Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George.
Neck Insignia: The same as the Knight Grand Cross sash insignia, though 52 mm wide. The ribbon passes through a ribbed gold ring.
Breast Star: A silver breast star composed of four rays surmounted by a Maltese cross in saltire. Superimposed on this is a red enamelled Cross of St. George, edged in gold, the centre displaying a representation of St. Michael trampling on Satan, the entire central device circumscribed by a blue ribbon containing the motto AUSPICIUM MELIORIS ÆVI.
Postnominals: KCMG.
Companion
Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George on buckle.
Neck Insignia: Identical to that of a Knight Commander, though 45 mm in width.
Suspender: The ribbon passes through a ribbed gold ring. Until 1917, Companions in both divisions wore their insignia on a straight suspender and gold buckle on the left breast.
Postnominals: CMG.
Insignia Manufacture: Insignia awarded to Canadians were made by Garrard & Co.
Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George neck issue.
Number of Appointments of Canadians: 463.
• GCMG: 14.
• KCMG: 79.
• CMG: 370.
Order of St. Michael and St. George appointment warrant.
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
The Order of the British Empire was founded on June 4, 1917, as an honour initially intended to recognize the effort of civilians and the military who were serving away from the front. During the Second World War, it served as Canada’s national order, being presented for both civil and military achievements. The order was established by King George V as a way to recognize ordinary people throughout the British Empire for a diverse array of contributions both civil and military and today is the most widely bestowed honour in the United Kingdom. It was the first modern honour in that it consisted of five levels, was not limited to the elite, and women were admitted from the time of its establishment.
The other imperial orders of chivalry were primarily reserved for those serving in the senior levels of the military, civil service, or politics, so the Order of the British Empire was created as an order to recognize everyone from the most junior war workers and volunteers right up to the great men and women of the day. Like the Royal Victorian Order, the Order of the British Empire was established with five levels, similar to France’s Légion d’honneur. It also initially included the Medal of the Order of the British Empire; however, this was converted into the British Empire Medal in 1922.
Crossed oak leaves used on the ribbon of the Order of the British Empire (1957—74) to denote gallantry.
The first Canadian to be invested with the order was the Montreal manufacturer Sir Charles Blair Gordon, who had served for two years as the chairman of the Imperial Munitions Board. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) and invested by King George V on October 18, 1917.
As prime minister, R.B. Bennett drew up an honours list with 163 Canadians to be appointed to the Order of the British Empire. It included more women and people from the volunteer sector than had ever been recognized with honours in the history of the empire. Bennett saw the order as an effective tool to recognize national and local contributions that brought benefit to other citizens from all walks of life. In many ways it was Bennett’s conception of honours for “exemplary citizenship” that was used as the basis behind the modern Canadian honours system. Some of the most notable Canadians appointed to the order include Sir Edward Beatty, president of the CPR, who was made a GBE in 1935; Sir Frederick Banting, the co-discoverer of insulin, who was made a KBE in 1934; and author Lucy Maud Montgomery and diplomat (and future prime minister) Lester Pearson, who were made CBE and OBE respectively.
Criteria: Exemplary service at the international, national, or local levels that brought credit to the British Empire or one of its component parts. The order was also occasionally used to recognize gallantry, and from 1957 to 1974, such awards were noted by the wearing of a pair of crossed oak leaves on the ribbon. The most notable example was General Jacques Dextraze who, as a brigadier, was awarded the CBE for gallantry during the U.N. Mission to the Congo in 1964.
Insignia: Varies according to level of appointment. The reverse of all neck and breast insignia displays a rope circlet and the Royal Cypher of King George V, GRI, surmounted by a Tudor Crown. Some OBE and MBE insignia also carry sterling hallmarks. The 2nd-type insignia are described below; the 1st-type insignia differed in that the central medallion displayed a seated effigy of Britannia holding a trident in place of the conjoined crowned busts of King George V and Queen Mary, the 2nd type having been introduced in 1937. The other difference between the 1st and 2nd types applied to the GBE and KBE breast stars, which had smooth and not chipped rays.
Ribbon: There have been four types of ribbon; two for the civil division and two for the military division.
• The sash for all GBEs is 102 mm wide; the ribbon for all other levels of the order is 38 mm wide; while the BEM has a ribbon 32 mm in width.
• 1st-type civil (1917–1937) purple.
• 1st-type military (1918–1937) purple with a central 3 mm strip of scarlet.
• 2nd-type civil (1937 to present) rose pink edged with 3 mm of grey on each side.
• 2nd-type military (1937 to present) rose pink edged with 3 mm of grey on each side and a central 1 mm stripe of grey.
Knights/Dames Grand Cross
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire 1st type (civil ribbon).
Mantle: Rose pink satin, lined with pearl grey silk, fastened with a cord of pearl grey silk, having two rose pink and silver tassels. A breast star of a Knight/Dame Grand Cross is embroidered in wire on the left side.
Collar: A gold collar made up of six medallions of the Royal Arms alternating with six medallions displaying the Royal Cypher of King George V, linked together by cables thereon an Imperial Crown between two sea lions, each holding a trident.
Sash Insignia: A gold cross patonce 70 mm wide, translucent pearl light blue enamel in colour with machine work hatching beneath the enamel, in the centre a gold medallion bearing the conjoined crowned effigies of King George V and Queen Mary, circumscribed by a maroon enamel border and the words FOR GOD AND THE EMPIRE. The uppermost arm of the cross is surmounted by an Imperial Crown in gold. The sash is worn over the right shoulder with the sash badge resting on the left hip.
Breast Star: An eight-pointed star 86 mm by 115 mm with chipped silver rays, in the centre of which is a gold medallion bearing the conjoined crowned effigies of King George V and Queen Mary, circumscribed by a maroon enamel border and the words FOR GOD AND THE EMPIRE.
Postnominals: GBE.
Knight/Dame Commander