| Instituted by King George IV., when Prince Regent, 27th April, 1818, by Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, in commemoration of the Republic of the Ionian Islands being placed under the protection of Great Britain. The Order was enlarged and extended 4th December, 1868, and 30th May, 1877, for the natural born subjects of the United Kingdom as may have held, or shall hold, high and confidential offices within Her Majesty's colonial possessions; and again, 1879, by the admission of persons rendering good service to the Crown in relation to the Foreign Affairs of the British Empire. The Members of the Order take rank and precedency immediately after the corresponding classes of the Order of the Star of India, that is to say, the Knights Grand Cross, after Knight Grand Commanders of the Star of India; the Knights Commanders, after the Knights Commanders of the Star of India; and the Companions, after the Companions of the Star of India. The Grand Master is the First and Principal Knight Grand Cross. The Knights Grand Cross are entitled to bear supporters, and to encircle their arms with the collar, ribbon, and motto, of the Order. The Knights Commanders also encircle their arms with the ribbon and motto, and the Companions suspend the Badge of the Order from their escutcheon. The Order is to consist of not more than fifty Knights Grand Cross, exclusive of Extra and Honorary Members, one hundred and fifty Knights Commanders, and two hundred and sixty Companions. The badge is a gold cross of fourteen points of white enamel, edged with gold, having in the centre, on one side, the Archangel St. Michael, encountering Satan, and on the other St. George on horseback, encountering a dragon, within a blue circle, on which the motto of the Order is inscribed. The Cross is surmounted by the Imperial Crown, and worn by the Knights Grand Cross attached to the Collar, or to a wide Saxon-Blue-Ribbon, with a scarlet stripe from the right shoulder to the left. Knights Commanders wear the badge suspended to a narrow ribbon from the neck. The companions wear the small cross of the Order from a still narrower ribbon at the button-hole of their coats. The star of a Knight Grand Cross is composed of seven rays of silver, having a small ray of gold between each of them, and over all the Cross of St George, gules. In the centre is a representation of the Archangel St. Michael encountering Satan, within a blue circle, inscribed with the motto, Auspicium Melioris Ævi. The collar is formed alternately of lions of England, of Maltese crosses, and of the cyphers S.M. and S.G., having in the centre the imperial crown, over two winged lions, passant guardant, each holding a book and seven arrows. At the opposite end of the collar are two similar lions. The whole is of gold except the crosses, which are of white enamel, and it is linked together by small gold chains. The mantle is of Saxon-blue satin, lined with scarlet silk, tied with cordons of blue and scarlet silk and gold, and has on the left side the Star of a Knight Grand Cross. The chapeau is of blue satin, lined with scarlet, and surmounted with white and black ostrich feathers. The ribbon of the Order - Saxon - blue with a scarlet strip. Motto. Auspicium Melioris Ævi. A pledge of better times. |