Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Thursday 17 March 2022

The Order of St Patrick


Most years it is my wont to write in St Patrick’s Day a post arguing for the restoration of The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, founded in 1783 by King George III as the Irish equivalent of the Garter and the Thistle. Such is my tradition, and I am not going to break it this year.



The insignia of the Order of St Patrick



The Badge is George V's Diamond Star. Made around 1890, The Star's centre has a shamrock of emeralds, with the Saint's cross in rubies on a diamond background. 'George, Prince of Wales, April 1910' is engraved on the reverse

The Order's motto was 'Quis Separabit MDCCLXXXIII' - 'Who will separate us 1783'.


The badge of the Usher of the Order

Images: doyle.com.au

The website from which these illustrations are taken also has a good introduction to the story of the theft of the ‘Irish Crown Jewels’ - the bejewelled insignia of the Order that were for the use of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland as Grand Master - in 1907. A genuine period piece as a story it can be seen at The Order of St Patrick

That robbery, still unsolved, but not quite a ‘cold case’ even now, has produced at least two books and various online articles, some of which are linked to in the articles below.

My previous posts about the case for restoring appointments to the Order can be read at  The Order of St Patrick (2011), Banners of the Knights of St Patrick (2012), The Order of St Patrick (2013), Insignia of the Order of St Patrick (2014), The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick (2015), Order of St Patrick (2016) Badges of the Order of St Patrick (2017 ) and The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick (2021)

This year to reinforce my arguments from those posts for such a revival here are links to two discussion groups about the idea, one from Facebook in 2013 which can be seen atOrder of St Patrick - Revival - Home
and one on Reddit from two years ago
Your opinions on a revival of The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick

The comments from citizens of the Republic strike me as interesting and, by their lack of hostility, noteworthy.

It should of course be pointed out that for all that the Order has not been bestowed at all since 1936 and the deaths of the last ordinary KP in 1961 and the last Roysl one in 1974, its insignia of collar and star is displayed not only on the regimental Standards of the Irish Guards but the star appears on every uniform button, collar and cap badge of that distinguished regiment. Thus the Duke of Cambridge as its Colonel was wearing it today at the regimental St Patrick’s Day Parade.


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