WHEN it comes to dressing for a special occasion, few things are more princely, impressive or mystifying than a sash. Whether worn at a Royal (or Disney) wedding, a Palace dinner or a Caledonian ball, they indicate another level of grandeur and membership of a rather exclusive club. But as a friend asked plaintively, after swooning over photographs from a recent State banquet, what do they really signify? Who gets to wear one and what are the rules behind them? The sashes worn by members of the Royal Family and other VIPs at State occasions aren't technically sashes at all but are properly known as ribands. They come with Royal or State Orders bestowed by the head of state, with similar systems in place in many other countries. In Britain there are also a few Orders in the personal gift of the sovereign, and recipients of those awards are clearly members of an extremely exclusive cohort indeed. But part of the reason they're so little understood is because they are often bestowed without much public fanfare, such as the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order given to HRH The Princess of Wales by Her Late Majesty The Queen 'for services to the sovereign'.
For a greater understanding, who better to consult than someone with insider knowledge: Adam Bruce, a Scottish lawyer who is also Marchmont Herald, an Officer of Arms based in Edinburgh (and a member of the Scottish Royal Household). These Orders, he says, date back to the high Middle Ages and initially came with a 'collar' (actually a rather grand gold chain worn around the shoulders) and badge sometimes worn from a ribbon around the neck. The sashes may have come later, as male fashions changed.
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Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av The Field.
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Rory Stewart - The former Cabinet minister and hit podcast host talks to Alec Marsh about the parlous state of British politics, land management and his deep love of the countryside
The gently spoken 51-year-old former Conservative Cabinet minister is a countryman at heart. That's clear: he even changes into a tweed waistcoat for the interview, which takes place at his London home and begins with a question about his precise career status. Having resigned from the Commons and the Conservative Party in 2019, the former diplomat and soldier has reinvented himself, first with an unconventional but promising run as an independent for the London mayoralty (abandoned because of COVID19 in 2020) and then as a media figure, co-hosting one of the country's most popular podcasts, The Rest Is Politics, alongside Alastair Campbell, the former Labour spin doctor.
Fodder
Local fare with the feel-good factor.
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The first civil engineer
John Smeaton left an indelible mark on the field of engineering and, three centuries after his birth, his legacy remains as strong as ever
School spirits
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'A long way from Piccadilly or Pall Mall'
Marking 150 years since the birth of Sir Winston Churchill, Dr Conor Farrington explores this eminent statesman’s often-overlooked 1907 tour of British East Africa: a journey rich with enchanting natural beauty and sporting adventure
Top of the pups
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Angling for success
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Talking scents
The canine nose is an astonishingly complex piece of biotechnology that man has harnessed for sustenance and sport for thousands of years
Wall-to-wall excitement
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