L ordre International 1888 r

L ordre International 1888 r - Charles Perin

Order of Saint John (chartered 1888)

This article is about the modern order chartered in the 19th century. For the original Catholic military Order of Saint John, see Knights Hospitaller.

Order of St John

Breast star of a Knight of Grace
of the Order of St John

TypeOrder of chivalry

MottoPro Fide Pro Utilitate Hominum[1]

EligibilityService to the order

StatusExtant

SovereignElizabeth II

Grand PriorPrince Richard, Duke of Gloucester

Lord PriorMark Compton

Grades

Bailiff/Dame Grand Cross (GCStJ)

Knight/Dame of Justice or Knight/Dame of Grace (KStJ/DStJ)

Commander/Chaplain (CStJ/ChStJ)

Officer (OStJ)

Member (MStJ)

Precedence

Next (higher)Dependent on State

Next (lower)Dependent on State

Ribbon of the order

The Order of St John,[3] short for The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (French: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem)[n 1] and also known as St John International,[4] is a British royal order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria.

The Order traces its origins back to the Knights Hospitaller in the Middle Ages, which was later known as the Order of Malta. A faction of them emerged in France in the 1820s and moved to Britain in the early 1830s, where, after operating under a succession of grand priors and different names, it 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 is found throughout the Commonwealth of Nations,[5] Hong Kong, the Republic of Ireland, and the United States of America,[6] with the worldwide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and injury, and to act to enhance the health and well-being of people anywhere in the world."[6] The order's approximately 25 000 members, known as confrères,[5] are mostly of the Protestant faith, though those of other Christian denominations or other religions are accepted into the order. Except via appointment to certain government or ecclesiastical offices in some realms, membership is by invitation only and individuals may not petition for admission.

The Order of St John is perhaps best known for the health organisations it founded and continues to run, including St John Ambulance and St John Eye Hospital Group. As with the Order, the memberships and work of these organizations are not constricted by denomination or religion. The Order is a constituent member of the Alliance of the Orders of Saint John of Jerusalem. Its headquarters are in London and it is a registered charity under English law.