Friday 9 July 2010

Anderson Investiture

DAVID ANDERSON, ESQ, MVO, MBE

It gives me the greatest pleasure to proclaim that David Anderson, the former Household Manager at Hillsborough Castle, is today being invested by the Prince of Wales with the insignia of a Member of the Royal Victorian Order at Buckingham Palace.

Mr Anderson is pictured above at Montalto House in County Down.

David Anderson trained in hospitality services at the College of Business Studies in Belfast and then at various hotels in Switzerland before his appointment to the position of Household Manager of Hillsborough Castle, Hillsborough, County Down, in 1984. Between 1922 and 1972 Hillsborough Castle was known as Government House and served as the residence and official place of entertaining for the Governors of Northern Ireland.

From 1972 onwards Hillsborough Castle has been the residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and serves as the home to members of the Royal Family when they visit Northern Ireland. Mr Anderson was appointed MBE - Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - from The Queen in 1997. He left Hillsborough Castle in October, 2009, to pursue new interests.

The Royal Victorian Order was established in 1896, as an award for personal service to the Sovereign and the Royal Family. By 1896, prime ministers and governments had increased their influence over the distribution of awards and had gained almost total control of the system. Therefore, Queen Victoria instituted The Royal Victorian Order as a personal award for services performed on her behalf.

Today this honour is still awarded in recognition of services to the royal family. The ranks are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCVO), Knight or Dame Commander (KCVO or DCVO), Commander (CVO), Lieutenant (LVO) and Member (MVO).

The badge (right) - or medal - of a Member consists of an eight-pointed Maltese cross in frosted silver; on an oval centre of crimson enamel the Royal and Imperial cypher of Queen Victoria (VRI) in gold, within a blue enamelled circle, thereon the motto of the Order, viz. "Victoria" in letters of gold, the circle being surmounted by an Imperial Crown enamelled in proper colours. The Ribbon is dark blue with a narrow edge either side of three stripes - red, white and red.

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