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Orders with only one surviving member?

Posted: 25 Aug 2014, 11:52
by Jonathan Webster
More of a question related to orders (in general) rather than heraldry per se (nonetheless a related subject though) ; but can anyone think of any orders (whether orders of chivalry, merit, etc.) that have only one member left? I don't mean Orders like the various British Indian orders, the Order of St. Patrick, or various Royal family Orders that have only the sovereign left, I mean ones that have literally only one surviving 'ordinary' member

I can think of two:

*the Soviet Order of Victory

sole surviving member: King Michael of Romania

*the Royal family Order of George VI

Sole surviving member: Princess Alexandra of Kent

Can anyone name any more?

Re: Orders with only one surviving member?

Posted: 27 Aug 2014, 04:14
by GSelvester
The Order of the Golden Spur which is the second highest ranking Papal Order of Knighthood (after the Supreme Order of Christ which has no living members and before the Order of Pius IX) has only one living member: Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, the former Grand Duke.

Re: Orders with only one surviving member?

Posted: 27 Aug 2014, 10:55
by Chas Charles-Dunne
Jonathan Webster wrote:More of a question related to orders (in general) rather than heraldry per se (nonetheless a related subject though) ; but can anyone think of any orders (whether orders of chivalry, merit, etc.) that have only one member left? I don't mean Orders like the various British Indian orders, the Order of St. Patrick, or various Royal family Orders that have only the sovereign left, I mean ones that have literally only one surviving 'ordinary' member

I can think of two:

*the Soviet Order of Victory

sole surviving member: King Michael of Romania

*the Royal family Order of George VI

Sole surviving member: Princess Alexandra of Kent

Can anyone name any more?


Her Majesty is still alive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Family_Order_of_King_George_VI

Re: Orders with only one surviving member?

Posted: 28 Aug 2014, 20:39
by Jonathan Webster
True; but she's now the Sovereign of the said Order rather than a mere member.

Re: Orders with only one surviving member?

Posted: 29 Aug 2014, 10:04
by Arthur Radburn
Jonathan Webster wrote:True; but she's now the Sovereign of the said Order rather than a mere member.

Do the Royal Family orders have statutes and sovereign heads the way the more 'public' orders do? As I understand it, they are essentially personal orders, which die with the monarch concerned. The KG VI family order was succeeded by the current QE II family order in 1952.

Re: Orders with only one surviving member?

Posted: 30 Aug 2014, 11:27
by Jonathan Webster
Well; HM the Queen certainly continues to wear the Royal Family Orders of George V and George VI. Not sure about statutes; but I know for each Royal Family Order the Sovereign of the Order has a badge that is different from that of ordinary members

Re: Orders with only one surviving member?

Posted: 23 Sep 2014, 02:38
by Jeremy Kudlick
Jonathan Webster wrote:Well; HM the Queen certainly continues to wear the Royal Family Orders of George V and George VI. Not sure about statutes; but I know for each Royal Family Order the Sovereign of the Order has a badge that is different from that of ordinary members

According to the Monarchy's website, the Royal Family Orders are only worn by female members of the Royal Family who have been so honored by the Sovereign. Would HM really wear her a badge of her own Royal Family Order? And what of Kings - I presume then that they would not wear a badge of any Royal Family Order since they aren't females.