Contents

Regulations respecting Foreign Orders (1812-46)


British and Foreign State Papers, 10:1019-20.

Regulations of the British Government, respecting Foreign Orders granted to British Subjects.
(Published, December 1823).

Regulations of His Majesty and of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, respecting Foreign Orders.

1. That no British Subjects shall accept a Foreign Order, or wear its Insignia, without having previously obtained a Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual (directed to the Earl Marshal of England), granting them His Majesty's permission to accept and wear the same.

2. That the intention of a Foreign Sovereign to decorate a British Subject with the Insignia of such Order shall be notified to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, either through the King's Minister abroad, or through the accredited Minister of the Foreign Sovereign resident at this Court.

3. That when His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs shall have taken His Majest'ys pleasure, and obtained his consent upon the occasion, he shall then signify the same to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, in order that he may cause the usual Warrant to be prepared for the Royal Sign Manual, and take such other steps as may be necessary for carrying out His Majesty's pleasure into effect accordingly.

4. That when the Warrant is signed by the King, it shall be announced in the Gazette in the usual manner, and registered in His Majesty's College of Arms.

In addition to the above Regulations of the King, His Royal Highness the Prince Regent
deemed it expedient to announce, in the Year 1812,

5. That no Subject of His Majesty could be allowed to accept the Insignia of a Foreign Order from any Sovereign of a Foreign State except they shall be so conferred in
consequence of Active and distinguished services before the Enemy, either at Sea or in the Field; or unless he shall have been actually employed in the service of such Foreign Sovereign.

And, in March 1813, HRH was pleased to command that the following Proviso should be
thereafter inserted in all Royal Warrants for the acceptance of Foreign Orders:

6. That His Majesty's License and Permission doth not authorize, and shall not be deemed or construed to authorize, the assumption of any style, appellation, rank, or privilege, appertaining unto a Knight Batchelor of these Realms.

N.B. Before  the Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs takes the Prince Regent's pleasure, on any application for an Officer in the Army to be permitted to accept a Foreign Order, he causes the same to be referred to the Commander-in-Chief, through His Royal Highness's Secretary, to know whether or not His Royal Highness sees any objection to the Prince Regent's pleasure being taken thereupon.

Anf if the application be in favour of a Naval Officer, the Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs communicates with the First Lord of the Admiralty, to the same effect,
previous to the Prince's pleasure being taken thereon.

            Castlereagh

British and Foreign State Papers, 35:1151-53.

Foreign Office, August 22, 1843.

Her Majesty has been pleased to direct,

7th. That if the service for which it is proposed to confer this order has been performed during war, the notification required by the 2nd regulation must be made not later than 2 years after the exchange of the Ratifications of a Treaty of Peace.
If the service has been performed in time of peace, the notification must be made within 2 years of the date of such service.

8th. When a British subject has received the Royal permission to accept a foreign order, he will at any future time be allowed to accept the decoration of a higher class of the same order, to which he may have become eligible by increase of rank in the foreign service, or in the service of his own country; or any other distinctive mark of honour strictly consequent upon the acceptance of the original order, and common to every person upon whom such order is conferred.

Foreign Office, July 6, 1846

The Queen has made known her pleasure,
9th.  That the 8th clause of the regulations respecting foreign orders shall not be taken to apply to decorations of the Guelphic Order which were bestowed on British subjects by her predecessors, their Majesties King George IV and King William IV, on whose heads the Crowns of Great Britain and Hanover were united.

Decorations so bestowed cannot properly be considered as rewards granted by a foreign Sovereign for services rendered according to the purport of the 5th clause of the regulations.  They must be rather considered as personal favours bestowed on British subjects by British Sovereigns, and as having no reference to services rendered to the Foreign Crown of Hanover.

Regulations respecting Foreign Orders (1855)

London Gazette Issue 21711 published on the 15 May 1855. Page 1-2.

The Queen has been pleased to direct that the following Regulations respecting Foreign Orders and Medals shall be substituted for those now in force :

Regulations respecting Foreign Orders

1.   No subject of Her Majesty shall accept a Foreign Order from the sovereign of any foreign country, or wear the insignia thereof, without having previously obtained Her Majesty's permission to that effect, signified by a Warrant under Her Royal Sign Manual.

2.   Such permission shall not be granted to any subject of Her Majesty, unless the Foreign Order shall have been conferred in consequence of active and distinguished service before the enemy, either at sea or in the field ; or unless he shall have been actually and entirely employed, beyond Her Majesty's dominions, in the service of the foreign sovereign by whom the Order is conferred,

3.   The intention of a foreign sovereign to confer upon a British subject the insignia of an Order, must be notified to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, either through the British minister accredited at the court of such foreign sovereign, or through his minister accredited the court of Her Majesty.

4.  If the service for which it is proposed to confer the Order has been performed during war, the notification required by the preceding clause must be made not later than two years after the exchange of the ratifications of a Treaty of Peace.
If the service has been performed in time of peace, the notification must be made within two years after the date of such service.

5.  After such notification shall have been received, Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs shall, if the case comes within the conditions prescribed by the present regulations, and arises from naval or military services before the enemy, refer it to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the War Department, previously to taking Her Majesty's pleasure thereupon, in order to ascertain whether there be any objection to Her Majesty's permission being granted.

A similar reference shall also be made to the Commander-in-chief, if the application relates to an officer in the Army, or to the Lords of the Admiralty, if it relates to an officer in the Navy.

6.   When Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs shall have taken the Queen's pleasure on any such application, and shall have obtained Her Majesty's permission for the person in whose favour it has been made to accept the Foreign Order, and wear the insignia thereof, he shall signify the same to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, in order that he may cause the Warrant required by clause 1 to be prepared for the Royal Sign Manual.
When such Warrant shall have been signed by the Queen, a notification thereof shall be inserted in the Gazette, stating the service for which the Foreign Order has been conferred.

7.  The Warrant signifying Her Majesty's permission, may, at the request and at the expense of the person who has obtained it, be registered in the College of Arms.

8.  Every such Warrant as aforesaid shall contain a clause providing that Her Majesty's licence and permission do not authorize the assumption of any style, appellation, rank, precedence, or privilege appertaining to a Knight Bachelor of Her Majesty's realms.

9.  When a British subject has received the Royal permission to accept a Foreign Order, he will at any future time be allowed to accept the decoration of a higher class of the same Order, to which he may have become eligible by increase of rank in the foreign service, or in the service of his own country ; or any other distinctive mark of honour strictly consequent upon the acceptance of the original Order, and common to every person upon whom such Order is conferred.

10.   The preceding clause shall not be taken to apply to decorations of the Guelphic Order which were bestowed on British subjects by Her Majesty's predecessors, King George IV and King William IV, on whose heads the crowns of Great Britain and of Hanover were united.
Decorations so bestowed cannot properly be considered as rewards granted by a foreign sovereign for services rendered according to the purport of clause 2 of these regulations. They must be rather considered as personal favours bestowed on British subjects by British Sovereigns, and as having no reference to services rendered to the foreign crown of Hanover.

Regulations respecting Foreign Medals.

1.  Application for permission to accept and wear medals which, not being the decoration of any foreign Order, are conferred by a foreign sovereign on British subjects in the Army or in the Navy for military or for naval services, should be addressed, as the case may be, to the Commander-in-chief, the Master-General of the Ordnance, or the Lords of the Admiralty, who, if they see fit, may submit the same to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for Her Majesty's sanction ; upon obtaining which, they may grant such permission without any other formality.

2.  Permission to wear a foreign medal cannot be granted to a British subject, unless such medal is bestowed for military or naval services performed by the command or with the sanction of Her Majesty. But no permission is necessary for accepting a foreign medal, if such medal is not to be worn.

(Signed)     CLARENDON.

Foreign Office, May 10, 1855.

Opinion of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1867)


July 23, 1867.

Mr Labouchere said he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether Lord Clarendon's regulations issued by direction of Her Majesty, which forbid British subjects to accept a Foreign Order "without previously having obtained Her Majesty's permission to that effect, signed by a Warrant under Her Royal Sign Manual," and which lay down as an  absolute rule that---
"such permission shall not be granted to any subject of Her Majesty unless the Foreign Order shall have been conferred in consequence of active and distinguished service before an enemy, either at sea or in the field, or unless he shall have been actively or entirely employed beyond Her Majesty's Dominions, in the service of the Sovereign by whom the Order is conferred," had been revoked; and if they have not been revoked, why gentlemen whose services are limited to carying [sic], at the public cost, an English Order to a Continental Sovereign, are allowed to accept and wear a Foreign Decoration?

Lord Stanley said, that the regulations from which the hon. Member had quoted, issued by Lord Clarendon by direction of Her Majesty, had not been revoked; but he found it on record in the Office that during the administration of Lord Clarendon and as was stated, at the desire of Her Majesty, those rules were generally and prospectively dispensed with in the case of that very limited class of persons who were referred to in the hon. Member's Question.  He (Lord Stanley) was not at the time one of Her Majesty's advisers, and he therefore had only to state the fact. Of course he need not say that it was entirely within Her Majesty's power to dispense with the observance of any rule of this kind in any such case as she might think fit.  With regard to the limitation of the acceptance to the Heads Of Missions, that, as he understood, was always contemplated.

Hansard's Parliamentary Debates. 3d series, vol. 188, p. 2070.

Regulations respecting Foreign Orders (1911)


Gazette Issue 28493 published on the 12 May 1911. Page 11

Foreign Office,
May 8, 1911.

The KING has been pleased to command that the following Regulations respecting Foreign Orders and Medals shall be substituted for those hitherto in force:

1.  It is The King's wish that no subject of His Majesty shall wear the Insignia of any Foreign Order without having previously obtained His Majesty's permission to do so, signified either:
  1. By Warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual, or
  2. By private permission conveyed through His Majesty's Private Secretary.
2.  Permission given by Warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual will enable the Insignia of the Foreign Order to be worn at all times and without any restriction.
Private permission will only enable the Insignia to be worn on the occasions specified in the terms of the letter from The King's Private Secretary conveying the Royal Sanction.

3.  The full and unrestricted permission by Warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual is designed, subject to the exception mentioned in Rule 4 (a) respecting British Naval or Military Officers during hostilities, to meet cases where the Decoration may be said to have been earned by some valuable service rendered to the Head of the State conferring it, or to the State itself. The private or restricted permission is contemplated for Decorations which are more or less of a complimentary character. In either case, the matter will be submitted to The King by His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

4.  Full and unrestricted permission by Warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual is contemplated in the following cases:—
For a Decoration conferred—
  1. On an Officer in His Majesty's Naval or Military Forces lent to a Foreign Government; on an Officer in His Majesty's Naval or Military Forces attached by his Government to a Foreign Navy or Army during hostilities; or on any British Official lent to a Foreign Government and not in receipt of any emoluments from British public funds during the period of such loan.
  2. On any person not at the time in the service of the Crown, who, while himself outside the limits of His Majesty's Dominions, has rendered valuable services to the Head of the State conferring the Order, or to the State itself, within the period of two years immediately preceding the notification of the Decoration to His Majesty's Government provided for in Rule 5. The term "service of the Crown " (supra) comprises any person holding a Royal Commission, or any person in receipt of a salary from public funds in the United Kingdom, or in any British Dominion, Colony, or Protectorate.
  3. On any British subject employed in a Foreign Embassy or Legation in the United Kingdom.
5.   The desire of the Head of a Foreign State to confer upon a British subject the Insignia of an Order, or the fact that he has done so, must be notified to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs either through the British Diplomatic Representative accredited to the Head of the Foreign State, or through his Diplomatic Representative at the Court of St. James. His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs shall be under no obligation to consider claims that are not brought to his notice through one of these channels.

6.   When His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs shall have taken the King's pleasure on any such application, and shall have obtained His Majesty's permission for the person in whose favour it has been made to wear the Insignia of a Foreign Order, he shall signify the same to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department in order that he may cause a Warrant, if it be a case for the issue of a Warrant as defined in Rule 4, to be prepared for the Royal Sign Manual.
When such Warrant shall have been signed by The King, a notification thereof shall be inserted in the Gazette, stating the service for which the Foreign Order has been conferred.
Persons in whose favour such Warrants are issued will be required to pay to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department a stamp duty of 10s.
The Warrant signifying His Majesty's permission may, at the request and at the expense of the person who has obtained it, be registered in the College of Arms. Every such Warrant as aforesaid shall contain a clause providing that His Majesty's licence and permission does not authorise the assumption of any style, appellation, rank,  precedence, or privilege appertaining to a Knight Bachelor of His Majesty's Realms.

7.   When a British subject has received the Royal permission to accept the Decoration of a Foreign Order, he will, at any future time, be allowed to accept the Decoration of a higher class of the same Order, to which he may have become eligible by increase of rank in the Foreign Service, or in the service of his own country; or any other distinctive mark of honour strictly consequent upon the acceptance of the original Decoration, and common to every person upon whom such Decoration is conferred.

8.   Medals which constitute a particular class of a Foreign Order are subject in all respects to the above Regulations in the same manner as higher grades of the Order, except that permission to wear will be given by Letter and not by Royal Warrant. The King's permission must be obtained for any other Medal to be worn. No permission is needed to accept a Foreign Medal if it is not intended to be worn.

9.   Naval and Military Attaches to His Majesty's Missions abroad may, at the termination of their appointments, be given restricted private permission to wear, on certain specific occasions, the Insignia of a Foreign Order conferred upon them by the Chief of the State only in which their headquarters were situated.

Regulations respecting Foreign Orders (1914)


Gazette Issue 28833 published on the 22 May 1914. Page 10-12

Foreign Office,
May 20, 1914.

The KING has commanded that the following Regulations relating to the wearing of Foreign Orders and Medals by British subjects shall be substituted for those previously in force, the text of which was published in the London Gazette of May 12, 1911:—

Regulations Respecting Foreign Orders and Medals Applicable to Persons in the Service of the Crown.

Orders.

1.  It is the King's wish that no subject of His Majesty in the Service of the Crown shall accept and wear the Insignia of any Foreign Order without having previously obtained His Majesty's permission to do so, signified either:
  1. By Warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual, or
  2. By private permission conveyed through His Majesty's Private Secretary.
2.  Permission given by Warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual will enable the Insignia of the Foreign Order to be worn at all times and without any restriction.
Private permission will only enable the Insignia to be worn on the occasions specified in the terms of the letter from the King's Private Secretary conveying the Royal sanction.

3.  Full and unrestricted permission by Warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual is contemplated in the following cases: —
For a Decoration conferred—
On an Officer in His Majesty's Naval or Military Forces lent to a Foreign Government; on an Officer in His Majesty's Naval or Military Forces attached by his Government to a Foreign Navy or Army during hostilities; or on any British Official lent to a Foreign Government and not in receipt of any emoluments from British public funds during the period of such loan..

4.  Private or restricted permission is contemplated for Decorations which have been conferred in recognition of personal attention to the Head of a Foreign State, and which are therefore of a more or less complimentary character, and will, as a rule, only be given on exceptional occasions when in the public interest and for political reasons it is deemed expedient that the acceptance of a Foreign Decoration should not be declined. Private: permission will generally be given in the following cases:—
For a Decoration conferred: —
  1. On British Ambassadors or Ministers abroad when the King pays a State visit to the country to which they are accredited;
    (Note.—A State visit is defined as one on which the King is accompanied by a Minister or High Official in attendance.)
  2. On Members of Deputations of British Regiments to Foreign Heads of States;
  3. On Members of Special Missions when the King is represented at a Foreign Coronation, Wedding, or Funeral; or on any Diplomatic Representative when specially accredited to represent His Majesty on such occasions; and such Members of His Staff who actually attend the ceremonies in their official capacity;
  4. On Naval and Military Attaches only after completion of five years' service at the post to which they are appointed in that capacity;

5.  Private or restricted permission will not be given to—
  1. British Ambassadors or Ministers abroad when leaving;
  2. Members of British Missions announcing the Accession of a Sovereign;
  3. British Officers attending Foreign Manoeuvres;
  4. Naval Officers of British Squadrons visiting Foreign Waters.

6.  The desire of the Head of a Foreign State to confer upon a British subject in the Service of the Crown the Insignia of an Order must be notified to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs either through the British Diplomatic Representative accredited to the Head of the Foreign State, or through his Diplomatic Representative at the Court of St. James.

7.  When His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs shall have taken the King's pleasure on any such application, and shall have obtained His Majesty's permission for the person in whose favour it has been made to wear the Insignia of a Foreign Order, he shall signify the same to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, in order that he may cause a Warrant, if it be a case for the issue of a Warrant as defined in Rule 2, to be prepared for the Royal Sign-Manual.
When such Warrant shall have been signed by the King, a notification thereof shall be inserted in the Gazette, stating the service for which the Foreign Order has been conferred.
Persons in whose favour such Warrants are issued will be required to pay to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department a stamp duty of 10s.

8.   The Warrant signifying His Majesty's permission may, at the request and at the expense of the person who has obtained it, be registered in the College of Arms. Every such Warrant as aforesaid shall contain a clause providing that His Majesty's licence and permission does not authorise the assumption of any style, appellation; rank, precedence, or privilege appertaining to a Knight Bachelor of His Majesty's Realms. .

9.   When a British subject in the Service of the Crown has received the Royal permission, full or private, to accept and wear the Decoration of a Foreign Order, he will not be allowed to accept and wear the Decoration of a higher class of the same Order without His Majesty's approval, which will only be given if the higher honour is being conferred in circumstances contemplated by these Regulations.

Medals.

10.  Medals which constitute a particular class of a Foreign Order are subject in all respects to the Regulations in the same manner as higher grades of the Order, except that permission to wear will be given by Letter and not by Royal Warrant.

11.   The King's unrestricted permission to accept and wear a Foreign Medal will only be given in the case of a Foreign Medal conferred by the Head or Government of a Foreign State for saving or attempting to save life at sea or on land.

12.   The King's unrestricted permission to accept and wear a Foreign War Medal will only be given to (1) Officers of His Majesty's Military or Naval Forces if serving with a Foreign Army or Navy with His Majesty's licence, and (2) Military or Naval Attaches or other Officers officially attached to Foreign Armies or Navies during hostilities.

13.   In exceptional cases, when for special reasons it is deemed expedient that the acceptance of the Medal should not be declined, His Majesty will grant restricted permission. Such cases will be judged on their merits, and the circumstances in which the Medal may be worn will be specified in the Letter conveying His Majesty's permission.

14.   The term " person in the Service of the Crown '' includes persons in receipt of a salary or pension from Public Funds, or holding a Royal Commission in any part of His Majesty's Dominions, Protectorates, or Possessions.

15.   Ladies are subject to the Regulations in all respects in the same manner as men.

Foreign Office, March 10, 1914.

Regulations Respecting Foreign Orders and Medals Applicable to Persons not in the Service of the Crown.

Orders.

1.   It is the King's wish that no subject of His Majesty shall wear the Insignia of any Foreign Order without having previously obtained His Majesty's permission to do so, signified either:
  1. By Warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual, or
  2. By private permission conveyed through His Majesty's Private Secretary.
2.  Permission given by Warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual will enable the Insignia of the Foreign Order to be worn at all times and without any restriction.
Private permission will only enable the Insignia to be worn on the occasions specified in the terms of the letter from the King's Private Secretary conveying the Royal sanction.

3.   The full and unrestricted permission by Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual is designed to meet cases where the Decoration may be said to have been earned by some valuable service rendered to the Head of the State conferring it, or to the State itself. Application will be made to His Majesty for full permission by His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on behalf of any person who, not being at the time in the Service of the Crown, is either in the salaried employment of a Foreign State or has rendered valuable services within the period of two years immediately preceding the notification of the Decoration to His Majesty's Government as prescribed under Rule 5.
The expression ''valuable services'' must be construed as meaning some service rendered to a Foreign Head of State or Government specifically, and must be indisputably valuable in the strict sense of the word. Though such services need not necessarily be gratuitous, as in the case of a person actually in the employ of a Foreign Government, they must be unconnected with any transaction of a commercial or financial character brought about in the ordinary course of business. The term "valuable services" does not therefore, as a general rule, apply to services connected with the fulfilment of Government or Municipal contracts, the financing of Government or Municipal loans. It also does not include Red Cross Services, presentation of objects of value to Public Museums and Institutions, pecuniary donations or endowments, personal performances, services in connection with Exhibitions and Industrial Congresses, services in the domain of art, literature, science, education, and agriculture, services rendered by British subjects in the capacity of honorary foreign Consular Officers.

4.   Private or restricted permission is contemplated for Decorations which have been conferred in recognition of personal attention to the Head of a Foreign State or Member of a Reigning House, and which are therefore of a more or less complimentary character. Private permission is as a rule only given on exceptional occasions, when in the public interest and for political reasons it is deemed expedient that the acceptance of a Foreign Decoration should not be declined.

5.  Both in the case of full and in that of private permission the matter will be submitted to the King by His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The desire of the Head of a Foreign State to confer upon a British subject the Insignia of an Order, or the fact that he has done so, must be notified to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs either through the British Diplomatic Representative accredited to the Head of the Foreign State, or through the Diplomatic Representative of the latter at the Court of St. James. His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs shall be under no obligation to consider claims that are not brought to his notice through one of these channels.

6.  When His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs shall have taken the King's pleasure on any such application, and shall have obtained His Majesty's permission for the person in whose favour it has been made to wear the Insignia of a Foreign Order, he shall signify the same to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, in order that he may cause a Warrant, if it be a case for the issue of a Warrant as defined in Rule 2, to be prepared for the Royal Sign-Manual.
When such Warrant shall have been signed by the King, a notification thereof shall be inserted in the Gazette, stating the service for which the Foreign Order has been conferred.
Persons in whose favour such Warrants are issued will be required to pay to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department a stamp duty of 10s.

7.   The Warrant signifying His Majesty's permission may, at the request and at the expense of the person who has obtained it, be registered in the College of Arms. Every such Warrant as aforesaid shall contain a clause providing that His Majesty's licence and permission does not authorise the assumption of any style, appellation, rank, precedence, or privilege appertaining to a Knight Bachelor of His Majesty's Realms.

8.   When a British subject has received the Royal permission, full or private, to accept and wear the Decoration of a Foreign Order, he will not be allowed to accept the Decoration of a higher class of the same Order without His Majesty's approval. His Majesty will in such cases grant permission only if the promotion in the Order is conferred for fresh services which come within these Regulations.

9.   These Regulations apply only to Orders of Chivalry. Decorations conferred by Private Societies and Decorations of a purely academic nature, and all Decorations not being Orders of Chivalry, may be accepted without His Majesty's permission, but must not be worn.
Exception is made in the case of a few Foreign Orders, which, though not in strictness Orders of Chivalry, yet are of such a high distinction that, for the purpose of these Regulations, they are to be considered and treated as Orders of Chivalry.

10.   Ladies are subject to the Regulations in all respects in the same manner as men.

Medals.

11.   Medals which constitute a particular class of a Foreign Order are subject in all respects to the Regulations in the same manner as higher grades of the Order, except that permission to wear will be given by Letter and not by Royal Warrant.

12.   Medals for saving or attempting to save life at sea or on land conferred on behalf of the Head or Government of a Foreign State may be accepted without His Majesty's special permission, and may be worn at Court.

13.   Medals conferred by Private Societies or Institutions and Commemorative Medals may be accepted without permission, but none of these Medals can be worn.

14.   The King's permission must be obtained for any other Medal to be worn. No permission is needed to accept a Foreign Medal if it is not intended to be worn.

15.   His Majesty will not grant permission to wear any Foreign War Medal if the person on whom it is to be or has been conferred was during the war acting in contravention of the Foreign Enlistment Act.

Foreign Office, March 10, 1914.