Diana's Royal Orders

[Duchess Sophie]

I've read that she had a couple of royal orders, including our Dutch Order of the House of Orange-Nassau. (1982)

Which ones she owned also???

 

[tiaraprin]

Diana had the family order of the Queen. This is a cameo of Her Majesty surrounded in diamonds, with a diamond and red enamel crown on top mounted on a chartreuse ribbon. Each British Monarch establishes a royal family order when he/she succeeds. The present queen wears the family orders of her father and grandfather. This was a tradition started by George IV in the 1820's and is given to female members of the family at the Queen's discretion. The Duchess of York never received it, but Sophie, Countess of Wessex has it. Sophie wore it to the Royal Wedding in Denmark.

 

[kelly9480]

Originally posted by tiaraprin@Jun 7th, 2004 - 9:32 pm
Diana had the family order of the Windsors.

It's called "the Family order of The Queen (King)" because the dynasty itself has no "family order" like some houses.

 

[tiaraprin]

Originally posted by kelly9480+Jun 7th, 2004 - 11:09 pm--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (kelly9480 @ Jun 7th, 2004 - 11:09 pm)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-tiaraprin@Jun 7th, 2004 - 9:32 pm
Diana had the family order of the Windsors.

It's called "the Family order of The Queen (King)" because the dynasty itself has no "family order" like some houses. [/b][/quote]
sorry, used wrong wording--half asleep!

 

[kelly9480]

Originally posted by tiaraprin+Jun 7th, 2004 - 10:21 pm--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (tiaraprin @ Jun 7th, 2004 - 10:21 pm)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Originally posted by kelly9480@Jun 7th, 2004 - 11:09 pm
<!--QuoteBegin-tiaraprin

@Jun 7th, 2004 - 9:32 pm
Diana had the family order of the Windsors.

It's called "the Family order of The Queen (King)" because the dynasty itself has no "family order" like some houses.

sorry, used wrong wording--half asleep! [/b][/quote]
No problem. I used to call it "The Queen's Family Order" until I saw the correct wording on their official site.

 

[carlota]

any photos of diana wearing sashes or medals of those orders?

 

[Elspeth]

The Family Order doesn't have a sash, it's just a miniature portrait of the Queen, surrounded by diamonds and mounted on a ribbon (which is chartreuse yellow for the Queen), and it's worn on the left.

This page

http://groups.msn.com/RoyaltyDanjel2/gbloversknotw.msnw

has a couple of pictures of her wearing it, although one of the pictures shows her wearing it on the right (the picture must be printed backwards) and another shows her wearing it with the sash of a foreign order.

This is the royal family web page on the Family Order:

http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page500.asp

 

[jacqueline28]

Does anyone know why the Duchess of York never received it?Did Sarah get orders from Europe's other monarchies?

 

[Claire]

I think Sarah, Duchess of York did receive one, but I don't think that she had many opportunities to wear it.

 

[Squidgy]

I think this was the last time Diana wore the Family Order. It was at the state banquet for Sultan Azian Shah of Malaysia in November 2003.

I guess the Family Order was only worn on State occassions? Is that right? I always wondered then, if one way to tell if Diana was on a state visit to another country, was if she wore her Family Order to a banquet. For instance, on her trip to the USA in 1985, I don't think she wore the Family Order, so I assume that was not a state visit. Is that correct, or am I way off on this one?

Photo: Tim Graham

 

[sara1981]

I think this was the last time Diana wore the Family Order. It was at the state banquet for Sultan Azian Shah of Malaysia in November 2003.

I guess the Family Order was only worn on State occassions? Is that right? I always wondered then, if one way to tell if Diana was on a state visit to another country, was if she wore her Family Order to a banquet. For instance, on her trip to the USA in 1985, I don't think she wore the Family Order, so I assume that was not a state visit. Is that correct, or am I way off on this one?

Photo: Tim Graham

Princess Diana attend banquet in 1992 and she died in 1997 she not wores that dress in USA when she sold her dress in 1997

Sara Boyce

 

[Elspeth]

I don't think she wore the Family Order at all after the divorce.

 

[sara1981]

I don't think she wore the Family Order at all after the divorce.

i tell you about Diana wores Family order when she got married in 1981-1992 i think so! or she wores that Family order till divorces final in 1996 im not sure if my rights or mistakes?

Sara Boyce

 

[Squidgy]

Princess Diana attend banquet in 1992 and she died in 1997 she not wores that dress in USA when she sold her dress in 1997

Sara Boyce

You are right Sara! I am so sorry to have created confusion. The date the picture was taken was November 11th 1993.

 

[msleiman]

I really do wonder why Diana did not get any other royal order but the Dutch one?!? She attended many state visits. Any thoughts on why she did not get but one?

 

[Elspeth]

Maybe it's because the other royal families knew the marriage was in trouble from the early days. But I doubt that they'd have thought a divorce was likely, so I'm not sure why they'd be snubbing her.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

Diana had the family order of the Queen. This is a cameo of Her Majesty surrounded in diamonds, with a diamond and red enamel crown on top mounted on a chartreuse ribbon. Each British Monarch establishes a royal family order when he/she succeeds. The present queen wears the family orders of her father and grandfather. This was a tradition started by George IV in the 1820's and is given to female members of the family at the Queen's discretion. The Duchess of York never received it, but Sophie, Countess of Wessex has it. Sophie wore it to the Royal Wedding in Denmark.

This is Fascinating information. Thank you so much for it. I wish Majesty would do a special article about the family order. That would be a fun read.
I always wondered what the family order was formally called. So Diana had the Family Order of The Queen and also the Dutch Order of Nassau. I didn't know about the Dutch Order.
I am not surprised to learn that these were her only two orders. She was the working HRH The Princess of Wales for eleven years, still HRH from her separation in 1992 but as a separated wife, and the accumulation of many orders takes many more years than eleven effective years of being a member of a royal family!

 

[msleiman]

But look at Princess Mary of Denmark, she already has three! She has only been married for Three Years! Was Diana not liked by other royals. I do not mean to say this in a bad way, just wondering why she did not get more orders.

 

[Henri M.]

HRH The Princess of Wales with Dutch Order

In 1982 it had pleased Her Majesty The Queen of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Etc. to grant the decoration of Dame Grand Cross in the Crown Order of Orange-Nassau to Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales.

See picture

The Crown Order of Orange-Nassau is no State Order but a House Order. This means it is not the State but the very private person of the Sovereign him- or herself who decides on this. In contrary to State Orders, for which a Koninklijk Besluit (Royal Decree) is signed, this Order is issued by Hofbesluit (Royal Command).

Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was created Dame Grand Cross in this House Order, which is meant "to express, to foreigners, the great appreciation felt by Us and Our House".

So this means that it was Queen Beatrix very own and very personal decision to grant this Order to the Princess of Wales.



Diana greets Beatrix

 

[GillW]

This is Fascinating information. Thank you so much for it. I wish Majesty would do a special article about the family order. That would be a fun read.
I always wondered what the family order was formally called. So Diana had the Family Order of The Queen and also the Dutch Order of Nassau. I didn't know about the Dutch Order.
I am not surprised to learn that these were her only two orders. She was the working HRH The Princess of Wales for eleven years, still HRH from her separation in 1992 but as a separated wife, and the accumulation of many orders takes many more years than eleven effective years of being a member of a royal family!

Until Majesty get around to writing that article, you can read all about it - some fascinating stuff - at Wikipedia:

Royal Family Order - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

But look at Princess Mary of Denmark, she already has three! She has only been married for Three Years! Was Diana not liked by other royals. I do not mean to say this in a bad way, just wondering why she did not get more orders.

That is true. Plus one of Mary's orders is the Elephant, right? Even though it's her adopted country's grandest order, it is a huge deal by itself. It is such an honor to have an Elephant order, no matter who you are and what the reason, because it's the Elephant order, I suppose almost as special as the Garter. another one is the RNO right? The Norwegian order, which is pretty much automatic for all Scandinavian royals and their spouses. The British royal family don't seem to have that kind of tight knit relationship with any of the Continent royals. It is interesting how Britain has always been a little bit "out", at times a little "above" the rest of Europe. They had the greatest empire for so long and that generated a bit of jealousy from the rest of europe. Then there is the historical rivalry between England and France.

Thanks for the Wikipedia link!

 

[sirhon11234]

Well at least the Princess of Wales did recieve Royal Orders.

 

[Martha]

It´s interesting to know more about Diana´s Royal Orders.

 

[norwegianne]

That is true. Plus one of Mary's orders is the Elephant, right? Even though it's her adopted country's grandest order, it is a huge deal by itself. It is such an honor to have an Elephant order, no matter who you are and what the reason, because it's the Elephant order, I suppose almost as special as the Garter.

Just a note - the wikipedia entry for the order of the elephant, states that Charles received his prior to the marriage.

You'll notice that the non-royal spouses (not including Denmark, where the members of the royal family automatically gets it.) who married into royal families had to wait for quite a bit (Sonja, Silvia, Paola). The only ones who received them on the same day, was Juan Carlos and Sofia, and Henri and Maria Teresa of Luxembourg. Both of which were reigning couples at the time.

With the generation of current crown princesses (spouses of the crown princes) - none of them have the order of the Elephant. Not Maxima, Letizia, Mathilde or Mette-Marit.

With the exeption of Queen Sonja who received hers in 1973, while she was still crown princess, it doesn't seem like they award the order of the elephant to the wives of the heirs to the throne. (Again, Denmark excepted.)

Diana not having this order, is nothing out of the ordinary, in other words.

 

[GömdNatt]

Acutally, the reason why Maxima, Letizia, Mathilde, and Mette-Marit do not have the order of the elephant is because there have been no official state visits of Spain/Netherlands/Belgium/Norway to Denmark or the other way around. Mette-Marit did not go on the state visit to Denmark in 2005, so she could not receive the order. Mary received the Norwegian Royal Order during that state visit.

A royal can only, from my understanding, receive the order of a country if they either marry into the family or if there is a state visit between the two countries. So Letizia will not get one until Queen Margrethe & Prince Henrik visit Spain on a State visit or if juan Carlos, Sofia, Felipe & Letizia visit Denmark on a state visit. That being said, I'm not quite sure why Mathilde does not have the Danish order, seeing as Margrethe & Henrik visited Belgium in 2002.

Plus, it is up to the sovereign or President to decide who receives an order. Also, I think there is a limit on how many orders have been made. For exampl, if there were 50 sashes made for the Order of the Elephant and all 50 are being held by someone, nobody new can be given one.

Do you understand what I mean?

 

[Madame Royale]

The only order I'd ever wish to have seen her in, is the one she would have, at some point (had everything gone to "plan"), been granted by Charles after becoming King. The Garter of course.

Alas...

 

[shimoo]

Diana as Colonel in Chief

Diana was Colonel-in-Chief for many regiments & attended many military events & i hope that this thread will attract your attentions

 

[Princess B]

he did

i wonder if someone has any pics of those events

 

[lightningbearer]

I think its pretty bad that Di was a full time working royal (and a senior one at that) for 15 years and managed to rack up only 2 orders (Order of the Crown from Beatrix and another) whilst Mette Marit and Mary hold several at least despite being royal for only half that time. Why do the British female royals never seem to recieve the foreign orders that the rest collect regularly.

ps. i think the only foreign order Fergie got was the Order of st olav from norway.

 

[Molly2101]

Sarah did not even receive the Family Order, which both Sophie and Camilla have (along with Gloucester and Kent wives.) I did not know Andrew had received a foreign order, I am surprised considering he doesn't attend many of the European Royal gatherings for weddings and such. If anything, Edward should at least receive a foreign order, but he wont ever receive due to his line in succession. I believe Anne has at least one foreign Royal Order, The Order of St Charles, but I could be wrong.

It is disappointing how Diana received only 2, when you look at the current Crown Princesses, however times have changed now. The Crown Princesses are much closer nowadays, and are often very good friends. The British Royal family have quite secluded themselves for their European counterparts, which is a real shame. Their only real link now is technically through Edward and Sophie.