The Royal Guelphic Order (German: Königlicher Guelphen-Orden), 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). It takes its name from the House of Guelph, of which the House of Hanover was a branch. Since Hanover and the United Kingdom shared a monarch until 1837, the order was frequently bestowed upon British subjects.
| Royal Guelphic Order | |
|---|---|
 Grand cross star, sash and badge of the Royal Guelphic Order (Civil Division) | |
| Awarded by Kingdom of Hanover | |
| Type | House Order |
| Established | 28 April 1815 |
| Motto | Nec Aspera Terrent (Not afraid of difficulties) |
| Sovereign | Ernst August |
| Grades | After 1841 Grand Cross Commander 1st Class Commander 2nd Class Knight Cross of Merit |
| Former grades | Original Knight Grand Cross Knight Commander Knight |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Order of Saint George |
| Next (lower) | Order of Ernst August |
 Ribbon of the order | |
History
Until 1837 the order was frequently awarded to officers in the British Navy and Army, 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, as many were.
The British link ended in 1837 when Hanover's royal union with Great Britain ended, with Ernest Augustus becoming King of Hanover and Queen Victoria ascending the British throne. When Hanover was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866, the order continued as a house order 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.[citation needed]
Classes
The insignia was based on the white horse on Hanover's arms.[citation needed]
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 officers and royal servants.
After 1841
- Grand Cross
- Commander 1st Class
- Commander 2nd Class
- Knight
- Cross of Merit
The order
This section does not cite any sources. (July 2021) |
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
- Vice-Chancellor:
- Secretary:
- King of Arms: Sir George Nayler
- Genealogist:
- 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
List of knights of the Royal Guelphic Order |
|---|
|
See also
- Hanoverian Waterloo Medal
- Order of Ernst August
- Order of St. George (Hanover)
References
- Robertson, Megan C. (2 April 2007). "United Kingdom: The Royal Guelphic Order". Medals of the World.
- Mussell, John, ed. (2014). The Medal Yearbook 2015. Devon, UK: Token Publishing Ltd. p. 56. ISBN 9781908828163.
- Captain H. Taprell Dorling. Ribbons and Medals. pp. 31–32. A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London. 1956.
- "No. 18907". The London Gazette. 24 February 1832. p. 414. Examples of KCH's created Knight Batchelor.
- Disbrowe, Charlotte Anne Albinia (1903). Old Days in Diplomacy : Recollections of a Closed Century, by the Eldest Daughter of the late Sir Edward Cromwell Disbrowe, G.C.G. p 17. London.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
External links
![image]()
Media related to Royal Guelphic Order at Wikimedia Commons
The Royal Guelphic Order German Koniglicher Guelphen Orden 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 It takes its name from the House of Guelph of which the House of Hanover was a branch Since Hanover and the United Kingdom shared a monarch until 1837 the order was frequently bestowed upon British subjects Royal Guelphic OrderGrand cross star sash and badge of the Royal Guelphic Order Civil Division Awarded by Kingdom of HanoverTypeHouse OrderEstablished28 April 1815MottoNec Aspera Terrent Not afraid of difficulties SovereignErnst AugustGradesAfter 1841 Grand Cross Commander 1st Class Commander 2nd Class Knight Cross of MeritFormer gradesOriginal Knight Grand Cross Knight Commander KnightPrecedenceNext higher Order of Saint GeorgeNext lower Order of Ernst AugustRibbon of the orderBadge of the Royal Guelphic OrderMedal of the OrderFlag of the Electorate of Hanover 1692HistoryUntil 1837 the order was frequently awarded to officers in the British Navy and Army 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 as many were The British link ended in 1837 when Hanover s royal union with Great Britain ended with Ernest Augustus becoming King of Hanover and Queen Victoria ascending the British throne When Hanover was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866 the order continued as a house order 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 citation needed ClassesThe insignia was based on the white horse on Hanover s arms citation needed 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 officers and royal servants After 1841 Grand Cross Commander 1st Class Commander 2nd Class Knight Cross of MeritThe orderThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed July 2021 Learn how and when to remove this message 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 Vice Chancellor Secretary King of Arms Sir George Nayler Genealogist Registrar Sir William WoodsOfficers since 1987 Chancellor Ernst August Prince of HanoverMembers List of knights grand cross of the Royal Guelphic Order List of knights commander of the Royal Guelphic OrderList of knights of the Royal Guelphic OrderCharles Ashe a Court Repington Charles Babbage Lovell Benjamin Badcock William Stanhope Badcock Henry Bayly British Army officer born 1790 Charles Bell George Frederick Beltz William Brereton British Army officer David Brewster Samuel Brown Royal Navy officer George Brown British Army officer Thomas Bunbury British Army general Ryder Burton Nicholas Carlisle James Charles Chatterton Robert Alexander Chermside Thomas Henry Shadwell Clerke Abraham Josias Cloete William Colebrooke John Cowell Stepney Henry John Cumming Augustus De Butts Edward Cromwell Disbrowe Wilhelm von Dornberg William Granville Eliot William Henry Elliott Henry Ellis librarian Richard England British Army officer born 1793 Mathias Everard Arthur Farquhar Royal Navy officer born 1772 Alexander Findlay British Army officer Charles Augustus FitzRoy Charles Fergusson Forbes William Forster British Army officer James Freeth Robert Garrett British Army officer George Gawler Johann Karl Ludwig Gieseler Charles Stephen Gore Gideon Gorrequer Gottlieb Graf von Haeseler Andrew Halliday physician Henry Hanmer Jakob von Hartmann Graves Haughton William Havelock Andrew Leith Hay William Henderson Royal Navy officer William Herschel John Herschel Felton Hervey Bathurst John Hindmarsh William Jackson Hooker William Hotham Royal Navy officer born 1794 John Hobart Caradoc 2nd Baron Howden Frederick Irwin James Ivory mathematician James Jackson British Army officer William Jervois British Army officer Love Jones Parry British Army officer Heinrich Kirchweger Charles Konig Joseph de Courcy Laffan Henry John Leeke John Leslie physicist Henry Frederick Lockyer Edmund Lodge Frederick Love Alexander Maconochie penal reformer Frederic Madden Charles Menzies Royal Marines officer Samuel Rush Meyrick Charles Collier Michell William Taylor Money Sir John Murray 8th Baronet George Nayler Robert Nickle British Army officer Nicholas Harris Nicolas John Owen Royal Marines officer Francis Palgrave George William Paty John Pennycuick British Army infantry officer George Dean Pitt Henry Riddell John Robison inventor John Robyns Sir David Scott 2nd Baronet Robert Smart Charles Hamilton Smith Frederick Smith British Army officer born 1790 Henry Somerset British Army officer John Spink Thomas Staunton St Clair Joseph Thackwell Edward Thomason Walter Tremenheere George Tyler Royal Navy officer James Maxwell Wallace George Wetherall Edward Charles Whinyates Charles Wilkins Frederick von Wissell William Woods officer of arms See alsoHanoverian Waterloo Medal Order of Ernst August Order of St George Hanover ReferencesRobertson Megan C 2 April 2007 United Kingdom The Royal Guelphic Order Medals of the World Mussell John ed 2014 The Medal Yearbook 2015 Devon UK Token Publishing Ltd p 56 ISBN 9781908828163 Captain H Taprell Dorling Ribbons and Medals pp 31 32 A H Baldwin amp Sons London 1956 No 18907 The London Gazette 24 February 1832 p 414 Examples of KCH s created Knight Batchelor Disbrowe Charlotte Anne Albinia 1903 Old Days in Diplomacy Recollections of a Closed Century by the Eldest Daughter of the late Sir Edward Cromwell Disbrowe G C G p 17 London a href wiki Template Cite book title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link External linksMedia related to Royal Guelphic Order at Wikimedia Commons
