The Royal Order of Victoria and Albert

• Time Period: Pre-WW1
• Year of Institution: 1862
• Country: Great Britain

The Royal Order of Victoria and Albert was a British Royal Family Order instituted on 10 February 1862 by Queen Victoria and only granted to female members of the British Royal Family and female courtiers. It was personally awarded by the Queen.

The honor conferred no rank or title upon the recipient, but recipients were entitled to use the post-nominal letters “VA”.

The order had four classes:

• First Class
• Second Class
• Third Class
• Fourth Class

No award was made after the death of Queen Victoria and the last holder of the Order, Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (and the last surviving grandchild of the Queen), died in 1981.

The Royal Order of Victoria and Albert Design

For the first three classes, the badge consisted of an upright oval onyx cameo of Queen Victoria and Albert, The Prince Consort, differing in the width and jewelling of the border as the classes descend, whilst the fourth substitutes a jeweled cipher. The badges of the First and Second Classes are set in diamonds and surmounted by an imperial crown. The badge of the Second Class is similar but smaller. The badge for the Third Class is set in pearls and that for the Fourth Class takes the form of a monogram “V&A” set with pearls.

All four were surmounted by a crown, which was attached to a bow of white silk moiré ribbon 38 millimeters in diameter. The bow was worn on the left shoulder.