The Royal Order of Victoria and Albert is a British
Royal Family Order instituted on 10 February 1862 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 her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
, and enlarged on 10 October 1864, 15 November 1865, and 15 March 1880. No award has been made since the death of Queen Victoria.
The order had four classes and was only granted to female members of the
British royal family and female
courtier
A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the official ...
s. For the first three classes, the badge consisted of a medallion of Queen Victoria and
Prince Albert, differing in the width and jewelling of the border as the classes descend, whilst the fourth substitutes a jewelled
cipher. All four were surmounted by a crown, which was attached to a bow of white
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...
moiré ribbon. The honour conferred no rank or title upon the recipient, but recipients were entitled to use the
post-nominal letters "VA".
The last holder of the Order,
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, died in 1981.
Recipients
* 1863
The Princess of Wales
*
Elizabeth Biddulph, Baroness Biddulph (Woman of the Bedchamber)
*The Countess of Mount Edgcumbe (Lady of the Bedchamber)
*
Jane Spencer, Baroness Churchill
Jane Spencer, Baroness Churchill Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, VA (''née'' Conyngham; 1 June 1826 – 24 December 1900) was an English aristocrat and companion of Queen Victoria.
From 1854 to her death, Churchill served as a Lady of ...
(Lady of the Bedchamber)
*1889:
The Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava
*
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 ...
[Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003.]
Sources
*''
Whitaker's Almanack
''Whitaker's'' is a reference book, published annually in the United Kingdom. The book was originally published by J Whitaker & Sons from 1868 to 1997, then by The Stationery Office until 2003, and then by A & C Black which became a wholly owned ...
'', 1893
*''
British Imperial Calendar
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
'', 1900, 1902
*''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
''
See also
*
Royal Family Order of George IV
The Royal Family Order of George IV is an honour that was bestowed as a mark of personal esteem on female members of the British royal family by King George IV. It was the first Royal Family Order issued in the United Kingdom. Prior to George I ...
*
Royal Family Order of Edward VII
The Royal Family Order of Edward VII is an honour that was bestowed as a mark of personal esteem on female members of the British Royal Family by King Edward VII. The order is a personal memento rather than a state decoration.
Appearance
The ri ...
*
Royal Family Order of George V
The Royal Family Order of George V is an honour that was bestowed on female members of the British royal family by King George V.
Queen Elizabeth II was the last surviving recipient when she died on 8 September 2022.
Appearance
The order consis ...
*
Royal Family Order of George VI
The Royal Family Order of George VI is an honour that was bestowed on female members of the British royal family by King George VI.
Princess Alexandra is the only surviving recipient, having been appointed in 1951.
Appearance
The insignia, an ...
*
Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II
The Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II is an honour that was bestowed on female members of the British royal family by Queen Elizabeth II. The order is worn on formal occasions.
Appearance
The Royal Family Order depicts a young Queen Elizabet ...
*
List of awards honoring women
This list of awards honoring women is an index to articles about notable awards honoring women. It excludes media, science and technology and sports awards, which are covered by separate lists, and it excludes orders of chivalry for women. The ...
References
{{Queen Victoria
British honours system
*
Orders, decorations, and medals for women
Awards established in 1862
1862 establishments in the United Kingdom
British royal family
Royal family orders