-Caveat Lector-
"Among those present at the [celebration of the 900th anniversary of the
founding of the Order of St John] were Peregrine Bertie, president of the
British wing of the SMOM, and Viscount and Viscountess Monckton of Brenchley,
whose daughter Rosa
attained some notoriety as friend of Diana, the late Princess of Wales ..."
"The Priory in the US was represented by its presiding officer, John R.
Drexel IV, accompanied by his wife, Jacqueline Astor ..."
from alt.talk.royalty:
Subject: New Priory of England of Order of St John
From: Guy Stair Sainty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Sat, 23 October 1999 12:34 PM EDT
Message-id: <7uso1p$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The inauguration of the Priory of England and the Islands and the installation
of the new Prior was held at St Paul’s Cathedral this afternoon, Saturday 23rd
October. This marked the last of the ceremonies held by the four Alliance
Orders
of St John and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to mark the 900th
anniversary of the foundation of the original Order of the Hospital of St John
(of which the SMOM is the direct successor). These had begun earlier this year
with a ceremony in Berlin Cathedral. At the ceremony, HRH the Duke of
Gloucester
(accompanied by the Duchess) approved the reading of the resolution of the
Order
of 30 Sep 1998 and of the Privy Council of 21 July 1999, approved by “the
Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty” as Sovereign Head of the Order amending the
name
of the Order to “The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of
Jerusalem”, the appointment of new Great Offices within the Order (including
the
appointment of a Deputy Lord Prior) and a Grand Council to be the governing
body
of the Order subject to the authority of the Sovereign Head and Grand Prior.
The
Grand Prior then appointed the new Prior of England, Lord Slynn of Hadley
(until
recently the senior member of the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords and
the presiding Lord of Appeal in Ordinary at the first hearing on the Pinochet
Case (being one of the minority of 2 who considered that the government had
not
acted lawfully in arresting Senator Pinochet).
Immediately under the dome, the Herrenmeister, HRH Prince Oskar of Prussia and
Princess Oskar were seated immediately adjacent to the Lord Prior, Lord Vestey
on the left side in front of representatives of the Priories (including this
correspondent) while the Grand Prior and HRH the Duchess of Gloucester sat on
the right side, facing the altar. The Grand Prior read the lesson, the Bishop
of
Wakefield gave an address, and prayers were said by the Prelate, the Rt Rev
Michael Mann, KCVO (who is stepping down) and the Anglican bishop of
Jerusalem.
The procession included the Grand Prior of England of the SMOM, Fra Matthew
Festing, and the President of the British Association, Peregrine Bertie, Esq,
brother of the Grand Master of the SMOM. The President of the Alliance of
Orders
of St John, Count Wilhelm von Schwerin, also made a declaration on behalf of
the
Alliance Orders.
This ceremony followed a dinner on Thursday night at the Banqueting Hall,
Whitehall (from one of whose windows Charles I stepped to his execution at
11.00
a.m. on 30th January 1649) given by the London District of the St John
Ambulance
Brigade (atr/rec.heraldry contributor Patrick Cracroft Brennan – I saw only
after dinner was over – hosted one of the tables); an even larger dinner was
held at the Guildhall on Friday night at which the Duke and Duchess of
Gloucester, Prince and Princess Oskar of Prussia, and a large assembly of
officers and members of the Order were the guests of the Lord Mayor (locum
tenens) and the Corporation of London. Sir John Chalstrey, a former Lord Mayor
and host as Lord Mayor locum tenens is to be the Hospitaller of the new Priory
of England. Among those present at the dinner were Mr Peregrine Bertie,
president of the British Association of the SMOM, Viscount Monckton of
Brenchley
(a former President) and Viscountess Monckton of Brenchley (their daughter
Rosa
has attained some notoriety as the friend of the late Princess of Wales and
the
wife of Dominic Lawson, editor of the Sunday Telegraph), Lt Col Sir Colin Cole
former Garter King of Arms and Mr Peter Gwynn-Jones the present Garter, Lord
(Prior) Vestey and Lady Vestey, Lord Slynn of Hadley, Lord & Lady Forester,
Baroness Emerton, Lord & Lady Gisborough, Sir Christopher Macrae (the
Secretary-General of the Order), Lord Westbury (former Bailiff of Egle) and
Lord
Remnant (Bailiff of Egle) and their wives, Baron Otto von Schwerin (Johanniter
Order) and Baroness v. Schwerin, Lord & Lady St Leven, Lord & Lady Talbot of
Malahide, Mr & Mrs Adam v. Trott zu Solz (son? of one of the leaders of the
July
Plot brutally executed) and many representatives of the Counties. The Priory
in
the US was represented by its Prior John R. Drexel IV (accompanied by his wife
the former Jacqueline Astor), its Chancellor Mr Corbin Miller, its Prelate the
Rt Rev Richard Grein (Episcopalian Bishop of New York), its Hospitaller Dr Joe
Walsh, Registrar & Secretary Mr Don Lundquist, and Almoner and Historiographer
(this correspondent). The Johanniter Order in Sweden and the Netherlands was
represented as were the Balley Brandenburg and the Hungarian, Swiss, Finnish
and
French Commanderies of the Johanniter Order.
The new Priory of England received its banner – similar to those of the other
Priories which are each differentiated by a different badge ensigned in the
center. In the case of the US the badge is a circle azure with the head of an
American bald eagle surrounded by 13 stars argent, while that of the new
Priory
of England is a (Tudor) Rose.
The organization, ceremonial and impeccable timing of these three occasions
were
tributes to the British talent at such matters – a fact mentioned to me by
many
of the overseas visitors including the Bishop of New York. The places where
the
dinners were held – the Banqueting Hall, designed by Palladio’s disciple Inigo
Jones with the ceiling by Peter Paul Rubens; the Guildhall built in 1411 and a
monument of late gothic architecture; and St Paul’s Cathedral all added to the
splendor of the celebrations.
Guy Stair Sainty
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.ChivalricOrders.org
>What are the four Alliance Orders? SMOM, Johanniterorden, the British
>Order and ...?
The SMOM is not a member of the Alliance; the four Alliance Orders are
(a) the Johanniter Order, Balley Brandenburg; (b) The Johanniter Order
in Sweden; (c) The Johanniter Order in the Netherlands; (d) the Most
Venerable Order (which has dropped the prefix "Grand Priory of" and the
suffix "in the British Realm" as all priories are now equal with each
other.
Guy Stair Sainty
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.ChivalricOrders.org
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