Everything about The Royal Victorian Chain totally explained
The
Royal Victorian Chain is an award, instituted in
1902 by King
Edward VII as a personal award of the Monarch (for example not an award by the British or any other Commonwealth Realm government). Although it's similar in appearance to the
Royal Victorian Order, the two awards are unrelated.
The Royal Victorian Chain doesn't confer upon its recipients any style or title - in fact, the Chain isn't even given a precedence within any Commonwealth honours system - but it represents a personal token of high distinction and esteem from the Monarch.
The Chain can be conferred upon men and women, both of the
Realms and foreign. There are at least 12 recipients living, of which only three were not Heads of State at creation: the Earl of Airlie [1997]- former Lord Chamberlain of the Queen's Household, former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey [2002] who advised the Queen during her "
Annus Horribilis," and the Queen's husband,
the Duke of Edinburgh. Heads of State who are recipients of the Chain include King
Carl XVI Gustaf of
Sweden, King
Bhumibol Adulyadej of
Thailand, Queen
Beatrix of the Netherlands, King
Harald V of Norway, former Portuguese President
António Ramalho Eanes, former German President Dr.
Richard von Weizsäcker and King
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
It serves as the senior award for
Canadians, who are (arguably) ineligible to receive knighthoods due to the
Nickle Resolution. Only two Canadians have thus far received the Chain:
Vincent Massey and
Roland Michener - both former
Governors General.
The
chain is in gold, decorated with motifs of Tudor
Rose,
Thistle,
Shamrock and
Lotus Flower (symbolizing
England,
Scotland,
Ireland and
India respectively), and a crowned, red enamelled cipher of King Edward VII "ERI" (
Edwardus Rex Imperator), surrounded by a gold wreath for men, upon which the badge is suspended. The chain is worn around the collar by men, or with the four motifs and some chain links fixed to a riband in the form of bow (blue with red-white-red edges) on the left shoulder by women. However the Queen's sister Princess Margaret in later life wore her chain around the collar, as male recipients do.
The
badge is a gold, white enamelled
Maltese Cross; the oval-shaped central medallion depicts Victoria's Royal and Imperial Cypher, "VRI" (
Victoria Regina Imperatrix) on a red background, surrounded by a crown-surmounted blue ring bearing the word "Victoria". Both the crown and Queen Victoria's cypher are studded with diamonds.
The Royal Victorian Chain must be returned to the Monarch upon the death of the recipient.
Further Information
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