Royal Guelphic Order
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The Royal Guelphic Order (German: Guelphen-Orden), sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent (later George IV). It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the United Kingdom and Hanover ended. It continued to be conferred by the Kingdom of Hanover as an independent state and subsequently, after the defeat and forced dissolution of the Kingdom of Hanover by the Kingdom of Prussia, the order continued as a house order to be awarded by the Royal House of Hanover. Today, its current chancellor is the Hanoverian head of the house, Ernst August, Prince of Hanover. The honour is named after the House of Guelph to which the Hanoverian kings belonged, and its insignia were based on the white horse of that kingdom's arms. In the United Kingdom it has always been regarded as a foreign order, and even before 1837 members of the order were not entitled to style themselves as "Sir" unless they were also created Knights Bachelor as many were.
The Order includes two Divisions, Civil and Military. It originally had three classes, but with several reorganizations since 1841, as house order today it has four classes and an additional Cross of Merit. In descending order of seniority, are:
1815-1841 Knight Grand Cross (GCH) Knight Commander (KCH) Knight (KH)
After 1841 Grand Cross Commander 1st Class Commander 2nd Class Knight Cross of Merit
The Order
Officers The Order has six officers: the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, the Register, the King of Arms, the Genealogist, and the Secretary.
Officers until 1837 The first six officers were:
Chancellor: Count Ernst Friedrich Herbert von Münster Vice-Chancellor: Georg Nieper Secretary: Ludwig Moeller King of Arms: Sir George Nayler Genealogist: August Neubourg Register: Sir William Woods
Officers since 1987 Chancellor: Ernst August, Prince of Hanover
Some Notable members: Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS. William Herschel Sir Augustus d'Este Sir John Franklin
See: Wikipedia
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