Order of St Michael and St George

The most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry. It was started on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, who became King George IV of the United Kingdom. It started when he was Prince Regent for his father, King George III.
It is named in honour of two military saints, Saint Michael and Saint George.
Description.
The Order has three classes, listed below from highest to lowest:
It is used to honour people who have done important things for the Commonwealth or foreign nations.
People are "appointed" to the Order rather than given it. British Ambassadors to foreign nations are often appointed as KCMGs or CMGs. For example, the British Ambassador to the United States, Sir David Manning, was appointed a CMG when he worked for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
After his appointment as British Ambassador to the United States, he was promoted to a Knight Commander (KCMG). Often, when the Queen visits a nation, the British ambassador to that nation automatically becomes a Knight Commander of the Order, and afterwards they may use the title "Sir", before their name.
It is the normal award for members of the FCDO.
The Order's motto is "Auspicium melioris ævi" (Latin for "Token of a better age"). Its patron saints are Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint George. One of its primary symbols is that of St Michael standing over Satan.
The Order is the sixth-most important in the British honours system, after The Most Noble Order of the Garter (the highest British honour), The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, and The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India.
The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick (for Ireland) has not been appointed since 1934 as the Republic of Ireland is no longer part of the United Kingdom. The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India has not been used since India's independence in 1947.
History.
The Order was started to remember the British protectorate over the Ionian Islands. The Islands had come under British control in 1814. It was given its own constitution as the United States of the Ionian Islands, in 1817.
The order was to reward people, who lived on their Ionian Islands and on Malta, who worked for the King.
The protectorate ended in 1864, and the Ionian Islands became a part of Greece.
The reasons for being appointed to the Order were changed in 1868. Anyone who did important work in Queen Victoria's government (especially overseas) could be appointed. After this change, many Governors-General and Governors were appointed to the Order.
Members of the Order.
The British Sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order and appoints all other members of the Order. The sovereign follow the advice of the Government.
After the sovereign, the next-most senior member is the Grand Master. The office used to be held by the Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, but now they are chosen by the Sovereign.
Grand Masters include:
The number of members originally in the Order included:
Members of the Royal Family who are appointed to the Order are not counted as part of these limits and neither are foreigners appointed as "honorary members" (this means that they cannot use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame', and do not receive all the privileges of the order)
The Order has six officers:
The Order's King of Arms is not a member of the College of Arms.
The Usher of the Order is known as the Gentleman Usher of the Blue Rod. He does not perform any duties related to the House of Lords, unlike the Usher of the Order of the Garter (the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod).
Clothing.
Members of the Order wear decorated costumes on important occasions (such as coronations), which vary by rank:
The Sovereign will name some days "collar days". On these days, members attending formal events may wear the Order's collar over their military uniform or evening wear. When collars are worn (either on collar days or on formal occasions such as coronations), the badge is hung from the collar.
All collars which have been awarded since 1948 must be returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood. The other symbols can be kept..
Chapel.
The original home of the Order was the Palace of St Michael and St George in Corfu This was the home of the Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands. It was also the location of the Ionian Senate meetings.
Since 1906, the Order's chapel has been in St Paul's Cathedral in London. (The Cathedral also serves as home to the chapels of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and The Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor.) Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years. New Knights and Dames Grand Cross are 'installed' at these services (this means that they are officially appointed and make an oath of loyalty to the Sovereign).
The Sovereign and the Knights and Dames Grand Cross have stalls in the choir's area of the chapel.
Over their stall, their heraldic devices are displayed: The Knight's helm, decorated with a mantling (cloth tied to the helpmet) and topped by his crest (often an animal).
Under English heraldic law, women who are not monarchs do not bear helms or crests - this is because in the past, women did not fight in wars or tournaments, so they did not have a helmet. Instead of a helmet, Dames will have a coronet (a small crown). The exact design will depend on how important the Dame's is in society.
Above the crest or coronet hangs the Knight or Dame's heraldic banner, showing the coat of arms. At the back of the stall there is a piece of brass (a "stall plate") displaying its occupant's name, arms and date of admission into the Order. Upon the death of a Knight, the banner, helm, mantling and crest are taken down. The stall plates are not removed, but remain permanently placed somewhere in the stall, so that the stalls of the chapel are covered with a colourful record of the Order's Knights and Dames Grand Cross since 1906.
The reredos (decorated panels) within the chapel were designed by Henry Poole, in 1927.
Precedence and privileges.
Members of the Order of St Michael are given positions in the order of precedence (the order in which members of the nobility should be placed in a procession or other events). Wives of male members are also given positions in the order of precedence. So are sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders. Relatives of female members are not given any special precedence.
Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders use the title "Sir" before their given name, and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commanders use "Dame". For example, John Smith and Jane Doe would be called "Sir John Smith" and "Dame Jane Doe".
Wives of Knights may use the title "Lady" before their surname (for example "Lady Smith"), but husbands of Dames have no title.
These titles are not used by peers and princes, except when the names of peers are written out in their fullest forms. Honorary members (usually members from other countries) and clergymen do not receive the accolade or use the title.
Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal "GCMG". Knights Commanders and Dames Commanders use "KCMG" and "DCMG" respectively. Companions use "CMG". Examples are:
Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also allowed to receive heraldic supporters (figures on either side of the shield, which look like they are holding it up). These may be real or imaginary animals, or human figures. They may also surround their arms with the design of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar. The circlet is shown either outside or on top of the collar.
Knights and Dames Commanders and Companions may display the circlet (but not the collar) around their arms. The badge is depicted hanging from the collar or circlet.
Popular references.
In the satirical British television programme, "Yes Minister", Jim Hacker MP is told an old joke by his Private Secretary, Bernard Woolley, about what the different post-nominals mean.
Ian Fleming's spy, James Bond, was appointed to the CMG, in 1953 (mentioned in the novel "From Russia, with Love"). He was offered the KCMG in "The Man with the Golden Gun", but he would not take it, as he did not wish to become a public figure.