The
Third Earl of Portarlington and the Order of St
Patrick
The
Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick was instituted in 1783 by King George III
as a gesture of goodwill towards
The 3rd
Earl of Portarlington was appointed a Knight in 1879;
his investiture took place in St Patrick’s Hall in
The
insignia of the Order is particularly decorative, with a sky-blue sash and
robes. The Earl of Portarlington’s robes were made by
Messrs Robinson and Steele, tailors, of
Ernest Augustus I of
in the Order’s
robes
The
Order discontinued after 1922, and at present there are no members of the Order
of St Patrick – the last member, the Duke of Gloucester, died in 1974. It has
occasionally been suggested that the Order should be revived to honour those
who have distinguished themselves in the field of Anglo-Irish relations.
The
Chapel of the Order was originally in St Patrick’s Cathedral Dublin, where the
knights’ helms and crests can still be seen. In
The
insignia – a star and badge made of rubies, diamonds and emeralds, and known as
the Irish Crown Jewels - gained notoriety in 1907, when they were stolen
shortly before the Irish visit of King Edward VII. In spite of international
advertising and thorough investigation by the police at the time, they have
never been recovered.
The Irish Crown Jewels
(Image from Wikipedia)