The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour of two military saints, Michael and George.
The Order of St Michael and St George was originally bestowed on those holding commands or high position in the Mediterranean territories acquired in the Napoleonic Wars, and it was subsequently extended to holders of similar office or position in other territories of the British Empire. It is at present bestowed on 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 it can also be conferred for important or loyal service in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs.
Appointments are announced in The Gazette.
Description The three classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG or DCMG) Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)
+Classes of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St GeorgeGrade Knight Grand Cross Dame Grand Cross Knight Commander Dame Commander CompanionPrefix Sir Dame Sir Dame —Post-nominalsGCMG KCMG DCMG CMGInsignia
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 KCMGs, DCMGs or CMGs. For example, the former British Ambassador to the United States Sir David Manning was appointed Companion (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 Knight Commander (KCMG). It is the traditional order for members of the FCO.
The Order's motto is Auspicium melioris ævi (Latin 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, after the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, the Most Honourable Order of the Bath 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 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 in 1817. It was intended to reward "natives of the Ionian Islands and of the island of Malta and its dependencies, and for such other subjects of His Majesty as may hold high and confidential situations in the Mediterranean".
In 1864, however, the protectorate ended and the Ionian Islands became part of Greece. 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 and Governors feature as recipients of appointments in the order, typically as Knights and Dames Grand Cross.
In 1965, the order was opened to women, with Evelyn Bark 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).
Grand Master The next-most senior member is the Grand Master. The office was formerly filled by the Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands; now, however, Grand Masters are chosen by the Sovereign. Grand Masters include:
1818–1825: Sir Thomas Maitland (Sovereigns: King George III and King George IV) 1825–1850: Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (Sovereigns: King George IV, King William IV, Queen Victoria) 1850–1904: Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (Sovereigns: Queen Victoria and King Edward VII) 1905–1910: George, Prince of Wales (Sovereign: King Edward VII) 1910–1917: None. In 1910, the Prince of Wales ceased to be Grand Master when he acceded to the throne as King George V and became Sovereign himself 1917–1936: Edward, Prince of Wales (Sovereign: King George V) 1936–1957: Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone (Sovereigns: King Edward VIII, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II) 1957–1959: Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax (Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II) 1959–1967: Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis (Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II) 1967–present: Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Sovereigns: Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III)
The Order originally included 15 Knights Grand Cross, 20 Knights Commander 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". The register of the order states that as of 11 July 2025 there were 71, 224 and 935 members of the highest, middle and lowest grades, respectively.
Officers The Order has six officers. The Order's King of Arms is not a member of the College of Arms, like many other heraldic 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.
Habit and insignia
Members of the Order wear elaborate regalia on important occasions (such as coronations), 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 English lions, Maltese Crosses, and the cyphers "SM" and "SG", all alternately. In the centre are two 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 Commander. 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 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 Commander and male Companions wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; Dames Commander 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); the obverse shows 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 colour, although St Michael's wings were changed from being multi-colour 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 Sir Michael Palin of Monty Python fame, a Knight Commander of the Order. In July 2020, the Cabinet Office announced that officers of the Order who were unhappy with their insignia could exchange them for one of the newer models.
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 issued 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 the Order of the British Empire and the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor.) Religious services for the whole Order are held quadrennially; new Dames and Knights 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 in 1927.Henry POOLE 1873–1928 (Tate Britain); retrieved 1 October 2009.
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 Commander; 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.)