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The Royal Victorian Order was founded on April 21, 1896, by Queen Victoria as a reward for extraordinary, important or personal services performed for the Sovereign or the Royal Family. The Order may be conferred to recognize services rendered during the Sovereign's official visits abroad and during visits of foreign Heads of State to Great Britain.
Nominations to the Order are personal gifts of the Sovereign and are usually conferred in the Queen's Chapel of the Savoy. The anniversary of the institution of the Royal Victorian Order is June 20, the date of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne.
The Order has five grades: Knight (Dame) Grand Cross (GCVO), Knight (Dame) Commander (KCVO or DCVO),
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Because the first two grades confer knighthood, they are not awarded to Canadians. For many years, it has been the Government's policy not to authorize the granting of titles, such as knighthood, to Canadians.
The Badge consists of a Maltese Cross of eight points, in the centre of which is an oval of crimson enamel with the cipher VRI superimposed one letter on the other in gold. Encircling the cipher is a blue enamel riband with the name VICTORIA in gold letters. The Imperial Crown sits atop the riband. CVOs receive a two-inch Badge with a white-enamelled Cross, LVOs a one-and-one-half-inch Badge with a white-enamelled Cross, and MVOs a one-and-one-half-inch Badge with a frosted silver Cross.
CVOs (men) wear the Badge around the neck, and ladies wear the same Badge on the left shoulder from a ribbon fashioned in a bow. LVOs (men) wear the Badge on the left breast from a straight ribbon and ladies wear the same Badge on the left shoulder from a ribbon fashioned in a bow. MVOs (men and ladies) wear the Badge in the same manner as LVOs. Ladies in military uniform wear the Badge in the same manner as men.
Names of the recipients are published in The London Gazette.
The Royal Victorian Order is part of the Canadian Honours System, established in 1967.
(October 1993)
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