Talk:Royal Victorian Chain

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The following statement appears in the text relating to the Royal Victorian Chain: "The Chain can be conferred upon men and women, both British and foreign: for example, it can be conferred upon non-Christian foreign monarchs, who are usually ineligible for the Order of the Garter". This statement seems inaccurate. Various Japanese Emperors and Shahs of Iran have been Knights of the Garter as were the Sultan of Turkey and the Emperor of Ethiopia.

Those cases have been exceptions from the general rule. Furthermore there was no Royal Victorian Chain when the Sultans and Shahs were made the Knights of the Garter, the last Shah received the Royal Victorian Chain instead of the Order of the Garter, and the Emperor of Ethiopia was a Christian who had the Royal Victorian Chain as well. But the Emperors of Japan seem to enjoy a kind of a special position. I wonder whether a non-Christian monarch can be invested as an Extra Knight of the Thistle... Mapple 19:55, 21 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] you are right

I am enormously impressed by your comment. I wonder however whether there is a rule that the Garter can only be given to Christians. I agree that the Emperors of Japan seem to have a special position.

Thank you. :-) As to the Order of the Garter, the rule is unwritten. It exists at least since the 1920s, when King George V and his Foreign Secretary denied the award to the Shah of Iran (the last of Qajars, I suppose). Nevertheless, the King was compelled to appoint Hirohito to the Order in 1929. The Emperors of Japan... They are the only ones left, aren't they? :-) Mapple 12:14, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] continuing ...

I was wondering if e.g. the Kings of Nepal received the Chain or the King of Jordan, Sultan of Oman, ruler of Brunei etc.? If so, then one might see a pattern. What do you think? :-)

A pattern? I think it is safe to say that the heads of state who have some kind of a special relationship with the UK and/or the British Sovereign receive the Chain. Kings Mahendra and Birendra of Nepal (the Gurkhas etc.) were awarded the Chain and became honorary British Field Marshals. King Hussein of Jordan received the Royal Victorian Chain, too... Unfortunately I cannot find the comprehensive list of all the recipients of the Chain. Mapple 14:40, 27 September 2005 (UTC)