The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as

prince regent A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch regnant, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness ...

for his father,

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

. It is named in honour of two military saints, Michael and

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

. The Order of St Michael and St George was originally awarded to those holding commands or high position in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

territories acquired in the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, and was subsequently extended to holders of similar office or position in other territories of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

. It is at present awarded to men and women who hold high office or who render extraordinary or important non-military service to the United Kingdom in a foreign country, and can also be conferred for important or loyal service in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs.

Description

The Order includes three classes. Mattia Preti - St

It is used to honour individuals who have rendered important services in relation to Commonwealth or foreign nations. People are appointed to the Order rather than awarded it. British Ambassadors to foreign nations are regularly appointed as KCMGs, DCMGs, or CMGs. For example, the former British Ambassador to the United States, Sir

David Manning Sir David Geoffrey Manning, (born 5 December 1949) is a former British diplomat, who was the British Ambassador to the United States from 2003 to 2007. He authored the so-called " Manning Memo", that summarized the details of a meeting between ...

, was appointed a CMG when he worked for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and then after his appointment as British Ambassador to the US, he was promoted to a Knight Commander (KCMG). It is the traditional award for members of the FCO. The Order's motto is ''Auspicium melioris ævi'' (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for "Token of a better age"). Its patron saints, as the name suggests, are St. Michael the Archangel, and St. George, patron saint of England and of soldiers. One of its primary symbols is that of St Michael trampling over and subduing Satan in battle. The Order is the sixth-most senior in the

British honours system 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: *Honours are used to recognise merit in terms of achievement a ...

, after

The Most Noble Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George Cr ...

The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland, who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order. The O ...

, The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick,

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as one ...

, and The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India. The third of the aforementioned Orders—which relates to Ireland, no longer fully a part of the United Kingdom—still exists but is in disuse; no appointments have been made to it since 1936. The last of the Orders on the list, related to India, has also been in disuse since that country's independence in 1947.

History

The Prince Regent founded the Order to commemorate the British

amical protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its inter ...

over the Ionian Islands, which had come under British control in 1814 and had been granted their own constitution as the

United States of the Ionian Islands The United States of the Ionian Islands ( el, Ἡνωμένον Κράτος τῶν Ἰονίων Νήσων, Inoménon-Krátos ton Ioníon Níson, United State of the Ionian Islands; it, Stati Uniti delle Isole Ionie) was a Greek state and a ...

in 1817. It was intended to reward "natives of the Ionian Islands and of the island of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

and its dependencies, and for such other subjects of His Majesty as may hold high and confidential situations in the

". In 1864, however, the protectorate ended and the Ionian Islands became part of

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

. A revision of the basis of the Order in 1868, saw membership granted to those who "hold high and confidential offices within Her Majesty's colonial possessions, and in reward for services rendered to the Crown in relation to the foreign affairs of the Empire". Accordingly, nowadays, almost all

Governors-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

and

Governors A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

feature as recipients of awards in the order, typically as Knights or Dames Grand Cross. In 1965 the order was opened to women, with

Evelyn Bark Evelyn Elizabeth Patricia Bark, (1900 - 1993) was a leading member of the British Red Cross. Biography Bark was born on 26 December 1900. Bark joined a Voluntary Aid Detachment at the outbreak of WWII. In 1944 she moved to the Foreign Relation ...

becoming the first female CMG in 1967.

Composition

The British Sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order and appoints all other members of the Order (by convention, on the advice of the Government). The next-most senior member is the Grand Master. The office was formerly filled by the

Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands The Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands was the local representative of the British government in the United States of the Ionian Islands between 1816 and 1864, succeeding the earlier office of the Civil Commissioner of the Ionian Island ...

; now, however, Grand Masters are chosen by the Sovereign. Grand Masters include: * 1818–1825:

Sir Thomas Maitland Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Thomas Maitland (10 March 1760 – 17 January 1824) was a British soldier and British colonial governor. He also served as a Member of Parliament for Haddington from 1790 to 1796, 1802–06 and 1812 ...

* 1825–1850:

Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, (Adolphus Frederick; 24 February 1774 – 8 July 1850) was the tenth child and seventh son of the British king George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 18 ...

* 1850–1904: Prince George, Duke of Cambridge * 1904–1910: George, Prince of Wales * 1910–1917: None * 1917–1936: Edward, Prince of Wales * 1936–1957: Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone * 1957–1959: Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax * 1959–1967:

Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, (10 December 1891 – 16 June 1969) was a senior British Army officer who served with distinction in both the First and the Second World War and, afterwards, as Governor G ...

* 1967–present:

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, (Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth II and Edward were first cousins through their fathers, King George VI, and Prince George, Duke ...

The Order originally included 15 Knights Grand Cross, 20 Knights Commanders, and 25 Companions but has since been expanded and the current limits on membership are 125, 375, and 1,750 respectively. Members of the Royal Family who are appointed to the Order do not count towards the limit, nor do foreign members appointed as "honorary members".

Officers

The Order has six officers. The Order's King of Arms is not a member of the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sovere ...

, like many other

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...

officers. The Usher of the Order is known as the Gentleman or Lady Usher of the Blue Rod. Blue Rod does not, unlike the usher of the Order of the Garter, perform any duties related to the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

. *

Prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...

–

David Urquhart David Urquhart Jr. (1 July 180516 May 1877) was a Scottish diplomat, writer and politician, serving as a Member of Parliament from 1847 to 1852. He also was an early promotor of the Turkish bath in the United Kingdom. Early life Urquhart was bo ...

(

Bishop of Birmingham A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

) *Chancellor – Baroness Ashton of Upholland *Secretary – Sir Philip Barton *Registrar – Sir David Manning *King of Arms – Sir Mark Lyall Grant *Lady Usher of the Blue Rod – Dame DeAnne Julius

Habit and insignia

Members of the Order wear elaborate regalia on important occasions (such as

coronations A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...

), which vary by rank: * The ''mantle'', worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of Saxon blue satin lined with crimson silk. On the left side is a representation of the star (see below). The mantle is bound with two large tassels. * The ''collar'', worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of gold. It consists of depictions of crowned Royal arms of England, English lions, Maltese Crosses, and the cyphers "SM" and "SG", all alternately. In the centre are two Lion of Saint Mark, winged lions of St. Mark, each holding a bible and seven arrows—the emblem of the seven united Ionian Islands. At less important occasions, simpler insignia are used: * The ''star'' is an insignia used only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commanders. It is worn pinned to the left breast. The Knight and Dame Grand Cross' star includes seven-armed, silver-rayed 'Maltese Asterisk' (for want of a better description—see image of badge), with a gold ray in between each pair of arms. The Knight and Dame Commander's star is a slightly smaller eight-pointed silver figure formed by two Maltese Cross (symbol), Maltese Crosses; it does not include any gold rays. In each case, the star bears a red cross of St George. In the centre of the star is a dark blue ring bearing the motto of the Order. Within the ring is a representation of St Michael trampling on Satan. * The ''badge'' is the only insignia used by all members of the Order; it is suspended on a blue-crimson-blue ribbon. Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on a riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commanders and male Companions wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; Dames Commanders and female Companions wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. The badge is a seven-armed, white-enamelled 'Maltese Asterisk' (see Maltese Cross (symbol), Maltese Cross); the obverse shows Michael (archangel), St Michael trampling on Satan, while the reverse shows St George on horseback killing a dragon, both within a dark blue ring bearing the motto of the Order. Prior to 2011, the devil was portrayed with black skin while St Michael was shown as being white; this was changed that year to show both with same skin color, although St Michael's wings were changed from being multi-color to being pure white. The alleged racism of this imagery has resulted in the government of Jamaica suspending the use of the badge entirely. In June 2020, calls were made for a complete redesign of the insignia, including from Michael Palin, Sir Michael Palin of Monty Python fame, a Knight Commander of the Order On certain "collar days" designated by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the Order's collar over their military uniform or morning wear. When collars are worn (either on collar days or on formal occasions such as coronations), the badge is suspended from the collar. All collars which have been awarded since 1948 must be returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood. The other insignia may be retained.

Chapel

The original home of the Order was the Palace of St. Michael and St. George in Corfu, the residence of the Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands and the seat of the Ionian Senate. Since 1906, the Order's chapel has been in St Paul's Cathedral in London. (The cathedral also serves as home to the chapels of Order of the British Empire, The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor.) Religious services for the whole Order are held quadrennially; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. The Sovereign and the Knights and Dames Grand Cross are allotted stalls in the choir of the chapel, above which their heraldic devices are displayed. Perched on the pinnacle of a knight's stall is his helm, decorated with a mantling and topped by his crest. Under English heraldic law, women other than monarchs do not bear helms or crests; instead, the coronet appropriate to the dame's rank, if there is one, is used. Above the crest or coronet, the stall's occupant's heraldic banner is hung, emblazoned with his or her coat of arms. At a considerably smaller scale, to the back of the stall is affixed a piece of brass (a "stall plate") displaying its occupant's name, arms and date of admission into the Order. Upon the death of a Knight, the banner, helm, mantling and crest are taken down. The stall plates, however, are not removed; rather, they remain permanently affixed somewhere about the stall, so that the stalls of the chapel are festooned with a colourful record of the Order's Knights and Dames Grand Cross since 1906. The reredos within the chapel was commissioned from Henry Poole (sculptor), Henry Poole in 1927.

Precedence and privileges

Members of the Order of St Michael are assigned positions in the order of precedence in England and Wales. Wives of male members also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders; relatives of female members, however, are not assigned any special precedence. (Individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not from their mothers or wives. This follows the general rule of honours, that a husband never derives any style or title from his wife.) Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders prefix "Sir", and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commanders prefix "Dame", to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but husbands of Dames derive no title from their wives. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when the names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Furthermore, honorary (foreign) members and clergymen do not receive the accolade and thus are not entitled to use the prefix "Sir" or "Dame". Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal letters, post-nominal "GCMG"; Knights Commanders and Dames Commanders use "KCMG" and "DCMG" respectively; Companions use "CMG". Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to receive heraldic supporters. They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of the latter. Knights and Dames Commanders and Companions may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet.

Popular references

In the satirical British television programme ''Yes Minister'', Jim Hacker MP is told a joke by his Private Secretary, Bernard Woolley, about what the various post-nominals stand for. From Season 2, Episode 2 "Doing the Honours": Ian Fleming's spy, James Bond, a commander in the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) was fictionally decorated with the CMG in 1953. This is mentioned in the novels ''From Russia, with Love (novel), From Russia, with Love'' and ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service (novel), On Her Majesty's Secret Service'', and on-screen in his obituary in ''Skyfall''. He was offered the KCMG (which would have elevated him from Companion to Knight Commander in the Order) in ''The Man with the Golden Gun (novel), The Man with the Golden Gun'', but he rejected the offer as he did not wish to become a public figure. Judi Dench, Dame Judi Dench's character "M" is "offered" early retirement and a GCMG in ''Skyfall''. Daniel Craig, who has portrayed Bond on film, was appointed (CMG) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to film and theatre. The general release on 30 September 2021 of his last appearance as James Bond, in ''No Time to Die'', had been delayed by almost two years due to a change of director and the COVID-19 pandemic. Coinciding with the film's premiere, and matching his fictional character's rank, Craig became an Honorary Commander in Britain's Royal Navy. Following this military appointment, he committed to being an ambassador for the Royal Navy, particularly in its international role, and to the welfare of its service families. Long-time ''Doctor Who'' companion (Doctor Who), companion Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart wore the ribbon of the order as the highest of his decorations.

Current and past Knights and Dames Grand Cross

* Sovereign: King Charles III * Grand Master: Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent (1967)

Knights and Dames Grand Cross

Honorary

See List of current honorary Knights and Dames of the Order of St Michael and St George.

Gallery

File:btweedsmuir2.jpg, Riband, badge and star of a GCMG worn by John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, Lord Tweedsmuir File:Francis Wallace Grenfell.jpg, Riband (worn incorrectly), star and collar of GCMG worn by Francis Grenfell, 1st Baron Grenfell, Lord Grenfell File:Stamp of Seychelles - Zil Eloigne Sesel - 1986 - Colnect 633925 - Queen Elizabeth 60th birthday.jpeg, A Seychellois stamp depicting the Queen in robes of the order, 1986 File:The Duke and Duchess of Kent, 2013.JPG, The Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, Duke of Kent, Grand Master of the Order, and the Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Duchess of Kent File:Rickmer_clasen_rickmers.jpg, German shipping magnate Rickmer Clasen Rickmers (1807–1886) wearing the insignia of a C.M.G. (centre)

References

External links

The Order of St Michael and St George
at royal.uk
The Order of St Michael and St George: 1818 to 2018 part one: its first century
by Russell Malloch. [London, The Stationery Office, 2018] at thegazette.co.uk
The Order of St Michael and St George: 1818 to 2018 part two: its second century
by Russell Malloch. [London, The Stationery Office, 2018] at thegazette.co.uk * "Knighthood and Chivalry", (1911). ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 11th ed. London: Cambridge University Press.
Orans, L. P. "The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George"

* [http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/ebindshow.pl?doc=dr150_151/a1206;thumbs=1 State Library of New South Wales: Nelson Meers Foundation] —gallery to full set of insignia, including images of both sides of the badge and a close-up of the star. {{DEFAULTSORT:Order Of St Michael And St George Order of St Michael and St George, 1818 establishments in the United Kingdom Orders of chivalry awarded to heads of state, consorts and sovereign family members, Saint Michael and Saint George, Order Of Orders of chivalry of the United Kingdom Awards established in 1818