Ranks within the Order of St. George
There are four ranks (grades) within the Order:
- Officer of the UK Grand Priory of the Order of St George
- Knight/Dame of the Order of St George
- Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of St George
- Grand Cross of the Order of St George
There are also cadet grades for members under 21, and the honorary grade of Companion.
Officer is the standard ‘entry level’ membership grade for the UK Grand Priory. It is not currently offered in the Grand Priory of the Americas. Officers are not required to be formally invested into the Order, although they are encouraged to attend our Investiture service where they will be formally welcomed into the Order.
Knights/Dames are formally invested into the Order at an investiture ceremony, held at a consecrated building. Promotion from Officer to Knight/Dame, and to the higher ranks of the Order, is not automatic but will be awarded in recognition of a member’s contribution to the work of the Order and/or to other good works.
Each grade within the Order has its own regalia:
- Officer – Neck jewel with black ribbon
- Knight/Dame – Neck jewel with blue ribbon; mantle (cape)
- Knight/Dame Commander – Neck jewel with red ribbon; mantle (cape); breast star
- Grand Cross – Neck jewel with purple ribbon; mantle (cape); breast star; sash
About the Neck Jewel
The neck decoration of the Order of St George is a cross flory bearing an oval panel depicting the mounted figure of St George slaying the dragon, which is suspended from the Holy Crown of St Stephen of Hungary (distinguished by its shape and the tilted cross which surmounts it).
The Holy Crown of St Stephen is the national symbol of Hungary – the President, ministers of state and officers of the armed forces all take their oath of allegiance to it. In the sixteenth century, when he was Grand Master, Pope Paul III added the image of this crown to the insignia of then Order of St. George.
The neck jewel is normally worn at official events of the Order such as Investitures and Dinners.
We don’t normally wear regalia for trips, visits and informal events.
Members may wear the decoration at events of other Orders and societies, provided they have sought permission of the other Order in advance and it has been given. This is a standard courtesy.
The Neck Jewel should not be worn when attending Crown or State orders or organized events unless permission has been given in advance from the event protocol officer. That authority must then be forwarded to Grand Prior or Chancellor who will approve of reject its wearing in advance of the event.
Events organized at the Royal Hospital Chelsea and our affiliated Regiment of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment have been cleared on this basis.
Please note that all of our regalia is strictly forbidden to be used for personal gain, commercial gain or media use (this includes The Neck Jewel, The Cape and the Order Sash and Breast Star), without the express permission of the Grand Prior or Chancellor in advance.
Full details of the regulations for the use of the Order’s regalia, are available here, as is guidance on the UK protocols for wearing honours, decorations and medals for different events. Regular (3.3″) and miniature size (2.3″) medals for wearing on occasions where the neck jewel is not appropriate are also available.
