The Order of St. John has had close ties to the monarchy for over 100 years. This relationship formally began when Queen Victoria granted a Royal Charter to the British division on May 14, 1888, thus establishing herself and every successive monarch as the Sovereign Head of the Order and incorporating the Order of St. John into the British honours system, and later, the Canadian honours system.1,2 As the font of all official honours in the various Commonwealth Realms, it is in the Sovereign’s name and on his/her behalf that appointments to the Order are made.
Queen Victoria’s connection to the Order has been immortalized by the Service Medal of the Order of St. John, an award that recognizes both conspicuous and long-term service with the Venerable Order of St. John, and is the only Commonwealth medal to depict an effigy of Victoria on its current issue.3 The tradition continued with Queen Elizabeth II, who was Sovereign Head of the Order during her reign. The Sovereign Head of the Order of St John honours individuals with admission to or promotion within the Order in recognition of their outstanding achievement, and the Queen sanctioned each recipient invested into the Order since her accession to the throne in 1952. She attended a number of the Order’s formal engagements over the years, and in 1999, she unveiled a commemorative plaque for the Nonacentenary (900 years) of the Order of St John at Chapter Hall, St John’s Gate, in London.4 The current Sovereign Head of the Order is our present monarch, King Charles III.
Several other individuals and positions within the monarchy play a role in the Order of St John. In Canada, the Governor General serves as Prior of the Order, while the Lieutenant Governors in each province serve as Vice-Priors; each presiding over investiture ceremonies and promoting the work of St. John Ambulance throughout Canada.5 In the other Commonwealth Realms, Governors General, and in Australia the State Governors, fulfil similar roles.
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, serves as Grand Prior of the Order and is therefore second in the Order’s hierarchy after the Sovereign Head. His wife, Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, is Commandant-in-Chief of St. John Cymru Wales. Anne, Princess Royal, is Commandant-in-Chief of Youth of the St. John Ambulance in the Priory of England. She has also been Commandant in Chief of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and Nursing Cadets since 1970.6 Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Forfar, became Grand President of the St. John Ambulance in 2004, overseeing the work of the St John County Presidents, who provide support for local volunteers.7 As part of her work in this position, the Countess became a Care Volunteer at a National Health Service (NHS) vaccination centre in February 2021.8 The connection between the Order of St. John and the Crown is strong, and many members of the Royal Family are deeply involved in the continuing work of the St. John Ambulance throughout the Commonwealth.
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1 Royal Charters and Statutes of The Order of St. John, 2018, p. 10.
2 Ian Fletcher, “Aid, First and Foremost: A Brief Outline History of the St John Ambulance Association and Brigade”, Injury 11, no. 2 (January 1, 1979): p. 106.
3 Ian Fletcher, “Aid, First and Foremost: A Brief Outline History of the St John Ambulance Association and Brigade”, Injury 11, no. 2 (January 1, 1979): p. 107.
4 St John Ambulance, “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: A message of condolence from St John,” September 8, 2022.
5 The Governor General of Canada, “Governor General invested in the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem,” December 3, 2021.
6 The Royal Family, “The Princess Royal celebrates 30 years of St John Ambulance Cadets,” October 19, 2016 (https://www.royal.uk/princess-royal-celebrates-30-years-st-john-ambulance-cadets)
7 The Royal Family, “The Countess of Wessex attends the St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes Awards,” September 7, 2016 (https://www.royal.uk/countess-wessex-attends-st-john-ambulance-everyday-heroes-awards?page=4)
8 Rhiannon Mills, “COVID-19: ‘Think about other people’: Queen speaks out on vaccine hesitancy,” Sky News, February 26, 2021 (https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-queen-urges-people-unsure-about-coronavirus-jab-to-get-vaccinated-12229060)
