Order of the Crown of India

The Imperial Order of the Crown of India was an order in the British honours system. The Order was established by Queen Victoria in 1878,[1] when she became Empress of India.[2] The Order is open only to women and no additional appointments have been made since the Partition of India in 1947. The Order was limited to British princesses, wives or female relatives of Indian princes and the wife or female relatives of any person who held the office of:

Imperial Order of the Crown of India
The insignia of the Imperial Order of the Crown
of India
Awarded by the British monarch
TypeOrder of Chivalry
EligibilityBritish princesses, wives or female relatives of Indian princes
Awarded forA national order of chivalry
StatusNot awarded since 1947
SovereignQueen Elizabeth II
Post-nominalsCI

Ribbon of the order

Description

The members of the Order could use the post-nominal letters "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'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 the Imperial Crown. The badge was worn attached to a light blue bow, edged in white, on the left shoulder. Queen Elizabeth II (as Princess Elizabeth) and her sister Princess Margaret were appointed to the Order by their father King George VI in June 1947. Queen Elizabeth II is the last surviving former member (now Sovereign) of the Order. Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was the last ordinary member at the time of her death in 2004.

Elizabeth II, in her uniform as Colonel-in-Chief of the Scots Guards, wears the badge of the order as a medal (first on left). (Trooping the Colour, 1986)

Recipients

Rani Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore wearing the badge and ribbon of the order

1878–1900

1901–1947

Sources

  1. "No. 24539". The London Gazette. 4 January 1878. p. 113.
  2. Kay, Ella. "The Imperial Order of the Crown of India". The Court Jeweller.
  3. "Court Circular". The Times (36075). London. 26 February 1900. p. 6.
  4. "Court Circular". The Times (36083). London. 7 March 1900. p. 6.
  5. "No. 15136". The Edinburgh Gazette. 4 January 1935. p. 15.
  6. "No. 34259". The London Gazette. 25 February 1936. p. 1232.
  7. "No. 34451". The London Gazette. 5 November 1937. p. 6889.
  8. "No. 37325". The London Gazette. 26 October 1945. p. 5237. "In recognition of her work for Indian service men and Indian seamen as Chairman of the Indian Comforts Fund."
  9. "No. 37598". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1946. p. 2763.
  10. "No. 37905". The London Gazette. 14 March 1947. p. 1216.
  11. "No. 37976". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1947. p. 2569.
  12. "No. 38041". The London Gazette. 8 August 1947. p. 3731.
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