Order of the Crown of India

The Imperial Order of the Crown of India is an order in the British honours system.

The insignia of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India.

The Order was established by Queen Victoria in 1878, when she became Empress of India. The Order is open only to women; no new appointments have been made after the Partition of India in 1947. The Order was limited to British Princesses, wives or female relatives of Indian Princes and wives or female relatives of any person who holds or held the office of:

• Viceroy of India,
• Governor-General of India,
• Governor of Madras,
• Governor of Bombay,
• Governor of Bengal,
• Secretary of State for India,
• Commander-in-Chief in India.

The members of the Order, titled Companions, could use the post-nominals "CI," but did not acquire any special precedence or status due to it. Furthermore, they were entitled to wear the badge of the Order, which included Queen Victoria's Imperial Cypher, VRI (Victoria Regina Imperatrix). The letters were set in diamonds, pearls and turquoises and were together surrounded by a border of pearls surmounted by a figure the Imperial Crown. The badge was worn attached to a light blue bow, edged in white, on the left shoulder. Queen Elizabeth II (as Princess Elizabeth) and her sister Princess Margaret were appointed to the Order by their father King George VI in June 1947. Queen Elizabeth II is the last surviving former member (now Sovereign) of the Order. Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was the last ordinary member at the time of her death in 2004. When her husband, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester died in 1974 he was the last surviving Knight of St. Patrick.

Elizabeth II, in her uniform as Colonel-in-Chief of the Scots Guards, wears the badge of the order as a medal. (Trooping the Colour, 1986)

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

1. 1878: HRH The Princess of Wales
2. 1878: HI&RH The German Crown Princess
3. 1878: HRH The Grand Duchess of Hesse
4. 1878: HRH Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
5. 1878: HRH The Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne
6. 1878: HRH The Princess Beatrice
7. 1878: HI&RH The Duchess of Edinburgh
8. 1878: HRH The Duchess of Cambridge
9. 1878: HRH The Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
10. 1878: HRH The Duchess of Teck
11. 1878: HH Maharani Dhulip Singh
12. 1878: HH Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal
13. 1878: HH Maharani Sita Vilas Dawaji Ammani Anaro of Mysore
14. 1878: HH Maharanee Jumnabai Sahib Gaekwad of Baroda (widow of Maharaja Khanderao)
15. 1878: HH Dilawar un-Nisa Begum Sahiba, of Hyderabad
16. 1878: HH Nawab Qudsia, Begum of Bhopal
17. 1878: HH Vijaya Mohinu Mukta Bayi Ammani Raja Sahib of Tanjore
18. 1878: HH Maharani Surnamayi of Cossimbazar
19. 1878: The Duchess of Argyll
20. 1878: The Marchioness of Salisbury
21. 1878: The Marchioness of Ripon
22. 1878: Lady Mary Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville
23. 1878: The Countess of Elgin
24. 1878: The Countess of Mayo
25. 1878: Lady Susan Bourke
26. 1878: The Viscountess Halifax
27. 1878: Lady Hobart (Mary Hobart, wife of Vere Henry Hobart, Lord Hobart, Governor of Madras)
28. 1878: Lady Jane Baring
29. 1878: The Lady Napier (wife of Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier, Governor of the Presidency of Madras, 1866-1872)
30. 1878: The Lady Lytton
31. 1878: The Lady Lawrence
32. 1878: The Lady Northcote
33. 1878: Lady Frere (Catherine Frere, wife of Sir Henry Frere, 1st Baronet, Governor of Bombay)
34. 1878: Lady Temple (Mary Temple, wife of Sir Richard Temple, 1st Baronet, Governor of Bombay)
35. 1878: Lady Denison (Caroline Denison, wife of Sir William Denison, Governor of Madras)
36. 1878: Lady Strachey (wife of Sir John Strachey, Acting Viceroy of India 1872)
37. 1878: The Viscountess Cranbrook
38. 1878: Princess Frederica of Hanover
39. 1878: Princess Marie of Hanover
40. 1879: HRH The Duchess of Cumberland
41. 1879: HRH The Duchess of Connaught
42. 1879: The Lady Napier of Magdala (wife of Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala, Commander-in-Chief in India 1870-1876 and Acting Viceroy of India 1862-1863)
43. 1879: Lady Frances Cunynghame
44. 1879: Dowager Lady Pottinger (widow of Sir Henry Pottinger, Governor of the Presidency of Madras 1848-1854)
45. 1881: HH Rani Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore (consort of Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran)
46. 1881: Lady Fergusson (Olive Fergusson, wife of Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay 1880-1885)
47. 1881: Mrs William Patrick Adam (Emily Adam, widow of William Patrick Adam, Governor of the Presidency of Madras 1880-1881)
48. 1882: HRH The Duchess of Albany
49. 1884: Miss Edith Fergusson (daughter of Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay 1880-1885)
50. 1884: The Countess of Dufferin (wife of Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Earl of Dufferin, Viceroy of India 1884-1888)
51. 1885: Lady Randolph Churchill (wife of Lord Randolph Churchill, Secretary of State for India 1885-1886)
52. 1886: The Viscountess Cross (wife of Richard Assheton Cross, 1st Viscount Cross, Secretary of State for India 1886-1892)
53. 1887: HRH Princess Louise of Wales
54. 1887: HRH Princess Victoria of Wales
55. 1887: HRH Princess Maud of Wales
56. 1887: HH Maharanee Sunity Devee of Kuch Behar
57. 1889: HH Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein
58. 1889: HSH Princess Victoria Mary of Teck
59. 1890: The Lady Harris (wife of George Harris, 4th Baron Harris, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay 1890-1895)
60. 1891: HH Maharanee Sakhiabai Raje Sahib Scindia Bahadur, Regent of Gwalior (widow of Maharaja Sir Jayajirao Scindia Bahadur)
61. 1892: HH Maharanee Chimnabai Sahib Gaekwad of Baroda (wife of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III)
62. 1892: HH Lady Nandkuverbai Bhagvatsinh Jadeja, Rani Sahib of Gondal
63. 1893: HH Vani Vilasa Sannidhana, Maharani of Mysore (wife of Chamaraja Wodeyar IX Bahadur)
64. 1893: HRH The Crown Princess of Romania
65. 1893: HRH Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
66. 1893: HH Princess Aribert of Anhalt
67. 1894: The Countess of Elgin (wife of Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin, Viceroy of India 1894-1899)
68. 1895: Mrs Henry Fowler (Ellen Fowler, wife of Henry Fowler, later Viscount Wolverhampton, Secretary of State for India 1894-1895)
69. 1895: The Lady Sandhurst (wife of William Mansfield, 1st Baron Sandhurst, later Viscount Sandhurst, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay 1895-1900)
70. 1895: Lady George Hamilton (wife of Lord George Hamilton, Secretary of State for India 1895-1903)
71. 1897: HRH The Hereditary Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
72. 1897: HH Maharani Sahiba of Udaipur (wife of Maharajadhiraja Fateh Singh)
73. 1897: HH Nawab Shamsi Jahan, Begum Sahiba of Murshidabad
74. 1897: Lady Havelock (Anne Havelock, wife of Sir Arthur Havelock, Governor of the Presidency of Madras 1896-1900)
75. 1899: The Lady Curzon of Kedleston (wife of George Curzon, 1st Baron Curzon of Kedleston, later Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, Viceroy of India 1899-1904 & 1904-1905)
76. 1900: Princess Margaret of Connaught
77. 1900: The Lady Ampthill (wife of Arthur Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill, Governor of the Presidency of Madras 1900-1905)
78. 1900: The Lady Northcote (wife of Henry Northcote, 1st Baron Northcote, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay 1900-1903)
79. 1909: The Countess of Minto (wife of Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto, Viceroy of India 1905-1910)
80. 1910: The Lady Hardinge of Penshurst (wife of Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, Viceroy of India 1910-1916)
81. 1911: HRH Princess Patricia of Connaught (Coronation of George V)
82. 1911: HRH Princess Charlotte of Prussia, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen (coronation of George V)
83. 1911: The Marchioness of Crewe (wife of Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe, Secretary of State for India 1910-1911)
84. 1911: HH Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum, Begum of Bhopal
85. 1911: HH Maharani Sri Nundkanvarba of Bhavnagar
86. 1916: The Viscountess Chelmsford (wife of Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford, Viceroy of India 1916-1921)
87. 1917: The Lady Willingdon (wife of Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Baron Willingdon, later Marquess of Willingdon, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay 1913-1918, Governor of the Presidency of Madras 1919-1924, Viceroy of India 1931-1936)
88. 1918: HH Maji Sahiba Girraj Kuar, Maharani of Bharatpur, Regent of Bharatpur 1900-1918
89. 1919: HRH The Princess Mary
90. 1921: The Countess of Reading (wife of Rufus Isaacs, Earl of Reeding, later Marquess of Reading, Viceroy of India 1921-1925)
91. 1926: The Lady Irwin (wife of Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Baron Irwin, later Earl of Halifax, Viceroy of India 1926-1931)
92. 1927: The Countess of Lytton (wife of Victor Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton, Viceroy of India 1925-1926)
93. 1928: HH Shrimati Chinkuraja Scindia, Senior Maharani of Gwalior
94. 1929: HH Puradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, Senior Maharani of Travancore
95. 1930: The Lady Birdwood (wife of William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood, Commander-in-Chief in India 1925-1930)
96. 1931: HRH The Duchess of York
97. 1932: Begum Mariam Sultana, Lady Ali Shah (widow of Aga Khan II)
98. 1936: The Marchioness of Linlithgow (wife of Victor Hope, Marquess of Linlithgow, Viceroy of India 1936-1943)
99. 1937: HRH The Duchess of Gloucester
100. 1937: HRH The Duchess of Kent
101. 1937: The Lady Brabourne (wife of Michael Knatchbull, 5th Baron Brabourne, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay 1931-1937 and of Bengal 1937-1939)
102. 1943: The Viscountess Wavell (wife of Archibald Wavell, Viscount Wavell, later Earl Wavell, Viceroy of India 1943-1947)
103. 1945: Mrs Leopold Stennett Amery (Florence Amery, wife of Leopold Stennett Amery, war-time Secretary of State for India 1940-1945)
104. 1946: HH Maharani Tara Devi of Jammu and Kashmir
105. 1947: The Viscountess Mountbatten of Burma (wife of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Viceroy and later Governor-General of India 1947-1948)
106. 1947: HRH The Princess Elizabeth
107. 1947: HRH The Princess Margaret

Dates unknown:

1. The Marchioness of Landsdowne
2. The Countess Roberts

Sources

• The India List and India Office List. Harrison and sons. 1905. http://books.google.com/books?id=3VQTAAAAYAAJ&printsec=toc#v=onepage&q=&f=false.