The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick

• Date of Institution: 1783
• Ranks: One
  • Knight of St Patrick – K.P.
• Motto: Quis separabit?
• Insignia:
  • Riband: Sky-blue;
  • Star: Cross of St Patrick (red saltire) with three crowns;
  • Mantle: Sky-blue satin or silk and lined white silk
    • Cordon: Blue silk and gold;
    • Tassels: Blue silk and gold;
    • Embroidered badge: Representation of the star of a Knight Companion, composed of silver, consisting of eight points (four greater and four lesser) issuing from a centre enclosing a representation of the badge of the Order but without the wreath of trefoils;
  • Hood: Sky-blue satin and lined with white silk;
  • Hat: Black velvet with feathers (originally blue satin with three feathers, red, blue and white);
• Size of Order: Maximum of 22 knights (15 until 1833)
• Chapel: In St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin (until 1871); none thereafter;
• Officers:
  • Grand Master;
  • Prelate (Archbishop of Armagh) (abolished in 1885);
  • Chancellor (Archbishop of Dublin until 1886; Chief Secretary of Ireland from then until 1922; vacant since that date);
  • Registrar (Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral until 1890; Ulster King of Arms from then until 1943; Norroy and Ulster King of Arms from then);
  • King of Arms (Ulster King of Arms from then until 1943; Norroy and Ulster King of Arms since that date);
  • Secretary (vacant since 1926);
  • Genealogist (abolished in 1885; reinstated in 1889; vacant since 1930);
  • Usher of the Black Rod (vacant since 1933);
  • Cork Herald (abolished in 1880; reinstated in 1905; vacant since 1952);
  • Dublin Herald (abolished in 1890; reinstated in 1905; vacant since 1952);
  • Athlone Pursuivant (created in 1552; attached to the Order from 1783; vacant since 1921);
  • Junior Pursuivant (abolished in 1891)
  • Cork Pusuivant (established in 1921; vacant since 1936)
• Comments: There have been no appointments to this order since 1936. Women are not eligible for this order.

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References

• Link to the Royal Family’s web site
• Galloway (1999)
• Theft of the “Irish Crown Jewels”