The Royal Guelphic Order (), sometimes referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent (later King

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

). It takes its name from the

House of Guelph The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconian family from the Meuse- ...

, of which the

House of Hanover The House of Hanover ( ) is a European royal house with roots tracing back to the 17th century. Its members, known as Hanoverians, ruled Hanover, Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Empire at various times during the 17th to 20th centurie ...

was a branch. Since Hanover and the United Kingdom shared a monarch until 1837, the order was frequently bestowed upon

British subject The term "British subject" has several different meanings depending on the time period. Before 1949, it referred to almost all subjects of the British Empire (including the United Kingdom, Dominions, and colonies, but excluding protectorates ...

History

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

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

and

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

, although it was still classed as a foreign order, with British members of the order not entitled to style themselves as "Sir" unless they were also created

Knights Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are th ...

, as many were. The British link ended in 1837 when

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

's royal union with Great Britain ended, with Ernest Augustus becoming King of Hanover and

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

ascending the British throne. When Hanover was annexed by the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

in 1866, the order continued as a

house order A dynastic order, monarchical order, or house order is an honorific distinction under royal patronage. This type of order is bestowed by a reigning sovereign or by the head of a formerly ruling family, recognized as a legitimate source of hono ...

to be awarded by the Royal House of Hanover. Today, its current Sovereign is the Hanoverian head of the house, Ernst August, Prince of Hanover.

Classes

The insignia was based on the white horse on Hanover's arms. The Order includes two divisions, Civil and Military, the latter indicated by crossed swords on both the badge and star. 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. * Knight Commander (KCH). A neck badge worn from a ribbon, with a breast star, smaller than that for the GCH. * Knight (KH). Wore the badge on the left breast. Versions in both gold and silver were awarded. 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. Gold and silver medals were attached to the order, for award to those not eligible for the order itself, including

non commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...

s and royal servants.

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: * Chancellor:

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Ernst Friedrich Herbert von Münster * Vice-Chancellor:

Georg Nieper Georg may refer to: * ''Georg'' (film), 1997 *Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) * , a Kriegsmarine coastal tanker * Spiders Georg "Spiders Georg" is an Internet meme that began circulating on the mic ...

* Secretary:

Ludwig Moeller Ludwig may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ludwig (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ludwig (surname), including a list of people * Ludwig von Koopa, a character in Mario (the game) Arts and entertai ...

* King of Arms: Sir

George Nayler Sir George Nayler, Royal Guelphic Order, KH Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (baptism, bapt. 29 June 1764 – 28 October 1831) was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Early life George Nayler was born on 29 June 176 ...

* Genealogist:

August Neubourg August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Southern Hemisphere, August is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, August ...

* Registrar: Sir William Woods

Officers since 1987

*Chancellor: Ernst August, Prince of Hanover

Members

* List of knights grand cross of the Royal Guelphic Order * List of knights commander of the Royal Guelphic Order * Charles Ashe à Court-Repington *

Charles Babbage Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Babbage is considered ...

Lovell Benjamin Badcock General Sir Lovell Benjamin Badcock Lovell, Order of the Bath, KCB, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (born Badcock; 1786 – 11 March 1861) was a lieutenant-general in the British Army. He was a descendant of Sir Salathiel Lovell through the marriage of ...

* William Stanhope Badcock * Henry Bayly (British Army officer, born 1790) *

Charles Bell Sir Charles Bell (12 November 177428 April 1842) was a Scottish surgeon, anatomist, physiologist, neurologist, artist, and philosophical theologian. He is noted for discovering the difference between sensory nerves and motor nerves in the ...

George Frederick Beltz George Frederick Beltz, KH (9 August 1774 – 23 October 1841) was an English genealogist, appointed Lancaster Herald in 1822. Life Beltz was the second of seven children of George Nicholas Beltz of St George's, Bloomsbury, a coal merchant, and ...

William Brereton (British Army officer) Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General Sir William Brereton (29 December 1789 – 27 July 1864) was a British Army officer of the nineteenth century who served as Colonel Commandant, colonel-commandant of the IV Brigade, Royal H ...

David Brewster Sir David Brewster Knight of the Royal Guelphic Order, KH President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, PRSE Fellow of the Royal Society of London, FRS Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, FSA Scot Fellow of the Scottish Society of ...

* Samuel Brown (Royal Navy officer) *

George Brown (British Army officer) General (United Kingdom), General Sir George Brown, (3 July 1790 – 27 August 1865) was a British officer notable for commands in the Peninsular War and the Crimean War. Background Brown was born the son of George Brown, Provost of Elgin, a ...

Thomas Bunbury (British Army general) Sir Thomas Bunbury, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (1783–1857) was a British Empire, British soldier and colonialist. Career Thomas was born in Cranavonane, Ireland, and joined the British Army at the age of 17 starting as an ensign in the West India ...

Ryder Burton Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral James Ryder Burton, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (1795 – 2 August 1876) was a British Royal Navy officer. He was the son of Edmund Burton, the Dean of Killala. He progressed on the Reserved List to the rank of Admi ...

Nicholas Carlisle Sir Nicholas Carlisle, Royal Guelphic Order, KH, Royal Society#Fellows, FRS, Royal Irish Academy, MRIA, (1771 in York, England – 27 August 1847 in Margate, England) was an English people, English antiquary and librarian. In 1806, he became a c ...

James Charles Chatterton General Sir James Charles Chatterton, 3rd Baronet, (10 December 17945 January 1874) was a British Army officer and politician; he was the third and last of the Chatterton baronets of Castle Mahon. He fought during both the Peninsular War, Penins ...

* Robert Alexander Chermside *

Thomas Henry Shadwell Clerke Thomas Henry Shadwell Clerke, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (1792–1849), was an Irish soldier and military journalist. Clerke was a native of Bandon, County Cork, Bandon, Cork. Being intended for the army, a profession also adopted by his brother ...

* Abraham Josias Cloëté *

William Colebrooke Sir William MacBean George Colebrooke, (9 November 1787 – 6 February 1870) was an English career soldier and colonial administrator. Early life and education The son of Colonel Paulet Welbore Colebrooke, R.A. (died 1816), and a daughter of M ...

* John Cowell-Stepney *

Henry John Cumming General Sir Henry John Cumming, KCH (December 1771 – 28 November 1856) was a senior officer in the British Army. He was born in Calcutta, the son of Col. Sir John Cumming of the East India Company. He joined the Army in 1790 as a cornet in t ...

Augustus De Butts General (United Kingdom), General Sir Augustus De Butts (1770 28 November 1853) was an officer in the Royal Engineers. De Butts served during the French Revolutionary Wars, fighting in the Siege of Toulon, the Siege of Bastia, and the Siege o ...

Edward Cromwell Disbrowe Sir Edward Cromwell Disbrowe Royal Guelphic Order, GCG (1790–1851) was a British politician and diplomat. Life and career Disbrowe was born at Walton Hall, Walton-on-Trent, Walton Hall, Walton-on-Trent, South Derbyshire, the son of Colonel ...

* Wilhelm von Dörnberg *

William Granville Eliot Francis Perceval Eliot (September 1755 – 23 August 1818) was an English soldier, auditor, and man of letters. In 1814 he succeeded his half-brother as Count Elliott, Count Eliot, however he did not feel it was proper to assume the title.Marsha ...

* William Henry Elliott * Henry Ellis (librarian) *

Richard England (British Army officer, born 1793) General Sir Richard England, (1793 – 19 January 1883) was a British Army officer, born at Detroit, which was then part of Upper Canada. During the Napoleonic Wars he saw active service in Walcheren, Sicily, and at Waterloo, before commanding ...

* Mathias Everard *

Arthur Farquhar (Royal Navy officer, born 1772) Sir Arthur Farquhar Royal Guelphic Order, KCH, Order of the Bath, CB, Order of the Sword, RSO (1772 – 2 October 1843) was an officer of the British Royal Navy. He served during the French Revolutionary Wars, French Revolutionary and Napoleoni ...

Alexander Findlay (British Army officer) Alexander Findlay, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (c. 1784 – 9 May 1851) was a British Army officer and colonial governor. Military service Findlay served in a Highland regiment during the Napoleonic Wars as a private soldier. He transferred to the ...

Charles Augustus FitzRoy Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy, (10 June 179616 February 1858) was a British Army officer, politician and colonial administrator who held governorships in several British colonies during the 19th century. Family and peerage ...

Charles Fergusson Forbes Sir Charles Fergusson Forbes, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (177922 March 1852) was an English army surgeon. Life Forbes was educated to the medical profession in London. He joined the army medical staff in Portugal in 1798, was gazetted next year as ...

* William Forster (British Army officer) * James Freeth * Robert Garrett (British Army officer) *

George Gawler Colonel George Gawler (21 July 1795 – 7 May 1869) was the second Governor of South Australia, at the same time serving as Resident Commissioner, from 17 October 1838 until 15 May 1841. Biography Early life Gawler, born on 21 July 1795, was t ...

* Johann Karl Ludwig Gieseler * Charles Stephen Gore * Gideon Gorrequer *

Gottlieb Graf von Haeseler Gottlieb Ferdinand Albert Alexis Graf von Haeseler (January 19, 1836 – October 25, 1919) was a German military officer of the Imperial Wilhelmine period, with final military rank, rank of ''Generalfeldmarschall''. Biography Haeseler was bor ...

Andrew Halliday (physician) Sir Andrew Halliday, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (also spelt Hallidie; 17 March 1782 in Copewood, parish of Dryfesdale, Dumfries – 7 September 1839 in Dumfries) was a Scotland, Scottish physician, reformer, and writer.. Also available at Bio ...

* Henry Hanmer *

Jakob von Hartmann Jakob Freiherr von Hartmann (4 February 1795 – 23 February 1873) was a Kingdom of Bavaria, Bavarian general who served in the Austro-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War. Early life and French service Hartmann was born the son of Georg Hartmann ...

* Graves Haughton * William Havelock *

Andrew Leith Hay Sir Andrew Leith Hay of Rannes (17 February 1785 – 13 October 1862) was a Scottish soldier, Whig politician and writer on architecture. Biography Andrew Leith Hay was the eldest son of General Alexander Leith Hay of Rannes and Mary Forbes o ...

* William Henderson (Royal Navy officer) *

William Herschel Frederick William Herschel ( ; ; 15 November 1738 – 25 August 1822) was a German-British astronomer and composer. He frequently collaborated with his younger sister and fellow astronomer Caroline Herschel. Born in the Electorate of Hanover ...

John Herschel Sir John Frederick William Herschel, 1st Baronet (; 7 March 1792 – 11 May 1871) was an English polymath active as a mathematician, astronomer, chemist, inventor and experimental photographer who invented the blueprint and did botanical work. ...

* Felton Hervey-Bathurst *

John Hindmarsh Rear-Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh KH (baptised 22 May 1785 – 29 July 1860) was a naval officer and the first Governor of South Australia, from 28 December 1836 to 16 July 1838. Family His grandfather William Hindmarsh was a gardener in Coni ...

William Jackson Hooker Sir William Jackson Hooker (6 July 178512 August 1865) was an English botany, botanist and botanical illustrator, who became the first director of Kew Gardens, Kew when in 1841 it was recommended to be placed under state ownership as a botan ...

William Hotham (Royal Navy officer, born 1794) Admiral William Hotham, Knight of the Royal Guelphic Order, KH (30 July 1794 – 22 February 1873) was a British Royal Navy officer. He was born in Yorkshire, the eldest son of Lieutenant-Colonel George Hotham and Caroline Gee. He joined the Royal ...

John Hobart Caradoc, 2nd Baron Howden John Hobart Caradoc, 2nd Baron Howden, GCB, KH (1799 – 9 October 1873) was a British politician and diplomat. Family John Hobart Caradoc was the son of General John Cradock, 1st Baron Howden, a British peer, (1st Baron Howden since 1819) in ...

Frederick Irwin Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Chidley Irwin, KH (22 March 1794 – 31 March 1860) was acting Governor of Western Australia from 1847 to 1848. Born in 1794 in Drogheda, Ireland, Frederick Chidley Irwin was the son of Reverend James Irwin. Som ...

James Ivory (mathematician) James Ivory, FRS FRSE KH LLD (17 February 1765 – 21 September 1842) was a British mathematician. He stated and proved Ivory's lemma. Life Ivory was born in Dundee, son of watchmaker James Ivory. The family lived and worked on the High St ...

* James Jackson (British Army officer) * William Jervois (British Army officer) * Love Jones-Parry (British Army officer) *

Heinrich Kirchweger Johann Gottfried Heinrich Kirchweger (12 June 1809 – 18 January 1899) was a German railway engineer. Heinrich Kirchweger was born on 12 June 1809 in Stettin, then part of the Kingdom of Prussia, now Szczecin in Poland. After attending the trade sc ...

Charles Konig Charles Dietrich Eberhard Konig or Karl Dietrich Eberhard König, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (1774 – 6 September 1851) was a German natural history, naturalist. He was born in Braunschweig, Brunswick and educated at University of Göttingen, ...

* Joseph de Courcy Laffan *

Henry John Leeke Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Sir Henry John Leeke, Order of the Bath, KCB, Royal Guelphic Order, KH, Deputy Lieutenant, DL (1 September 1792 – 26 February 1870) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Third Sea Lord, Third Naval Lord, Member ...

John Leslie (physicist) Sir John Leslie, FRSE Royal Guelphic Order, KH (10 April 1766 – 3 November 1832) was a Scottish mathematician and physicist best remembered for his research into heat. Leslie gave the first modern account of capillary action in 1802 and fro ...

Henry Frederick Lockyer Major general (United Kingdom), Major-General Henry Frederick Lockyer, Order of the Bath, CB, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (1797–30 August 1860) was an acting Governor of British Ceylon. He saw much service, including as commander of the 97th (T ...

* Edmund Lodge * Frederick Love *

Alexander Maconochie (penal reformer) Alexander Maconochie (11 February 1787 – 25 October 1860) was a Scotland, Scottish naval officer, geographer and penal reformer. In 1840, Maconochie became the Governor of Norfolk Island, a prison island in which convicts were treated with s ...

* Frederic Madden * Charles Menzies (Royal Marines officer) * Samuel Rush Meyrick * Charles Collier Michell * William Taylor Money * Sir John Murray, 8th Baronet *

* Robert Nickle (British Army officer) *

Nicholas Harris Nicolas Sir (Nicholas) Harris Nicolas (10 March 1799 – 3 August 1848) was an English antiquary. Life The fourth son of Commander John Harris Nicolas RN (1758–1844) and Margaret (née Blake), he was born at Dartmouth. He was the brother of Rear ...

John Owen (Royal Marines officer) Lieutenant General Sir John Owen, (c. 1777–1857) was a Royal Marines officer who served as Deputy Adjutant-General Royal Marines. Military career Owen was commissioned into the Royal Marines. He commanded a marine battalion which repulsed an ...

Francis Palgrave Sir Francis Palgrave, (; born Francis Ephraim Cohen, July 1788 – 6 July 1861) was an English archivist and historian. He was Deputy Keeper (chief executive) of the Public Record Office from its foundation in 1838 until his death; and he is ...

George William Paty General Sir George William Paty, (1788 – 8 May 1868) was a senior British Army officer. He was born the son of William Paty of Bristol and joined the British Army in 1804 as an ensign in the 32nd Regiment of Foot, 32nd Foot. He was promoted ...

* John Pennycuick (British Army infantry officer) *

George Dean Pitt Major General George Dean Pitt (1781 or 1772 – 8 January 1851) was Lieutenant-Governor of the former New Zealand Province of New Ulster from 14 February 1848 to his death on 8 January 1851. Early life He was born George Dean, the illegiti ...

Henry Riddell General Henry James Riddell Royal Guelphic Order, KH (died 8 March 1861) was a British Army officer who became Commander-in-Chief, Scotland. Military career Riddell was commissioned in 1798 and took part in the Battle of Copenhagen (1807), Ba ...

John Robison (inventor) Sir John Robison Royal Guelphic Order, KH FRSE FRSSA (11 June 1778 – 7 March 1843) was a Scottish inventor and writer on scientific subjects. He was the son of the physicist and mathematician, John Robison (physicist), Professor John Robison. ...

* John Robyns *

Sir David Scott, 2nd Baronet Sir David Scott, 2nd Baronet, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (25 July 1782 – 18 June 1851) of Dunninald Castle, Scotland, was a Scottish Tories (British political party), Tory politician. Biography Early life David Scott was born on 25 July 1782, ...

Robert Smart Robert Smart may refer to: * Robert Smart (Royal Navy officer) * Robert Borlase Smart, English artist * Robert W. Smart, American artist * Rob Smart, Canadian basketball coach and player {{hndis, Smart, Robert ...

Charles Hamilton Smith Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Hamilton Smith, Royal Guelphic Order, KH, Military Order of William, KW, Royal Society, FRS, Linnean Society of London, FLS (26 December 1776 – 21 September 1859) was a British Army officer, artist, naturalist, ant ...

* Frederick Smith (British Army officer, born 1790) *

Henry Somerset (British Army officer) Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Somerset KCB KH (30 December 1794 – 15 February 1862) was a British Army officer. Military career Born the eldest son of Lord Charles Somerset, Somerset was commissioned a cornet on 5 December 1811 and promoted ...

* John Spink *

Thomas Staunton St Clair Major General Thomas Staunton St Clair (1785– 5 November 1847) was a Scottish officer in the British Army known for his water-colour paintings which recorded British colonies in Gibraltar. Life St Clair was born in Gibraltar in 1785 where hi ...

Joseph Thackwell Lieutenant-General Sir Joseph Thackwell (1 February 1781 – 8 April 1859) was a British Army officer. He served with the 15th Hussars in the Peninsular War at the Battle of Sahagún in 1808 and the Battle of Vitoria in 1813, and he lost his ...

Edward Thomason Sir Edward Thomason (c. 1769 – 29 May 1849) was a manufacturer and inventor in Birmingham knighted by William IV of the United Kingdom, King William IV. Life He was born around 1769 in Birmingham. His father Edward Thomason (1740 – 1793) ...

Walter Tremenheere General (United Kingdom), General Walter Tremenheere (10 September 1761 – 7 August 1855) was a senior officer in the Royal Marines. Born in 1761, he joined the Marines in 1779 as a Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines), first lieutenant ...

George Tyler (Royal Navy officer) Sir George Tyler (28 December 1792 – 4 June 1862) was a British Royal Navy officer from who became a colonial governor and then Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician. The son of Admiral Sir Charles Tyler, he joined the n ...

* James Maxwell Wallace *

George Wetherall General (United Kingdom), General Sir George Augustus Wetherall, (1788 – 8 April 1868) was a senior British Army officer. Military career As the son of General Frederick Augustus Wetherall, Sir Frederick Wetherall, George Augustus Wetherall ...

* Edward Charles Whinyates *

Charles Wilkins Sir Charles Wilkins (1749 – 13 May 1836) was an English typographer and oriental studies, Orientalist, and founding member of the The Asiatic Society, Asiatic Society. He is notable as the first translator of the Bhagavad Gita into English. ...

Frederick von Wissell Colonel Sir Frederick von Wissell (died 1820) was a British Army officer during the Napoleonic Wars. Biography Wissell had the temporary rank of major in the 8th line battalion Kings German Legion (KGL) 24 May 1806. He was appointed brevet (rank ...

William Woods (officer of arms) Sir William Woods Royal Guelphic Order, KH Society of Antiquaries of London, FSA (17 August 1785 - 25 July 1842) was an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Woods was a bastard of unknown paternity. He used the name and arms of Geor ...

References

External links

* {{EngvarB, date=January 2024

Royal Guelphic Order The Royal Guelphic Order (), sometimes referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Kingdom of Hanover, Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent (later King George IV). It takes its name from the House ...

Guelphic Order 1815 establishments in the Kingdom of Hanover Awards established in 1815 Orders, decorations, and medals of Hanover