filfoster

The appeal of this, to me, is that Edward VII, arguably reigned at the apogee of England's imperial/colonial glory, the brilliant sunset, before two world wars literally bled England and her empire dry and bankrupted it. He was a world-class womanizer and gourmand, indulging his desires with the wherewithal of the most prestigious temporal throne on the planet, (sorry, Romanovs and Hohenzollerns).

His ceremonial uniforms were not much different than his successors, but somehow capture some of that romance of the high tide of the British Empire.

Now, if we could only figure out just what he's wearing on that medal bar.....

All but one (my second post) show him as King. He visited Russia in 1908 and that is likely the place the above photo of him wearing Russian uniform was taken. 

I hope we can fill in the places of the longer medal bar.

1 hour ago, Great Dane said:

 

@filfoster

Do you have a better photo of the one you're interested in? The gray tones on the bar and stars are very washed out...

Sadly, no.  This was the result of a fairly long Google search.  Many images, few clear shots of this medal (a late example, I believe after he was king), and not very clear resolution.  Maybe someone with better search skills can provide one?

I would like to focus on identifying the medals in this medal bar. I aim to reproduce it for a display.

Here's what we have guessed at so far:

1. Order of the Bath

2. Order of the Star of India

3. Order of St George and St. Michael

4. ?

5. Order of the Indian Empire

6. Order of the Dannebrog silver knight's badge

7. ?

8. ?

9. Austrian 'Marianerkreuz'

10.?

11. Order of the Redeemer?

12. 2nd Empire Medaille Militaire?

13. French Red Cross 1870-1871

Jimn: I agree the medal bust looks very like the Victoria 50-60 year Jubilee medals but the precedence and the ribbon don't look right. Still, the medal does look like that gong

12 minutes ago, Great Dane said:

No. 5 on the bar above (and next to last on previous photos) looks like the French Medaille Militaire (the pre-1870 version with the eagle suspension), but why Edward would have been awarded that one, I have no idea... ?

I agree that medal is the Medaille Militaire; the eagle surmounting, and the rim give it away.

The first place medal in the Russian uniform pic is a real puzzler.

I am not familiar with the 4th class Prussian Crown Order with the Red Cross device.

OK, the later photo has what I think is a 13=place medal bar:

1. Order of the Bath

2. Order of the Star of India

3. Order of St George and St. Michael

4. ?

5. Order of the Indian Empire

6. Order of the Dannebrog silver knight's badge

7. ?

8. ?

9. Austrian 'Marianerkreuz'

10.?

11. ?

12. ?

13. French Red Cross 1870-1871

Daniel Krause, thank you. I wish we could find a clearer photo of the longer, later medal bar and we could then begin to number the places of the ones we can identify. I will try to find one, and maybe someone else can also find one.

I also see the Austrian Ribbon for the Marianer Kreuz, maybe 5th from the end.

Any better?

The Dannebrog would make sense as his wife was a Danish princess.

t was common for German officers to wear lesser awards on the bar for German orders, just not the same grade, as for example, the Iron Cross 2nd class was not to be worn on the medal bar and also as a button hole ribbon.

Hindenburg was very proud of his Red Eagle Order 4th class with swords, won during his service in the Franco-Prussian War, and worn on his medal bar but he held the very highest grade of that order. Ludenforff also wore the Red Eagle 3rd class with crown on his medal bar but held the Grand Cross with swords and Oakleaves and is often shown at least in post-war photos, wearing the breast star with his medal bar.

I think that may be right.

I would expect several German states awards ...

Great Dane, Thank you! the angle of the medals in this photo will make further identifications difficult. perhaps we can find a better photo

Better angle. not much resolution, sadly

Edward VII was not known as a soldier, practicing the marital arts in lieu of the martial arts. He did, however, don some spiffy rigs for his official duties. At the bottom photo, I make this an 8-place medal bar.

1. Order of the Bath

2. Star of India

3.St. George and St. Michael

4. Order of the Indian Empire

5. Victorian Order

6. ?

7. Reserve Officer or Territorial decoration

8. Turkish Order of the Medjidi or some such.

The top picture, an older photo shows even more 'flair' but I can't make them out. Perhaps a Greek Order of the Redeemer and something at the end from one of the German  states?

"lift" = "lot".   Auto correct is not.

On 22/05/2021 at 02:26, Alex K said:

Hi all I realise this is an old thread, but found this which may answer a few questions if they hav'nt already been answered!! No igs 1854 on there

 

Try wearing that on your chest?

Thanks...that's a lift a stuff.  He obviously didn't wear all he was entitled to (unlike Sir John French). Looks like we got the ones in his portrait, though.

Did the Russians know the Germans were occupying their capital?

OK, some clues. His paternal Grandmother was Charlotte of Prussia, Kaiser Wilhelm I's sister. His mother was a German princess, as was his wife, and ALL six siblings married German royals. Yeah, that's a lot of Germans there. Ach! Still, why not wear a St. George?

Da!

This came up as an incidental matter in a related thread but it deserves its own thread, because it's weird!

Why would Tsar Alexander II, Tsar (OK, Czar if you insist) of all the Russias, wear a Prussian order as his highest decoration? He could have worn a St. George of the highest degree or even a St. Vladimir or Stanislaus or St. John.  Why this one, and even appears to have the Black Eagle sash?  I know he was related to Germanic princely houses by marriage and ancestry but really, this seems bad form, no?

I know it was common to wear the orders and decorations of foreign countries when wearing the honorary military uniforms of those countries on state visits, etc. but he's wearing the 'unattached' or generic Russian general's mundir, not a Prussian rig.

Any guesses, folks?

Better photo:

The bottom one I think is a cross for some Caucuses campaign.

OK, Any ideas what the third and fourth places breast stars/badges are?

And....Why did the Tsar of all the Russias wear the Prussian Pour le Merite neck order and the Black Eagle sash in preference to Imperial Russian orders?

Paul, Lukasz, thank you very much! 

but, what's on the ribbon bar after the St. George cross?

Thank you!!

...and a St George star beneath the St. Andrew.

The PLM seems odd to wear in a formal portrait photo, in lieu of a Russian order. I know Russia and Imperial Germany were buds at this time, (the 'Dreikaiserbund', which included Austria-Hungary), but even so...

OK, I can make out what looks like a Prussian PLM (!) at the neck and a St George at the beginning of the medal bar., and the ubiquitous St. Andrew the First Called breast star.  What else?