KINGS NEW ORDER

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 57, 5 September 1917, Page 4

KINGS NEW ORDER

TITLES FOB WOMEN

(FROM ODR OWN CORRESPONDENT.?

LONDON, 26th June.

The feature of the new Orders created by the King is that women are to have their services recognised by titles conferred on them in their own name and .not through their husbands. The Order of the British Empire will consist of classes like the Order of tha Bath '. It is open to men and women; the two top classes carry for men the title "Knight" (Sir) and for women the title "Dame!" This latter title is really . the accurate word for a knight's wife, although by enstom "Lady" has been commonly used. / The new classes may be thus compared with the Order of the Bath:—. Bath. Knight Grand Cross, G.C.B. ; title, Sir. Knight Commander, X.C.8.; title, Sir. The New Order for Men. Knight Grand Cross, G.8.E.; title, Sir. Knight Commaniier, K.B.E. ; title, Sir. The New Order for Women. Dame Grand Cross, G.8.E.; title, Dame. Dame Commander, D.B.E. ; title, Dame. Women thus honoured will be addressed as Dame, though if they are already peeresses, they will retain the title, Lady.. Under, the Order a wife may be Dame and her husband a plain Mr. , FH.JJ.NG A GAP. ' The King's decision was made" known in the. following statement: "In recognition of the manifold services, voluntary and otherwise, that have been rendered both by British subjects and. their Allies, in connection with the war, His Majesty j the King has been pleased to institute two Orders, the first lists of which are now in the course of preparation, and will shortly be issued to the pres3. The first of these is an Order .of Knighthood, to be styled The Order of the British Empire, and. to be conferred, as the title indicates, for services rendered to the Empire, whether at home or abroad. This Order will follow, in most respects, the precedents of other Orders of Knighthood, but it will consist of five classes, and will be given to women as well as men. The first two classes will, in the case of-men',, carry the honour of knight hood, and, in the case of women, the privilege of prefixing the title 'Dame' to their names. The second Order, which will be closely restricted in members, will be entitled the Order of The Companions of Honour, and will con-, cist of one class only,'.to which, women will be eligible equally with -men. The Order will carry with it no title- or precedence, and will be conferred upon a limited number of persons, for whom this special distinction .seems to be the most appropriate form of recognition, constituting, as it will, an honour dissociated either from the acceptance of title or the classification of merit. .

Both Orders, though created in connection with the war, will doubtless survive it, inasmuch as they will be found to fill an important gap in the Hierarchy of awards of Honour for public services at the hand a of the Sovereign.

The King has appointed H.R.H. the Prince of Wales to be Grand Master of the Order, and a King of Arms, Re r gister and Secretary, and Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod will be appointed to attend to the service of the Order.

Order of the British Empire. The five classes of the. Order are as follow :— Men. . . 1. Knights' Grand* Cross, GiB.E: - 2. Knights Commanders, K.B.E. 3.' Commanders, C.B.E. 4. Officers, 0.8. E. 5. Members, M.B.E. V Women. 1. Dames Grand .Cross, G.B.E. 2. Commanders, D.B.E. -% , . 3./ Commanders, C.B.E. ' 4. Officers, 0.8. E. 5. Members, M.B.E. THE BADGE AND STAR. The Badge of the Order, worn by the members of the Ist, 2nd and 3rd Classes, takes the shape of a silver gilt cross, enamelled pearl grey, in the centre of which, in a circle enamelled crimson, is a: representation of Britannia seated. The circle contains the motlto of. the Order, "For God and the Empire." The Star, worn by members of the first two classes, is an 8-poirited silver star_, the centre of which bears the same device as the Badge. The treatment of the Badge for the 4th Class is similar to that for tha Ist, 2nd, and 3rd Classes, except that it is ■ smaller, and it is not etaamelled. In the case of the sth Class, the Badge is of silver instead of silver gilt. A Silver Medal of the Order has been dtruck, and will be awarded to. those persons,, not being members of the Order, whose services to: the Empire warrant such recognition. As'in the case of other Orders, the members will have the privilege of placing the initials (above indicated) after t/heir names. ' . .. . i