The Royal Victorian Order is an order of knighthood awarded by the sovereign of the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth realms. It is granted personally by the monarch and recognises personal service to the monarchy, the Royal Household, royal family members, and the organisation of important royal events."Royal Victorian Order", The British Monarchy (accessed 16 August 2014)"Royal Victorian Order", The Governor-General of Canada (accessed 16 August 2014) The order was officially created and instituted on 23 April 1896 by letters patent under the Great Seal of the Realm by Queen Victoria.The London Gazette, issue 26733, p. 2455 It was instituted with five grades, the two highest of which were Knight Grand Cross (GCVO) and Knight Commander (KCVO), which conferred the status of knighthood on holders (apart from foreigners, who typically received honorary awards not entitling them to the style of a knight).McCreery, 2008, p. 29Honorary Knighthood , Debrett's (accessed on 20 August 2014)Knighthood, The British Monarchy (accessed on 20 August 2014) Women were not admitted until Edward VIII altered the statutes of the order in 1936; those receiving the highest two awards were styled dames and those grades, when conferred on women, are Dame Grand Cross and Dame Commander (DCVO).Duckers, 2004, p. 38
No limit was placed on the number of appointments which could be made.McCreery, 2008, pp. 28–29 Queen Elizabeth II appointed 23 Knights and 5 Dames Grand Cross between 2003 and her death on 8 September 2022.
Knights and dames grand cross appointed by Elizabeth II
The list below is ordered by date of appointment. Full names, styles, ranks and titles are given where applicable, as correct at the time of appointment to the order. he details of the branch of service or regiment are given in parentheses to distinguish them from offices. Where applicable, the occasion is given that was listed either with the notices or in published material elsewhere, in which case that material is cited. NameDateNotesRef.Prince Michael of Kent 2 June 2003On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of The Queen's coronationSir John Eaton Holmes 5 April 2004Sir Peter James Torry 2 November 2004Sir Walter Hugh Malcolm Ross 7 December 2005Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain’s OfficeThe Earl Peel20 October 2006Lord ChamberlainSir Robin Berry Janvrin 8 September 2007Private Secretary to The QueenDonald Charles McKinnon 9 March 2009Commonwealth Secretary-GeneralThe Countess of Wessex20 January 2010Royal FamilySir Hugh Ashley Roberts 20 April 2010Director of the Royal CollectionSir Miles Garth Hunt-Davis 14 December 2010Private Secretary to The Duke of EdinburghThe Duke of York 19 February 2011On the occasion of his 51st birthdayThe Earl of Wessex 10 March 2011On the occasion of his 45th birthdaySir Michael Charles Gerrard Peat 17 October 2011Principal Private Secretary to The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of CornwallThe Duchess of Cornwall 9 April 2012On the occasion of her 7th wedding anniversarySir Philip Alan Reid 13 September 2012Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to The QueenThe Hon. Dame Mary Anne Morrison 15 June 2013Lady-in-Waiting to The Queen The Lady Hussey of North Bradley 15 June 2013Lady-in-Waiting to The Queen Sir Peter Forbes Ricketts 7 June 2014Sir Christopher Edward Wollaston MacKenzie Geidt 5 October 2017 Private Secretary to The QueenThe Duke of Edinburgh 20 November 2017On the occasion of his 70th wedding anniversarySir Stephen Mark Jeffrey Lamport 9 June 2018Receiver-General, Westminster AbbeyLieutenant Colonel Sir Andrew Charles Ford 11 December 2018Comptroller, Lord Chamberlain’s OfficeThe Lord Vestey 12 December 2018Master of the HorseThe Duchess of Cambridge29 April 2019On the occasion of her 8th wedding anniversaryField Marshal The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank 14 June 2019Gold Stick in Waiting to The Queen and Colonel of The Life GuardsThe Lord Chartres 18 July 2019Dean of the Chapels RoyalSir William Richard Michael Oswald 28 December 2019National Hunt Racing AdviserThe Lord Parker of Minsmere 14 April 2021Lord ChamberlainThe Duke of Norfolk2 June 2022Earl Marshal
See also List of knights and dames grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Elizabeth II (1952–1977) List of knights and dames grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Elizabeth II (1978–2002)
References Notes
Citations
Bibliography P. Duckers (2004), British Orders and Decorations (Princes Risborough: Shire Publications Ltd, ) P. Galloway, D. Stanley, D. Martin (1996), Royal Service, volume 1 (London: Victorian Publishing, ) C. McCreery (2008), On Her Majesty's Service: Royal Honours and Recognition in Canada (Toronto: Dundurn Press; )