- Time Period: Pre-WW1
- Year of Institution: 1888
- Country: Great Britain, Canada
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, and also known as the Order of St John or St John International, is a British royal order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by Queen Victoria and dedicated to St John the Baptist, an itinerant preacher in the early 1st century AD.
The order can be tracked back to the Knights Hospitaller in the Middle Ages. The Knights Hospitalle were a medieval and early modern Catholic military order, later known as the Order of Malta. A faction moved to Britain in the early 1830s and became associated with the founding in 1882 of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital near the old city of Jerusalem and the St John Ambulance Brigade in 1887.
The Order of St John is also known for the health organizations it has founded, such as St John Ambulance and St John Eye Hospital Group.
The Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem Design
The insignia of the Order is a Maltese cross, or eight-pointed cross in white enamel set in silver-colored metal. The cross is embellished in each of its main angles with lions and unicorns, with a lion in the top left and bottom right angles.
The insignia of a Bailiff or Dame Grand Cross consists of a breast star and a sash badge. The insignia of a Knight or Dame of Justice or of Grace is a breast star and a neck badge. The insignia of a Commander is a neck badge, the Officer insignia is silver and enameled white, and he insignia of a Member is also worn on the left breast but is bright silver without enamel.
The badges have a ring attached to the top through which the ribbon passes. The ribbon for all grades is black watered.
