Commander of the Order of St John
| Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem |
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|---|---|
Breast star of Knight of Grace
of the Order of St John |
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| Awarded by Sovereign of the order |
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| Type | Order of chivalry |
| Motto | Pro Fide Pro Utilitate Hominum |
| Day | 24 June (Feast of John the Baptist) |
| Status | Currently constituted |
| First Sovereign | Victoria |
| Sovereign | Elizabeth II |
| Grand Prior | Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester |
| 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) Esquire (EsqStJ) |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Dependent on State |
| Next (lower) | Dependent on State |
_ribbon_-vector.svg){kind=small} Ribbon of the order |
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The Order of St. John, formally the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (French: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a royal order of chivalry first constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria. It evolved from a faction of the Order of Malta that 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,Hong Kong, the Republic of Ireland, and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and injury, and to act to enhance the health and well-being of people anywhere in the world." The order's approximately 25,000 members, known as , 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 through its service organisations, including St John Ambulance and St John Eye Hospital Group, the memberships and work of which are not constricted by denomination or religion. It is a constituent member of the Alliance of the Orders of St John of Jerusalem. Its headquarters are in London and it is a registered charity under English law.
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