Royal Victorian Order

The Royal Victorian Order (French: Ordre royal de Victoria)^[a] is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the monarch.^[1]^[2] The present monarch, King Charles III, is the sovereign of the order. The order's motto is Victoria. The order's official day is 20 June.^[b] The order's chapel is the Savoy Chapel in London.

"RVO" redirects here. For other uses, see RVO (disambiguation).

Royal Victorian Order

Dynastic order

21 April 1896

Victoria

Ubiquitous

Personal service to the Sovereign

Currently constituted

Victoria

Charles III

Anne, Princess Royal

The Lord Parker of Minsmere

Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GCVO)
Knight/Dame Commander (KCVO/DCVO)
Commander (CVO)
Lieutenant (LVO)
Member (MVO)

1896

Dependent on state

There is no limit on the number of individuals honoured at any grade.^[3] Admission is at the sole discretion of the monarch.^[3] Each of the order's five grades represent different levels of service, as does the medal, which has three levels of service. While all those honoured may use the prescribed styles of the order – the top two grades grant titles of knighthood, and all grades accord distinct post-nominal letters – the Royal Victorian Order's precedence amongst other honours differs from realm to realm and admission to some grades may be barred to citizens of those realms by government policy.

Grand Master: KG, KT, GCVO, GCStJ, QSO, GCL, CMM, CD, ADC, since 2007

The Princess Royal

Chancellor: GCVO, KCB, PC, as Lord Chamberlain, since April 2021

The Lord Parker of Minsmere

Secretary: KCVO, as Keeper of the Privy Purse, since 2018

Sir Michael Stevens

Registrar: Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Segrave, as Secretary of the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, since 2019

Chaplain: The Reverend Canon Thomas Woodhouse, as Chaplain of the King's Chapel of the Savoy, since 2019

Sovereign: King

Charles III

Grand Master: KG, KT, GCVO, GCStJ, QSO, GCL, CMM, CD, ADC, appointed Dame Grand Cross in 1974; Grand Master since 2007.

Anne, Princess Royal

List of knights grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Victoria

List of knights commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Victoria

List of knights grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Edward VII

List of knights commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Edward VII

List of knights grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by George V

List of knights commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by George V

List of knights and dames of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Edward VIII

List of knights and dames grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by George VI

List of knights and dames commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by George VI

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)

List of knights and dames grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Elizabeth II (2003–2022)

List of knights and dames commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Elizabeth II (1952–1977)

List of knights and dames commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Elizabeth II (1978–2002)

List of knights and dames commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Elizabeth II (2003–2022)

List of knights and dames grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Charles III

List of knights and dames commander of the Royal Victorian Order appointed by Charles III

Royal Victorian Chain

Royal Victorian Medal

List of people who have declined a British honour

; Stanley, D.; Martin, S. (1996). Royal Service. Vol. I. London: Victorian Publishing. ISBN 0-9528527-0-5.

Galloway, P.

(2016). The Royal Victorian Order. Spink Books. ISBN 978-1907427763.

Galloway, Peter

Weatherly, Cecil Octavius (1911). . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 851–867, see page 856. The United Kingdom has eight orders of knighthood....

"Knighthood and Chivalry"

(cabinetoffice.gov.uk)

Royal Victorian Order