The Royal Family Order (RFO) and other Royal Orders and Decorations 1: Ending 2022

[scriptgirl]

Does that mean that Harry and Meghan will never go to State dinners?

 

[Pranter]

Does that mean that Harry and Meghan will never go to State dinners?

No..in fact I'm quite sure they will go to all of them unless they have a conflicting schedule.


LaRae

 

[Somebody]

Does that mean that Harry and Meghan will never go to State dinners?

No, because they most likely will attend state banquets at incoming state visits - not necessarily all of them, as the Spanish one was Harry's first if I am not mistaken, but it will increase.

Just be prepared they there won't always be pictures as many royals attend and most of the times we only see a few of them (queen, duke of Edinburgh, prince of Wales, duchess of Cornwall - and the duke and duchess of Cambridge if they attend) on the official pictures (not the queen's other children or cousins).

 

[Madame Verseau]

I still don't understand why Kate doesn't have a family order. She's a future queen, been in the BRF for six years and given birth to a future King, a blood princess and another on the way. It may be from the alleged "Duchess of Do Little" knock from the queen; that Kate doesn't pull her weight in royal work. If Meghan joins the Firm and she earns the RFO before Kate, cue the hue and cry.

 

[MARG]

I don’t look at as being slighted. I’m in the camp that thinks she has it and doesn’t wear but just say she doesn’t have it. She will eventually. We don’t say the Queen is slighting Harry by not giving him the Garter.

We all have our opinions on it and everyone knows mine but we know it takes a relatively long time to accumulate orders in the BRF.

One day Catherine will show up with the RVO over her shoulder and we’ll all be happy. At least I will be

I am in the camp that thinks she absolutely, definitely, doesn't have the RFO, because if she had it it would be a direct slap in the face to HM for her not to wear it at State Banquets. Ill-mannered wouldn't begin to describe it. As to the Ivory situation, there is no virtue in down the order on that count. It is very old ivory and manners dictate that if she had it she'd wear it. At least until HM passed away.

 

[Dman]

I am in the camp that thinks she absolutely, definitely, doesn't have the RFO, because if she had it it would be a direct slap in the face to HM for her not to wear it at State Banquets. Ill-mannered wouldn't begin to describe it. As to the Ivory situation, there is no virtue in down the order on that count. It is very old ivory and manners dictate that if she had it she'd wear it. At least until HM passed away.

It’s just puzzling and I get the feeling Catherine show up to the Diplomatic Corps Reception again this year without it. Something that make you want to scream!

Catherine, Camilla, Sophie, Anne, Birgitte, and Katherine should be up to receiving their second family orders on Charles’s succession.

 

[scriptgirl]

I think Kate doesn't have an order because she doesn't pull the workload she should.

RE the ivory thingy, it is not politically correct to wear ivory these days and for good reason. Plus William is anti Ivory due to Tusk Trust.

 

[Dman]

I think Kate doesn't have an order because she doesn't pull the workload she should.

Getting the family order isn’t about the amount of work one do. It’s an honor given to senior female members of the royal family. It’s worn on formal occasions.

Catherine should’ve already have it.

The Queen received her grandfather’s family order (George V) in 1935 at the age of 9. What work did she do at the time? Other than sit on her “Grandpa England’s” knee.

 

[scriptgirl]

And the fact that she doesn't speaks volumes.

 

[Rudolph]

When Queen Victoria’s cousin The Duke of Cambridge died in 1904 he had 11 knighthoods

So we know those days are long past. I don’t know why people (actually I do) try use this against Kate that it’s the Queen showing her displeasure.

Was the Queen showing her displeasure at Andrew and Edward when she made William a Thistle Knight but not her sons.

Is she showing her displeasure with Harry by only giving him KCVO and not GCVO. Why not make him a Garter Knight like his brother?

I believe Ivory is the issue and it wouldn’t be an insult to the Queen as she knows William’s views but anyway can agree to disagree.

 

[Dman]

When Queen Victoria’s cousin The Duke of Cambridge died in 1904 he had 11 knighthoods

So we know those days are long past. I don’t know why people (actually I do) try use this against Kate that it’s the Queen showing her displeasure.

Was the Queen showing her displeasure at Andrew and Edward when she made William a Thistle Knight but not her sons.

Is she showing her displeasure with Harry by only giving him KCVO and not GCVO. Why not make him a Garter Knight like his brother?

I believe Ivory is the issue and it wouldn’t be an insult to the Queen as she knows William’s views but anyway can agree to disagree.

I think the order being made with ivory is the issue too, but why haven’t it entered the royals brains to change the setting so Catherine can wear her order at formal events?

 

[scriptgirl]

How in the world do you get 11 knighthoods?

Re Andrew and Edward not being Thistle Knights and William being one, I don't throw shade at that. One, William is the heir to the heir and he is going to get certain things others won't. Also, he is a blood family member.

 

[Dman]

The Queen had a brooch (The Centenary Rose Brooch) made for her mother’s 100th Birthday in rock crystal- The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor: Sunday Brooch: The Centenary Rose

The same crystal could be used to make Catherine’s family order. That solve the ivory issue. It’s better than leaving a senior royal without her family order.

 

[TLLK]

Getting the family order isn’t about the amount of work one do. It’s an honor given to senior female members of the royal family. It’s worn on formal occasions.

Catherine should’ve already have it.

The Queen received her grandfather’s family order (George V) in 1935 at the age of 9. What work did she do at the time? Other than sit on her “Grandpa England’s” knee.

My own theory is that HM is being very cautious about handing out the RFO because of the tumultuous 80-s and 90's. Diana was the last to immediately receive one due to her position as the Princess of Wales and Sarah never received one. She held off on giving them to Camilla and Sophie for a few years after they married into the family.

I do subscribe to the idea that the fact that the QEII family order is still produced on ivory is one reason that Catherine has not yet received one or worn it publicly if she has it.

Getting the family order isn’t about the amount of work one do. It’s an honor given to senior female members of the royal family. It’s worn on formal occasions.

Yes some posters seem to be under the impression that there is a "magic number" of engagements that the female family members are expected to reach before they win a "prize." As was pointed out earlier, most of the ladies in the BRF who have RFOs received them when they were young (QEII, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Princess Alexandra) or shortly after they married into the family (Katherine Kent, Brigitte, Diana).

 

[Rudolph]

Here’s another. Sophie is a Dame of Justice in the Order of St John plus she’s a GCVO. That’s two to Camilla’s one. See where I’m going?

Because there in no ‘method to the Queen’s madness’ that we know of we can’t read anything into who gets what orders and when.

People who tend to dislike Kate seem to always make this an isssue. If she has it now, good for her, if she doesn’t good for her when she does get it

 

[Dman]

Here’s another. Sophie is a Dame of Justice in the Order of St John plus she’s a GCVO. That’s two to Camilla’s one. See where I’m going?

Because there in no ‘method to the Queens’ madness we can’t read anything into who gets what orders and when.

People who tend to dislike Kate seem to always make this an isssue. If she has it now, good for her, if she doesn’t good for her when she does get it

At least Camilla and Sophie are properly decorated with the family order and Victorian Order for formal occasions. Catherine is left totally bare of any order at formal occasions. It all sticks out like a sore thumb and none of it makes any sense.

 

[scriptgirl]

At least Camilla and Sophie are properly decorated with the family order and Victorian Order for formal occasions. Catherine is left totally bare of any order at formal occasions. It all sticks out like a sore thumb and none of it makes any sense.

This right here.

 

[TLLK]

I am not seeing why Catherine HAS to have the order. She'll be fine if she never gets it

If QEII chooses to not give them to her grandsons' wives, then she doesn't have to do so. She could leave it to her son's reign and they could receive them from him if he chooses to continue the tradition.

 

[scriptgirl]

Well, as we've seen, things don't always go according to protocol.

 

[scriptgirl]

And the BRF is tone deaf with the whole ivory thing.

 

[Dman]

I totally agree with William on stopping the use of ivory. I applaud him for championing the cause, but he should know that the family order can be made out of different bases. It don’t have to be made out of ivory. He or The Queen could have a newly made family order made by the royal jeweller, Mappin & Webb. Why not do that?

 

[soapstar]

I've edited a number of posts. Let's please not make this a Kate vs Meghan thing.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

I disagree, given William's strong stance on ivory. Charles will probably have his made on porcelain.

I totally agree with William on stopping the use of ivory. I applaud him for championing the cause, but he should know that the family order can be made out of different bases. It don’t have to be made out of ivory. He or The Queen could have a newly made family order made by the royal jeweller, Mappin & Webb. Why not do that?

I think it would be a substantial cost for one or a few orders. I don't think the base will change until Charles is King.

And the BRF is tone deaf with the whole ivory thing.

I don't understand this post.

 

[Somebody]

Catherine will certainly need royal orders (not necessarily this one, she can go straight to a higher one) at some point as it would complicate things enormously if her husband hands out orders to foreign royalty and she doesn't have an equal or higher order herself (and the visitors/visited are expected to award her their (highest) order as the monarch's wife).

Luckily, the queen doesn't seem to pay much attention to the tabloids and will certainly not base her personal decisions on them. I am sure she has learned to live with it and will surely not award an order prematurely just to satisfy the tabloids or to please Americans.

Edit: sorry, soapstar, didn't see your post earlier, wasn't my intention to go against your warning. Have edited my post accordingly.

 

[Somebody]

I totally agree with William on stopping the use of ivory. I applaud him for championing the cause, but he should know that the family order can be made out of different bases. It don’t have to be made out of ivory. He or The Queen could have a newly made family order made by the royal jeweller, Mappin & Webb. Why not do that?

Are the other British orders also ivory-based? Or could awarding the Royal Victorian Order be an alternative (at some point in the future)?

 

[Pranter]

Some are but there are at least a few that aren't ivory based.


LaRae

 

[TLLK]

Have you seen the Daily Fail comments section?

Yes and I believe that it is not worth my time to read it. As has been mentioned before the DF is not a good or reliable representation of the opinions of the British public. Knowing that this is another of her nation's tabloids, I truly doubt that HM pays it much attention.

Should she decide to give Catherine or Harry's wife one of her RFO's, she'll do it for her own reasons based likely upon seniority and tradition.?

 

[Leopoldine]

I think it was the President of Egypt made a State Visit to the UK and awarded Diana with the Order of the Virtues. The Queen is also a member.



I know and it’s extremely frustrating and nerve wrecking.

I think Diana's Egyptian order was from the honeymoon on the Britannia.

 

[Curryong]

Yes, so do I. President Sadat and wife and retinue lunched with newly weds Charles and Diana on the Britannia. I think Diana received it then.

 

[Dman]

Yes, so do I. President Sadat and wife and retinue lunched with newly weds Charles and Diana on the Britannia. I think Diana received it then.

Oh okay. I remember Diana talking about that. Well, that’s how she racked up two foreign orders.