The Imperial Order of the Crown of India is an order in the

British honours system In the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories, personal bravery, achievement, or service are rewarded with honours. The honours system consists of three types of award: *Honours are used to recognise merit in terms of achievement a ...

. The Order was established by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

when she became

Empress of India Emperor or Empress of India was a title used by British monarchs from 1 May 1876 (with the Royal Titles Act 1876) to 22 June 1948, that was used to signify their rule over British India, as its imperial head of state. Royal Proclamation of 2 ...

in 1878. The Order was open only to women, and no appointments have been made since the

Partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

in 1947. The Order was limited to British princesses, wives or female relatives of Indian princes (female rulers like the Nawab Begums of Bhopal counted as such) and the wife or female relatives of any person who held the office of: *

Viceroy of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...

Governor of Madras This is a list of the governors, agents, and presidents of colonial Madras, initially of the English East India Company, up to the end of British colonial rule in 1947. English Agents In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized b ...

Governor of Bombay Until the 18th century, Bombay consisted of seven islands separated by shallow sea. These seven islands were part of a larger archipelago in the Arabian sea, off the western coast of India. The date of city's founding is unclear—historians tr ...

* Governor of Bengal * Commander-in-Chief India *

Secretary of State for India His (or Her) Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for India, known for short as the India Secretary or the Indian Secretary, was the British Cabinet minister and the political head of the India Office responsible for the governance of th ...

Governor-General of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 1 ...

History

The Order of the

Crown of India Crown of India may refer to: * The Monarchy of India between 1876 and 1947, styled as the Emperor of India * The Imperial Crown of India, the crown used by the emperors of India between 1911 and 1947 * ''The Crown of India ''The Crown of India ...

was established by Queen Victoria in 1878 as a companion order to the

Order of Victoria and Albert The Royal Order of Victoria and Albert is a British Royal Family Order instituted on 10 February 1862 by Queen Victoria, and enlarged on 10 October 1864, 15 November 1865, and 15 March 1880. No award has been made since the death of Queen V ...

. The order's intent was to recognize women associated with India regardless of their social statuses. In practice, the Order of the Crown of India was mostly conferred on royalty, wives of peers, wives of members of India's ruling classes and wives of civil servants stationed in India. It is one of the few honors which was reserved for women only, such as the

and the Royal Family Order.

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

, then Princess Elizabeth, and her sister Princess Margaret were appointed to the Order by their father King George VI in June 1947, making them among the last women to be presented with the Order. By the late 20th Century there were only four living recipients - Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and

Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, (born Lady Alice Christabel Montagu Douglas Scott; 25 December 1901 – 29 October 2004) was the wife of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the mothe ...

, who was the last ordinary member at the time of her death in 2004. With the death of the last surviving holder Queen Elizabeth II, the last active imperial Indian order became dormant in 2022.

Description

The members of the Order could use the

post-nominal letters Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...

"CI", but did not acquire any special precedence or status due to it. Furthermore, they were entitled to wear the badge of the Order, which included Queen

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

's Imperial Cypher, VRI (''Victoria Regina Imperatrix''). The letters were set in diamonds, pearls, and turquoises, and were together surrounded by a border of pearls surmounted by a figure of the Imperial Crown. The badge was worn and attached to a light blue bow, edged in white, on the left shoulder. ElizabethIItroopingcolour crop

Recipients

1878–1900

*1878: Alexandra, Princess of Wales *1878: Victoria, Princess Royal, Crown Princess of Germany *1878:

Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine Princess Alice (Alice Maud Mary; 25 April 1843 – 14 December 1878) was Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine from 13 June 1877 until her death in 1878 as the wife of Grand Duke Louis IV. She was the third child and second daughter of Queen ...

*1878:

Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein Princess Helena (Helena Augusta Victoria; 25 May 1846 – 9 June 1923), later Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, was the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Helena was educated by private tutors chosen ...

*1878:

Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, (Louisa Caroline Alberta; 18 March 1848 – 3 December 1939) was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In her public life, she was a strong proponent of the arts and highe ...

*1878:

Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom Princess Beatrice (Beatrice Mary Victoria Feodore; 14 April 1857 – 26 October 1944), later Princess Henry of Battenberg, was the fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort, Prince Albert. Beatrice ...

*1878:

Maria Alexandrovna, Duchess of Edinburgh Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (russian: Мария Александровна; – 24 October 1920) was the fifth child and only surviving daughter of Emperor Alexander II of Russia and Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine; she wa ...

*1878: Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge *1878: Grand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz *1878:

Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck Princess Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth of Cambridge (27 November 1833 – 27 October 1897), later Duchess of Teck, was a member of the British royal family. She was one of the first royals to patronise a wide range of charities. Mary Ade ...

*1878: Maharani Bamba Singh *1878: Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal *1878: Maharani Sita Vilas Dawaji Ammani Anaro of

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

*1878: Maharanee Jumnabai Sahib Gaekwad of

Baroda Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...

(widow of Maharaja Khanderao) *1878: Dilawar un-Nisa Begum Sahiba, of

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

*1878: Nawab Qudsia, Begum of

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...

*1878: Vijaya Mohana Muktamba Bai Ammani Raja Sahib of

Tanjore Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the ...

*1878: Maharani Swarnamoyee of

Cossimbazar Cossimbazar is a sub-urban area of Berhampore City in the Berhampore CD block in the Berhampore subdivision in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal."Cossimbazar" in ''Imperial Gazetteer of India'', Oxford, Clarendon Press, ...

*1878:

Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll Elizabeth Georgiana Campbell, Duchess of Argyll (''née'' Leveson-Gower; 30 May 1824 – 25 May 1878) was a British noblewoman and abolitionist. Born into the wealthy Sutherland-Leveson-Gower family, she was the eldest daughter of the 2nd Du ...

*1878: Georgina Gascoyne-Cecil, Marchioness of Salisbury *1878: Henrietta Vyner, Marchioness of Ripon, Vicerine of India *1878: Lady Mary Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville *1878: Mary Bruce, The Countess of Elgin *1878: The Countess of Mayo *1878: Lady Susan Bourke *1878: Mary Wood, Viscountess Halifax *1878: Lady Hobart (Mary Hobart, wife of

Lord Hobart Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire, (6 May 17604 February 1816), styled Lord Hobart from 1793 to 1804, was a British Tory politician. Life Buckinghamshire was born at Hampden House, the son of George Hobart, 3rd Earl of Buckinghamshire ...

, Governor of the Presidency of Madras) *1878: Lady Jane Baring *1878: Anne Napier, Baroness Napier (wife of

Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier and 1st Baron Ettrick, (15 September 1819 – 19 December 1898) was a Scottish polyglot, diplomat and colonial administrator. He served as the British Minister to the United States from 1857 to 1859, Netherlan ...

, Governor of the Presidency of Madras, 1866–1872) *1878:

Edith Bulwer-Lytton, Countess of Lytton Edith Bulwer-Lytton, Countess of Lytton, (née Villiers; 15 September 1841 – 17 September 1936) was a British aristocrat. As the wife of Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton, she was vicereine of India. After his death, she was a court-a ...

*1878:

Harriette Lawrence, Baroness Lawrence Harriette is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Harriette Chick (1875–1977), notable British protein scientist and nutritionist * Harriette Cole (born 1961), writer and columnist who works for the New York Daily News * Harriette ...

*1878:

Cecilia Northcote, Countess of Iddesleigh Cecilia is a personal name originating in the name of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music. The name has been popularly used in Europe (particularly the United Kingdom and Italy, where in 2018 it was the 43rd most popular name for girls born ...

*1878: Catherine Frere, Lady Frere (wife of Sir Henry Frere, 1st Baronet, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay) *1878:

Mary Temple, Lady Temple Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

(wife of

Sir Richard Temple, 1st Baronet Sir Richard Temple, 1st Baronet (8 March 1826 – 15 March 1902) was a British colonial administrator in 19th-century India, who served as Governor of Bombay from 1877 to 1880. Early life Temple was the son of Richard Temple (1800–1874) and ...

, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay) *1878: Caroline Denison, Lady Denison (wife of Sir William Denison, Governor of the Presidency of Madras) *1878: Katherine Strachey, Lady Strachey (wife of Sir John Strachey, acting Viceroy of India 1872) *1878:

Jane Gathorne-Hardy, Countess of Cranbrook Jane may refer to: * Jane (given name), a feminine given name * Jane (surname), related to the given name Film and television * ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd * ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama fi ...

*1878:

Princess Frederica of Hanover English: Frederica Sophie Marie Henrietta Amelia Theresa , image = Princess Frederica of Hanover.jpg , caption = Princess Frederica, 1885 , spouse = , issue = Baroness Victoria , house = Hanover , father ...

*1878:

Princess Marie of Hanover Princess Marie Ernestine Josephine Adolphine Henriette Therese Elisabeth Alexandrine of Hanover (2 December 1849 – 4 June 1904) was the younger daughter of King George V of Hanover and his wife, Marie of Saxe-Altenburg. Biography Marie was b ...

*1879: Thyra, Duchess of Cumberland *1879: Louise Margaret Duchess of Connaught *1879: Lady Napier of Magdala (wife of

Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala Field Marshal Robert Cornelis Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala (6 December 1810 – 14 January 1890) was a British Indian Army officer. He fought in the First Anglo-Sikh War and the Second Anglo-Sikh War before seeing action as chief en ...

, Commander-in-Chief India 1870–1876 and acting Viceroy of India, 1862–1863) *1879: Lady Frances Cunynghame *1879: Dowager Lady Pottinger (widow of Sir

Henry Pottinger Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pottinger, 1st Baronet (; 3 October 1789 – 18 March 1856) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and colonial administrator who became the first Governor of Hong Kong. Early life Henry Pottinger was born at his family est ...

, Governor of the Presidency of Madras 1848–1854) *1881:

Bharani Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi Maharani Bharani Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi CI (1848–1901) was the Senior Rani of Travancore from 1857 till her death in 1901. Her consort was the famous poet and writer, styled the father of Malayalam literature, Sri Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Tha ...

, Senior Rani of

Attingal Attingal is a municipality in Thiruvananthapuram metropolitan area in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala state, India. It was the location of the Attingal kingdom, under Travancore. It is the headquarters of Chirayinkeezhu Taluk, and the ...

*1881: Lady Fergusson (Olive Fergusson, wife of

Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet (14 March 1832 – 14 January 1907) was a British soldier, Conservative politician and colonial administrator. Background and education Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Fergusson was the eldest son of Sir Charle ...

, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay, 1880–1885) *1881: Mrs William Patrick Adam (Emily Adam, widow of

William Patrick Adam William Patrick Adam, CIE, DL (14 September 1823 – 24 May 1881) was a British colonial administrator and Liberal politician. He was twice First Commissioner of Works under William Gladstone and also served briefly as Governor of Madras betw ...

, Governor of the Presidency of Madras 1880–1881) *1882: Helen, Duchess of Albany *1883: Lady Grant Duff (Anna Julia Grant Duff, wife of Sir Mountstuart Grant Duff, Governor of the Presidency of Madras 1881–1886) *1884: Edith Fergusson (daughter of

, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay, 1880–1885) *1884: The Countess of Dufferin (wife of Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Earl of Dufferin, Viceroy of India, 1884–1888) *1885: Lady Randolph Spencer-Churchill (wife of

Lord Randolph Churchill Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill (13 February 1849 – 24 January 1895) was a British statesman. Churchill was a Tory radical and coined the term 'Tory democracy'. He inspired a generation of party managers, created the National Union of ...

, Secretary of State for India, 1885–1886) *1885: Lady Reay (Fanny Georgiana Jane Mackay, wife of

Donald Mackay, 11th Lord Reay Donald James Mackay, 11th Lord Reay (22 December 1839 – 1 August 1921) (in the Netherlands: Donald Jacob, Baron Mackay, Lord of Ophemert and Zennewijnen) was a Dutch-born British administrator and Liberal politician. Background Mackay was bo ...

, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay 1885–1890) *1886: Viscountess Cross (Georgina Cross, wife of

Richard Assheton Cross, 1st Viscount Cross Richard Assheton Cross, 1st Viscount Cross, (30 May 1823 – 8 January 1914), known before his elevation to the peerage as R. A. Cross, was a British statesman and Conservative politician. He notably served as Home Secretary between 1874 and 1 ...

, Secretary of State for India 1886–1892) *1887: Princess Louise of Wales *1887: Princess Victoria of Wales *1887:

Princess Maud of Wales Maud of Wales (Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria; 26 November 1869 – 20 November 1938) was the Queen of Norway as the wife of King Haakon VII. The youngest daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, she was known as Pri ...

*1887: Maharanee Sunity Devee of

Kuch Behar Cooch Behar district () is a district of Indian state of West Bengal. Formerly part of the Kamarupa kingdom, the area became the heart of the Kamata Kingdom in the 12th century. During the British Raj, the district was known as Cooch Behar st ...

*1888: Maud Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne, Vicerine of India *1889:

Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (Victoria Louise Sophia Augusta Amelia Helena; 3 May 1870 – 13 March 1948) was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. From 1917 her name was simply Princess Helena Victoria. Ear ...

*1889:

Princess Victoria Mary of Teck Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936 as the wife of King-Empe ...

*1890: Lady Harris (Lucy Ada Harris, wife of

George Harris, 4th Baron Harris Colonel George Robert Canning Harris, 4th Baron Harris, (3 February 1851 – 24 March 1932), generally known as Lord Harris, was a British colonial administrator and Governor of Bombay. He was also an English amateur cricketer, mainly active f ...

, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay, 1890–1895) *1891: Maharanee Sakhiabai Raje Sahib Scindia Bahadur, Regent of

Gwalior Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...

(widow of Maharaja Sir Jayajirao Scindia Bahadur) *1891: Lady Wenlock (Constance Mary Lawley, wife of Beilby Lawley, 3rd Baron Wenlock, Governor of the Presidency of Madras 1891–1896) *1892: Maharanee Chimnabai Sahib Gaekwad of

(wife of

Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III Sayajirao Gaekwad III (born Shrimant Gopalrao Gaekwad; 11 March 1863 – 6 February 1939) was the Maharaja of Baroda State from 1875 to 1939, and is remembered for reforming much of his state during his rule. He belonged to the royal Gae ...

) *1892: Lady Nandkuverbai Bhagvatsinh Jadeja, Rani Sahib of Gondal *1893: Maharani Kempananjammanni Devi of

(wife of Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar X) *1893: Marie, Crown Princess of Romania *1893:

Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , later Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia (25 November 1876 – 2 March 1936), was the third child and second daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and of Grand Duchess M ...

*1893: Princess Aribert of Anhalt *1894: The Countess of Elgin (wife of

Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin Victor Alexander Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin, 13th Earl of Kincardine, (16 May 184918 January 1917), known as Lord Bruce until 1863, was a right-wing British Liberal politician who served as Viceroy of India from 1894 to 1899. He was appointed by ...

, Viceroy of India, 1894–1899) *1895: Mrs Henry Fowler (Ellen Fowler, wife of Henry Fowler, later

Viscount Wolverhampton 200px, Henry Fowler, 1st Viscount Wolverhampton. Viscount Wolverhampton, of Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 4 May 1908 for the Liberal politician Henry Fowler. The t ...

, Secretary of State for India, 1894–1895) *1895: The Lady Sandhurst (wife of

William Mansfield, 1st Baron Sandhurst General William Rose Mansfield, 1st Baron Sandhurst (21 June 1819 – 23 June 1876) was a British military commander who served as Commander-in-Chief of India from 1865 to 1870. In Bombay now Mumbai, there is local train station named after B ...

, later Viscount Sandhurst, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay, 1895–1900) *1895: Lady George Hamilton (wife of

Lord George Hamilton Lord George Francis Hamilton (17 December 1845 – 22 September 1927) was a British Conservative Party politician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who served as First Lord of the Admiralty and Secretary of State for India. Backgroun ...

, Secretary of State for India, 1895–1903) *1897: Alexandra, Hereditary Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg *1897: Maharani Sahiba of

Udaipur Udaipur () (ISO 15919: ''Udayapura''), historically named as Udayapura, is a city and municipal corporation in Udaipur district of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarter of Udaipur district. It is the historic capit ...

(wife of Maharajadhiraja Fateh Singh) *1897: Nawab Shamsi Jahan, Begum Sahiba of

Murshidabad Murshidabad fa, مرشد آباد (, or ) is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district. Durin ...

*1897: Lady Havelock (Anne Havelock, wife of Sir Arthur Havelock, Governor of the Presidency of Madras, 1896-1900) *1899: Lady Curzon of Kedleston, Vicerine of India *1900:

Princess Margaret of Connaught Princess Margaret of Connaught (Margaret Victoria Charlotte Augusta Norah; 15 January 1882 – 1 May 1920) was Crown Princess of Sweden as the first wife of the future King Gustaf VI Adolf. She was the elder daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke ...

*1900: Lady Northcote (wife of

Henry Northcote, 1st Baron Northcote Henry Stafford Northcote, 1st Baron Northcote, (18 November 1846 – 29 September 1911) was a British Conservative politician who served as the third governor-general of Australia, in office from 1904 to 1908. He was previously the governor of B ...

, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay, 1900–1903) *1900:

Lady Roberts Priscilla Jane Stephanie, Lady Roberts, ( Low; 4 September 1949 – 29 June 2021), known as simply Jane Roberts, was the Curator of the Print Room at Windsor Castle from 1975 and the Royal Librarian from 2002 until her retirement in July 2013. ...

(wife of Frederick Roberts, Baron Roberts, Commander-in-Chief India 1885–1893) *1900: Lady Stewart (Marina Katherine Stewart, widow of General

Sir Donald Stewart, 1st Baronet Field Marshal Sir Donald Martin Stewart, 1st Baronet, (1 March 182426 March 1900) was a senior Indian Army officer. He fought on the Aka Khel Expedition to the North-West Frontier in 1854, took part in the response to the Indian Rebellion in 18 ...

, Commander-in-Chief India 1881–1885) *1900: Lady White (Amelia Maria White, wife of General Sir George White, Commander-in-Chief India 1893–1898) *1900: Lady Mary Katharine Lockhart (née Eccles; widow of General Sir William Stephen Alexander Lockhart, Commander in Chief India, 1898–1900) *1900: Lady Ampthill (wife of

Arthur Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill Arthur Oliver Villiers Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill (19 February 1869 – 7 July 1935) was a British peer, rower, and civil servant. He served as Governor of Madras from October 1900 to February 1906, and as acting Viceroy of India from April t ...

, Governor of the Presidency of Madras, 1900–1905)

1901–1947

*1909: The Countess of Minto (wife of

Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto, (; 9 July 18451 March 1914), known as Viscount Melgund by courtesy from 1859 to 1891, was a British peer and politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the eighth since Canadi ...

, Viceroy of India, 1905–1910) *1910: Lady Hardinge of Penshurst (wife of

Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, (20 June 1858 – 2 August 1944) was a British diplomat and statesman who served as Viceroy and Governor-General of India from 1910 to 1916. Background and education Hardinge was the second ...

, Viceroy of India, 1910–1916) *1911: Princess Patricia of Connaught ''(Coronation of George V)'' *1911: Princess Charlotte of Prussia, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen ''(Coronation of George V)'' *1911: The Marchioness of Crewe (wife of

Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe, (12 January 185820 June 1945), known as The Honourable Robert Milnes from 1863 to 1885, The Lord Houghton from 1885 to 1895 and as The Earl of Crewe from 1895 to 1911, was a British L ...

, Secretary of State for India, 1910–1911) *1911:

Kaikhusrau Jahan, Begum of Bhopal Hajjah Nawab Begum (Queen) Sultan Jahan (9 July 1858 – 12 May 1930) was the ruling Begum of Bhopal between 1901 and 1926. Biography Early life Sarkar Amman known better as Sultan Jahan, was born at Bhopal, the elder and only surviving ch ...

*1911: Maharani Sri Nundkanvarba of Bhavnagar *1916: The Viscountess Chelmsford (wife of

Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford Frederic John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford, (12 August 1868 – 1 April 1933) was a British statesman. He served as Governor of Queensland from 1905 to 1909, Governor of New South Wales from 1909 to 1913, and Viceroy of India from 1 ...

, Viceroy of India, 1916–1921) *1917: Lady Willingdon (wife of Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Baron Willingdon, later Marquess of Willingdon, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay, 1913–1918; Governor of the Presidency of Madras, 1919–1924; Viceroy of India, 1931–1936) *1918: Maji Sahiba Girraj Kuar, Maharani of Bharatpur, Regent of Bharatpur, 1900–1918 *1919: Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood *1921: Alice Isaacs, Countess of Reading, Vicerine of India *1926: Lady Irwin (wife of Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Baron Irwin, later Earl of Halifax, Viceroy of India, 1926–1931) *1927: The Countess of Lytton (wife of

Victor Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton Victor Alexander George Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton, (9 August 1876 – 25 October 1947), styled Viscount Knebworth from 1880 to 1891, was a British politician and colonial administrator. He served as Governor of Bengal between 192 ...

, Viceroy of India, 1925–1926) *1928: Shrimati Chinkuraja Scindia, Senior Maharani of

*1929: Puradam Thirunal

Sethu Lakshmi Bayi Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi CI (5 November 1895– 22 February 1985) was the monarch, though designated as the Regent due to British policy, of the Kingdom of Travancore in southern India between 1924 and 1931. She, along with her yo ...

, Regent Maharani of

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

*1930: Lady Birdwood (wife of

William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood Field Marshal William Riddell Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood, (13 September 1865 – 17 May 1951) was a British Army officer. He saw active service in the Second Boer War on the staff of Lord Kitchener. He saw action again in the First World War ...

, Commander-in-Chief India, 1925–1930) *1931: Elizabeth Duchess of York *1932:

Begum Mariam Sultana, Lady Ali Shah Begum (also begüm, bagum, begom, begam, baigum or beygum) is a royal and aristocratic title from Central and South Asia. It is the feminine equivalent of the title ''baig'' or '' bey'', which in Turkic languages means "higher official". It usu ...

(widow of

Aga Khan II Aga Khan II ( fa, آقا خان دوّم; ''Āghā Khān-i Duvvum'' or, less commonly but more correctly ''Āqā Khān-i Duvvum''), or Aqa Ali Shah ( ''Āqā ‘Alī Shāh''; born 1830 in Mahallat, Iran; died August 1885 in Poona, India), the 47 ...

) *1935: Maharani Bhatianiji Sri Ajab Kanwarji Sahib, of Bikaner, Rajputana *1935: Lady Beatrix Taylour Stanley *1936:

Doreen Hope, Marchioness of Linlithgow Victor Alexander John Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow, (24 September 1887 – 5 January 1952) was a British Unionist politician, agriculturalist, and colonial administrator. He served as Governor-General and Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1943 ...

, Vicerine of India *1937:

*1937: Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent *1937: Doreen Knatchbull Lady Brabourne *1943: The Viscountess Wavell (wife of Archibald Wavell, Viscount Wavell, later Earl Wavell, Viceroy of India, 1943–1947) *1945: Mrs Leopold Stennett Amery (Florence Amery, wife of Leopold Stennett Amery, war-time Secretary of State for India, 1940–1945) *1946: Maharani Tara Devi of Jammu and Kashmir *1947: Edwina, Viscountess Mountbatten of Burma, Vicerine of India *1947: Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom *1947: Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom *1947: Agnes Anne, Baroness Clydesmuir (wife of

John Colville, 1st Baron Clydesmuir David John Colville, 1st Baron Clydesmuir, (13 February 1894 – 31 October 1954), was a Scottish Unionist politician, and industrialist. He was director of his family's steel and iron business, David Colville & Sons.Family relative. Early l ...

, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay)

Sources

* {{Orders of knighthood for women Orders, decorations, and medals of British India British honours system * Colonial orders of chivalry Awards established in 1878 Awards disestablished in 1947 Crown of India, Order of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the British Empire Orders, decorations, and medals of India