet on the Occasion of His Majesty’s visit to Malta”. ============================================================================== 31/10/ SMITH, Donald Alexander Governor - Hudson Bay Company 1908 Forres, Morayshire, GCMG (1896) / to Canada age 18 KCMG (1886) Baron (1900) Governor CPR & Bank of Montreal Lord Strathcona (1900) ============================================================================== 04/06/ PEACOCK, Edward Robert Chair Imperial War Graves Commission 1934+ St.