| Royal Guelphic Order | |
|---|---|
_-_Tallinn_Museum_of_Orders.jpg) Grand cross star, sash and badge of the Royal Guelphic Order (Civil Division) | |
| Awarded byKingdom of Hanover | |
| Type | House Order |
| Established | 28 April 1815 |
| Motto | Nec Aspera Terrent (Not afraid of difficulties) |
| Sovereign | Ernst August |
| Grades | After 1841 Grand Cross Commander 1st Class Commander 2nd Class Knight Cross of Merit |
| Former grades | Original Knight Grand Cross Knight Commander Knight |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Order of Saint George |
| Next (lower) | Order of Ernst August |
 Ribbon of the order | |
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TheRoyal Guelphic Order (German:Königlicher Guelphen-Orden), sometimes referred to as theHanoverian Guelphic Order, is aHanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent (later KingGeorge IV).[1] It takes its name from theHouse of Guelph, of which theHouse of Hanover was a branch. Since Hanover and the United Kingdomshared a monarch until 1837, the order was frequently bestowed uponBritish subjects.[2]
The order was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the accession to the British throne of the House of Hanover.[3]
Until 1837 the order was frequently awarded to officers in the BritishNavy andArmy,[4] although it was still classed as a foreign order, with British members of the order not entitled to style themselves as "Sir" unless they were also createdKnights Bachelor, as many were.[5]
The British link ended in 1837 whenHanover's royal union with Great Britain ended, withErnest Augustus becoming King of Hanover andQueen Victoria ascending the British throne.[2] When Hanover was annexed by theKingdom of Prussia in 1866, the order continued as ahouse order to be awarded by the Royal House of Hanover. Today, its current Sovereign is the Hanoverian head of the house,Ernst August, Prince of Hanover.[citation needed]
The insignia was based onthe white horse on Hanover's arms.[citation needed]
The Order includes two divisions, Civil and Military, the latter indicated by crossed swords on both the badge and star.[4] It originally had three classes, but with several reorganisations since 1841, as house order today it has four classes and an additional Cross of Merit. In descending order of seniority the classes are:
Holders of the respective degrees of the order in Britain were entitled to be post-nominally addressed with the initials, which stand for Knight Grand Cross of Hanover, Knight Commander of Hanover and Knight of Hanover. The initial GCG was also used, and was cited in the original statutes of the order.[6]
Gold and silver medals were attached to the order, for award to those not eligible for the order itself, includingnon commissioned officers and royal servants.[4]
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The Order has six officers: the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar, theKing of Arms, the Genealogist, and the Secretary.
The first six officers were:
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Media related toRoyal Guelphic Order at Wikimedia Commons
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