Order of St Michael and St George

Order of St Michael and St George
Name	Order of St Michael and St George
Caption	Ribbon of the order
Awarded by	The Monarch of the United Kingdom
Type	Order of chivalry
Motto	Auspicium melioris ævi
Eligibility	Distinguished service in foreign affairs
Status	Currently constituted
Founder	George IV
Sovereign	Charles III
Grades	Knight Grand Cross (GCMG), Knight Commander (KCMG), Companion (CMG)

Order of St Michael and St George. The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, then Prince Regent, acting on behalf of his father, King George III. It is awarded to individuals who have rendered extraordinary and important services abroad or in the Commonwealth of Nations, particularly in the fields of diplomacy and international affairs. The order's motto is Auspicium melioris ævi ("Token of a better age"), and its patron saints are Saint Michael and Saint George.

History

The order was originally established to honour service in the Mediterranean territories that came under British protection following the Treaty of Paris, notably the Ionian Islands and the island of Malta. Its creation was closely tied to the expansion of British influence in the region after the Napoleonic Wars. The order's headquarters and chapel were initially established in the Palace of St. Michael and St. George in Corfu, reflecting its Ionian origins. Following the transfer of the Ionian Islands to Greece in 1864, the order's chapel was relocated to St Paul's Cathedral in London, and its focus shifted to recognising service across the growing British Empire. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, it became a primary honour for senior officials of the Foreign Office, colonial governors, and diplomats, with appointments often linked to postings in pivotal locations like India, South Africa, and Hong Kong.

Composition

The Sovereign of the order is the reigning Monarch of the United Kingdom, currently Charles III. The next senior member is the Grand Master, a position held by Edward VII and later by the Duke of Kent until 2022; the position is currently vacant. The order consists of three classes: Knight Grand Cross (GCMG) or Dame Grand Cross (GCMG), Knight Commander (KCMG) or Dame Commander (DCMG), and Companion (CMG). Membership is limited, with statutory limits on the number of Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Commanders. The order includes several officers, such as the Dean (traditionally the Dean of St Paul's), the King of Arms, a Registrar, and a Gentleman Usher of the Blue Rod.

Insignia and robes

The insignia features representations of the order's patron saints. The badge for Knights and Dames Grand Cross is a gold Maltese cross of fourteen points, enamelled in white, with a blue medallion depicting Saint Michael vanquishing Satan on one side and Saint George on horseback slaying the dragon on the reverse. The star is a silver, rayed Maltese cross bearing the motto. Members wear elaborate vestments for formal occasions: for GCMGs, a mantle of saxon blue satin lined with scarlet silk and a collar of gold depicting crowned lions, Maltese crosses, and the cyphers of Saints Michael and George. The hat is of black velvet topped with a plume of ostrich and heron feathers. The collars and insignia are returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood upon the holder's death.

Precedence and privileges

Within the British honours system, the Order of St Michael and St George ranks in precedence after the Order of the Bath and before the Royal Victorian Order. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders are entitled to use the honorific prefix 'Sir', and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commanders use 'Dame'. Wives of knights may use the prefix 'Lady'. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also granted the right to receive heraldic supporters for their arms and may encircle their arms with a depiction of the order's circlet and motto. Members have designated positions in the order of precedence, and their post-nominal letters are used in formal contexts.

Notable members

Historically, the order has been conferred upon many prominent imperial administrators and diplomats. Notable Knights Grand Cross include former Prime Minister Tony Blair, wartime diplomat and Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, and long-serving Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston. Famed explorer and colonial administrator Sir Henry Morton Stanley was appointed a Knight Grand Cross. In the realm of intelligence, the first head of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming, was a Knight Commander. Distinguished foreign recipients have included American naval hero John Paul Jones and former U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall.

Current appointments

Appointments to the order are announced biannually, typically on the New Year and the King's Official Birthday honours lists. Recommendations are made by the Foreign Secretary to the Sovereign. Recent senior appointees have included senior diplomats like former Permanent Under-Secretary Sir Simon McDonald, and individuals who have served in key international organisations such as the World Bank and the United Nations. The order continues to recognise significant contributions to international relations and British interests overseas, including work by officials from the Diplomatic Service and the Department for International Trade.

Category:Orders of chivalry of the United Kingdom Category:1818 establishments in the United Kingdom