Why were the British so stingy with bestowing awards to Germans?

[ADV1025]

Hello everyone,

 

This is just an observation I've noticed ever since I got into this hobby. Almost every Wikipedia page of a German royal I've browsed rarely contains a British honour but when I check the awards of British royals, especially in the Victorian/Edwardian period, it is completely the opposite as they seemingly have awards from every major state. Even puzzling, most of the ruling heads of these individual States rarely received the Order of the Garter and rarely the Order of the Bath or the Royal Victorian Order. This trend continues to this day with most current heads of state never receiving courtesy exchanges.

 

My question: Were the rulers of the different states offended when the Brits didn't bestow the Order of the Garter or even worse, nothing to them? They were still considered sovereigns even as they joined the German empire.

[VtwinVince]

I believe Wilhelm II got the Garter, but of course he was 'in the family'.

[webr55]

Wilhelm II and the Crown Prince got the Royal Victorian Chain, quite special.