The Royal Family Order of George IV is an honour that was bestowed as a mark of personal esteem on female members of the British royal family by King George IV. It was the first Royal Family Order issued in the United Kingdom. Prior to George IV's accession in 1820, both ladies and gentlemen of the Court, as well as female members of the royal family, had worn the Sovereign's portrait set in a jewelled frame. George IV formalised the order.[1]
| Royal Family Order of George IV | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded by King George IV | |
| Type | Royal Family Order |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Ribbon | Blue |
| Eligibility | Female members of the British royal family |
| Criteria | At His Majesty's pleasure |
| Status | Defunct; not awarded since the death of George IV |
Appearance
editKing George IV's Royal Family Order was rather ornate in appearance, and the frame that surrounded his portrait was of diamond oak leaves and acorns. The badge was worn on "a blue ribbon on the left shoulder", as noted in Letters of Queen Victoria. 1st series I p.16..[2] Examples of the order in the Royal Collection are in at least three different designs (items RCIN 441442,[3] RCIN 441443,[4] and RCIN 441444[5]).
List of known recipients
edit- Charlotte, Princess Royal, Queen of Württemberg, sister of George IV[6]
- Princess Augusta Sophia, sister of George IV[7]
- Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg, sister of George IV[8]
- Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, sister of George IV[9]
- Princess Sophia, sister of George IV[10]
- Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Duchess of Clarence and St Andrews, sister-in-law of George IV[11]
- Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent and Strathearn, sister-in-law of George IV[11]
- Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Duchess of Cumberland and Teviotdale, sister-in-law of George IV[12]
- Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Cambridge, sister-in-law of George IV[13]
- Princess Sophia of Gloucester, first cousin of George IV[14][15]
- Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent, later Queen Victoria, niece of George IV[16]
- Princess Augusta of Cambridge, niece of George IV[17]
- Princess Dorothea Lieven[18]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Royal Family Orders". Royal Household. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ^ Patterson, Stephen (1996). Royal Insignia: British and Foreign Orders of Chivalry from the Royal Collection. London: Merrell Holberton. p.134-136, 149. ISBN 9781858940250.
- ^ "Henry Bone (1755-1834) - Family Order of King George IV. Badge. Originally belonged to Charlotte, Queen of Württemberg". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Henry Bone (1755-1834) - Family Order of King George IV. Badge. Originally belonged to Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Henry Bone (1755-1834) - Family order of King George IV. Badge. Belonged to Grand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Family Order of King George IV, Badge, Originally belonged to Charlotte, Queen of Württemberg". Royal Collection Trust. Inventory no. 441442.
- ^ "Charles Robert Leslie (1794-1859) - Queen Victoria Receiving the Sacrament at her Coronation, 28 June 1838". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "The Royal Family diamond and enamel order of George IV, 1820s | 皇室舊藏鑽石及琺瑯喬治四世徽章，1820年代 | Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels | 2022". Sotheby's. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) - Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester (1776-1857)". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) - Princess Sophia (1777-1848)". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Charles Robert Leslie (1794-1859) - The Christening of Victoria, Princess Royal, 10 February 1841". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "John Haslem (1808-84) - Frederica, Duchess of Cumberland (1778-1841), Queen of Hanover". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Family Order of King George IV. Badge. Originally belonged to Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge". Royal Collection Trust. Inventory no. 441443.
- ^ "RCIN 407165 - The Marriage of Queen Victoria, 10 February 1840". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Sir George Hayter (1792-1871) - The Marriage of Queen Victoria. 10 Feb 1840". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ Risk, James; Pownall, Henry; Stanley, David; Tamplin, John; Martin, Stanley (2001). Royal Service. Vol. 2. Lingfield: Third Millennium Publishing/Victorian Publishing. pp. 16–19.
- ^ "Family order of King George IV. Badge. Belonged to Grand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz". Royal Collection Trust. Inventory no. 441444.
- ^ Creston, Dormer (1952). The youthful Queen Victoria. Internet Archive. New York: Putnam. p. 112.