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81-706: John Primatt Redcliffe Redcliffe-Maud, Baron Redcliffe-Maud , GCB , CBE (3 February 1906 – 20 November 1982), was a British civil servant and diplomat. Born in Bristol , Maud was educated at Eton College and New College, Oxford . He gained a Second in Classical Moderations in 1928 and a First in Literae Humaniores ('Greats') in 1928. At Oxford he was a member of the Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS). In 1928, he gained

162-483: A recent holder of the office of Garter King of Arms, wrote of Anstis's motivations: It was Martin Leake's opinion that the trouble and opposition Anstis met with in establishing himself as Garter so embittered him against the heralds that when at last in 1718 he succeeded, he made it his prime object to aggrandise himself and his office at their expense. It is clear at least that he set out to make himself indispensable to

243-509: A red ring bearing the motto of the Order in gold letters. The circle is flanked by two laurel branches , and is above a scroll bearing the words Ich dien (older German for 'I serve') in gold letters. Stylised versions of this are known as Bath stars , and are used as epaulette pips to indicate British Army officer ranks and for police ranks . The star for civil Knights and Dames Grand Cross consists of an eight-pointed silver star, without

324-457: A reference to the kingdoms of England , Scotland , and either France or Ireland , which were held (or claimed in the case of France ) by English and, later, British monarchs. This would correspond to the three crowns in the badge. Another explanation of the motto is that it refers to the Holy Trinity . Nicolas quotes a source (although he is sceptical of it) who claims that prior to James I

405-451: A scroll bearing the words Ich dien in gold letters. The civil badge is a plain gold oval, bearing three crowns on the obverse side, and a rose, a thistle and a shamrock , emanating from a sceptre on the reverse side; both emblems are surrounded by a ring bearing the motto of the Order. On certain ' collar days ' designated by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear

486-463: A service both as a man and an artist." In a similar vein, in a review in The Times , David Matthews wrote "Many paedophiles were abused as children, and their dangerous desires are motivated by hatred. Britten's were motivated by love, which may have been to a large extent narcissistic and, as John Bridcut's book reveals, often ended with an abrupt withdrawal of attention when the boy grew up, but which

567-495: A sexual approach from Britten in his bedroom". Harry said he screamed and hit Britten with a chair and then Britten's sister Beth rushed into the room. Harry left the next morning and told his mother what had happened, but she did not believe him. John Bridcut was interviewed by Andrew Marr on BBC Radio 4's Start the Week in June 2006. Britten's sexual attraction for 13/14-year-old boys was

648-455: Is a gold Maltese Cross of eight points, enamelled in white. Each point of the cross is decorated by a small gold ball; each angle has a small figure of a lion. The centre of the cross bears three crowns on the obverse side, and a rose, a thistle and a shamrock , emanating from a sceptre on the reverse side. Both emblems are surrounded by a red circular ring bearing the motto of the Order, which are in turn flanked by two laurel branches, above

729-743: Is held by the London School of Economics Library. Redcliffe-Maud House at the University College Annexe known as " Stavertonia " in North Oxford is named in honour of him. Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior military officers or senior civil servants , and

810-461: Is in turn larger than the Companion's badge; however, these are all suspended on a crimson ribbon. Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear the badge on a riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Companions wear the badge from a ribbon worn around the neck. Dames Commander and female Companions wear the badge from a bow on the left side: The military badge

891-437: Is made of black velvet ; it includes an upright plume of feathers . The collar , worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of gold and weighs 30 troy ounces (933 g) . It consists of depictions of nine imperial crowns and eight sets of flowers ( roses for England, thistles for Scotland, and shamrocks for Ireland), connected by seventeen silver knots. On lesser occasions, simpler insignia are used: The star

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972-584: Is the Great Master, of which there have been ten: Originally a Prince of the Blood Royal, as the Principal Knight Companion, ranked next after the sovereign. This position was joined to that of the Great Master in the statutes of 1847. The Great Master and Principal Knight is now either a descendant of George I or 'some other exalted personage'; the holder of the office has custody of the seal of

1053-426: Is used only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commander. Its style varies by rank and division; it is worn pinned to the left breast: The star for military Knights and Dames Grand Cross consists of a Maltese Cross on top of an eight-pointed silver star; the star for military Knights and Dames Commander is an eight-pointed silver cross pattée. Each bears in the centre three crowns surrounded by

1134-551: The Earl Marshal , which was not hard, their political principles being congruous and their friendship already established, but also to Sir Robert Walpole and the Whig ministry, which can by no means have been easy, considering his known attachment to the Pretender and the circumstances under which he came into office. ... The main object of Anstis's next move, the revival or institution of

1215-651: The Gulf War . A more controversial member of the Order was Robert Mugabe , whose honour was stripped by the Queen, on the advice of the Foreign Secretary , David Miliband , on 25 June 2008 "as a mark of revulsion at the abuse of human rights and abject disregard for the democratic process in Zimbabwe over which President Mugabe has presided." Honorary members do not count towards the numerical limits in each class. In addition,

1296-742: The Order of the Garter ). Foreign generals are also often given honorary appointments to the Order, for example: Marshal Ferdinand Foch and Marshal Joseph Joffre during the First World War ; Marshal Georgy Zhukov , King Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia , General Dwight D. Eisenhower , General George C. Marshall , General Douglas MacArthur , and General George S. Patton Jr. during the Second World War ; and General Norman Schwarzkopf and General Colin Powell after

1377-472: The (dormant) Order of St Patrick . In the Middle Ages , a knighthood was often conferred with elaborate ceremonies. These usually involved the knight-to-be taking a bath (possibly symbolic of spiritual purification ), during which he was instructed in the duties of knighthood by more senior knights. He was then put to bed to dry. Clothed in a special robe, he was led with music to the chapel where he spent

1458-434: The 1859 revision. Women were admitted to the Order in 1971. In the 1971 New Year Honours , Jean Nunn became the first woman admitted to the order. In 1975, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester , an aunt of Elizabeth II , became the first woman to reach the highest rank, Dame Grand Cross. Princess Alice (née Douglas-Montagu-Scott) was a direct descendant of the Order's first Great Master, and her husband, who had died

1539-610: The 1944 Normandy landings . Unlike the other three dedicatees of Britten's War Requiem , Dunkerley "survived the war but committed suicide in June 1959, two months before his wedding" and three years before the premiere of the requiem at Coventry Cathedral 's reconsecration. Thirteen-year-old Harry Morris, whom Britten met in 1936, was from a troubled home, and Harry was the only boy ever to accuse Britten of sexual abuse . They were on holiday in Cornwall together and Bridcut recounts that Harry claimed that Britten made "what he understood as

1620-601: The Bath as a regular military order . He did not revive the order, which did not previously exist, in the sense of a body of knights governed by a set of statutes and whose numbers were replenished when vacancies occurred. The Order consists of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom (currently King Charles III ), the Great Master (currently William, Prince of Wales ), and three Classes of members: Members belong to either

1701-517: The British army. He and Britten continued to correspond, but when they met again in 1942 Britten found the 22-year-old "rather altered, I am afraid ... rather vindictive, and hard." The friendship faded, and Wulff eventually married. The relationship with Wulff overlapped Britten's meeting with Peter Pears – Pears is also the dedicatee of a song in the Rimbaud cycle. In 1989 Wulff recalled, "I adored Peter. He

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1782-701: The British monarch and foreigners may be made honorary members. Queen Elizabeth II established the custom of appointing visiting (republican) heads of state honorary GCBs, for example Gustav Heinemann and Josip Broz Tito (in 1972), Ronald Reagan (in 1989), Lech Wałęsa (in 1991), Censu Tabone (in 1992), Fernando Henrique Cardoso , George H. W. Bush (in 1993), Nicolas Sarkozy (in 2008), and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (in 2012), as well as Turkish President Abdullah Gül , Slovenian President Danilo Türk , Mexican President Felipe Calderón , and South African President Jacob Zuma (royal heads of state are instead usually made Stranger Knights and Ladies Companion of

1863-686: The City and County of Bristol in 1967. The Report of the Royal Commission on Local Government in England, popularly known as the Redcliffe-Maud Report , was published in 1969. It advocated the wholesale reform of local council boundaries and the institution of large unitary councils based on the principle of mixing rural and urban areas. Accepted by the Labour government of Harold Wilson with minor changes,

1944-620: The Civil Division or the Military Division. Knight Companion (KB), the order's only class prior to 1815, is no longer an option. Commonwealth citizens who are not subjects of the British monarch and foreign nationals may be made honorary members. The Order of the Bath is the fourth most senior of the British orders of chivalry , after the Order of the Garter , the Order of the Thistle , and

2025-675: The Garter equivalent (the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod ) perform any duties in the House of Lords . There were originally seven officers, each of whom was to receive fees from the Knights Companion both on appointment, and annually thereafter. The office of Messenger was abolished in 1859. The office of Genealogist was abolished at the same time, but revived in 1913. The offices of Registrar and Secretary were formally merged in 1859, although

2106-460: The Genealogist, Brunswick Herald of Arms to the Gentleman Usher, and Bath King of Arms was also made Gloucester King of Arms with heraldic jurisdiction over Wales. This was the result of a move by Anstis to give the holders of these sinecures greater security; the offices of the Order of the Bath were held at the pleasure of the Great Master, while appointments to the heraldic offices were made by

2187-621: The King under the Great Seal and were for life. Members of the Order wear elaborate uniforms on important occasions (such as its quadrennial installation ceremonies and coronations ), which vary by rank: The mantle , worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of crimson satin lined with white taffeta . On the left side is a representation of the star (see below). The mantle is bound with two large tassels. The hat , worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commander,

2268-512: The Knights of the Bath, as well as the colour of the riband and mantle , and the ceremony for creating a knight. The rest of the statutes were mostly based on those of the Order of the Garter, of which he was an officer (as Garter King of Arms). The Order was founded by letters patent under the Great Seal dated 18 May 1725 ; 299 years ago  ( 1725-05-18 ) , and the statutes issued

2349-528: The Maltese cross; the star for civil Knights and Dames Commander is an eight-pointed silver cross pattée. The design of each is the same as the design of the military stars, except that the laurel branches and the words Ich dien are excluded. The badge varies in design, size, and manner of wearing by rank and division. The Knight and Dame Grand Cross' badge is larger than the Knight and Dame Commander's badge, which

2430-604: The Military Division, to Commissariat and Medical officers serving with the Army and Navy , including those serving with the East India Company . In 1859, a further edition of the Statutes was issued; the changes related mainly to the costs associated with the Order. Prior to this date, it had been the policy that the insignia (which were provided by the Crown) were to be returned on

2511-461: The Order for members who had been appointed for the services in the recent war. The fees were abolished, and replaced with a salary of approximately the same average value. The offices of Genealogist and Messenger were abolished, and those of Registrar and Secretary combined. In 1910, after his accession to the throne, George V ordered the revival of the Installation ceremony, perhaps prompted by

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2592-485: The Order of the Bath was probably that which it in fact secured, of ingratiating him with the all-powerful Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole. The use of honours in the early eighteenth century differed considerably from the modern honours system , in which hundreds, if not thousands, of people each year receive honours on the basis of deserving accomplishments. The only honours available at that time were hereditary (not life) peerages and baronetcies , knighthoods , and

2673-399: The Order of the Garter (or the Order of the Thistle for Scots), none of which were awarded in large numbers (the Garter and the Thistle are limited to twenty-four and sixteen living members respectively). The political environment was also significantly different from today: The Sovereign still exercised a power to be reckoned with in the eighteenth century. The Court remained the centre of

2754-420: The Order were increasingly made for naval , military , or diplomatic achievements. This is partly due to the conflicts Britain was engaged in over this period. The Peninsular War resulted in so many deserving candidates for the Bath, that a statute was issued allowing the appointment of Extra Knights in time of war, who were to be additional to the numerical limits imposed by the statutes, and whose number

2835-803: 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 suspended from the collar. The collars and badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross are returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood upon the decease of their owners. All other insignia may be retained by their owners. Britten%27s Children Bridcut writes that 13-year-old boys were Britten's ideal. He liked to imagine himself as still thirteen years old and once explained his ability to write so well for children, "It's because I'm still thirteen". Bridcut provides ample evidence that Britten

2916-461: The death of the holder; the exception had been foreigners who had been awarded honorary membership. In addition, foreigners had usually been provided with stars made of silver and diamonds, whereas ordinary members had only embroidered stars. The decision was made to award silver stars to all members, and only require the return of the Collar . The Crown had also been paying the fees due to the officers of

2997-426: The fact that the Bath was represented as a military Order, only a few military officers were among the initial appointments (see List of knights companion of the Order of the Bath ). They may be broken down into categories as follows (some are classified in more than one category): The majority of the new Knights Companions were knighted by the King, and invested with their ribands and badges on 27 May 1725. Although

3078-473: The first Installation ceremony of the more junior Order of St Michael and St George , held a few years earlier, and the building of a new chapel for the Order of the Thistle in 1911. The Installation ceremony took place on 22 July 1913 in the Henry VII Chapel , and Installations have been held at regular intervals since. Prior to the 1913 Installation, it was necessary to adapt the chapel to accommodate

3159-403: The following week. The Order initially consisted of the Sovereign, a Prince of the blood Royal as Principal Knight, a Great Master, and thirty-five Knights Companion. Seven officers (see below) were attached to the Order. These provided yet another opportunity for political patronage, as they were to be sinecures at the disposal of the Great Master, supported by fees from the knights. Despite

3240-498: The full ceremonies were restricted to major royal occasions, such as coronations, investitures of the Prince of Wales or royal dukes , and royal weddings, and the knights so created became known as Knights of the Bath . Knights Bachelor continued to be created with the simpler form of ceremony. The last occasion on which Knights of the Bath were created was the coronation of Charles II in 1661. From at least 1625, and possibly from

3321-493: The larger number of members. An appeal was made to the members of the Order, and following the Installation a surplus remained. A Committee was formed from the Officers to administer the 'Bath Chapel Fund', and over time this committee has come to consider other matters than purely financial ones. Another revision of the statutes of the Order was undertaken in 1925, to consolidate the 41 additional statutes which had been issued since

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3402-404: The marks of distinction which they have so nobly earned. The Order was now to consist of three classes: Knights Grand Cross, Knights Commander, and Companions. At the same time, the large and small Naval Gold Medals were suspended, while the bearers became Knights Commander and Companions, respectively. The existing Knights Companion (of which there were 60) became Knight Grand Cross; this class

3483-410: The monarch awards it on the advice of His Majesty's Government. The name derives from an elaborate medieval ceremony for preparing a candidate to receive his knighthood , of which ritual bathing (as a symbol of purification ) was an element. While not all knights went through such an elaborate ceremony, knights so created were known as "knights of the Bath". George I constituted the Knights of

3564-399: The motto was Tria numina juncta in uno (three powers/gods joined in one), but from the reign of James I, the word numina was dropped, and the motto understood to mean Tria [regna] juncta in uno (three kingdoms joined in one). The prime mover in the establishment of the Order of the Bath was John Anstis , Garter King of Arms , England's highest heraldic officer. Sir Anthony Wagner ,

3645-400: The new Order for Walpole was that it would provide a source of such favours to strengthen his political position. He made sure that most of the 36 new honorees were peers and MPs who would provide him with useful connections. George I having agreed to Walpole's proposal, Anstis was commissioned to draft statutes for the Order of the Bath. As noted above, he adopted the motto and badge used by

3726-418: The night in a vigil . At dawn, he made confession and attended Mass , then retired to his bed to sleep until it was fully daylight. He was then brought before the King, who after instructing two senior knights to buckle the spurs to the knight-elect's heels, fastened a belt around his waist, then struck him on the neck (with either a hand or a sword ), thus making him a knight. It was this accolade which

3807-532: The one-year Henry P. Davison scholarship to Harvard University where he was awarded an A.B. in 1929. From 1929 to 1932 he was a Junior Research Fellow University College, Oxford and from 1932 to 1939 Fellow (Praelector in Politics) and Dean of the college. He was awarded a Rhodes Travelling Scholarship to Africa in 1932 and held a University Lectureship in Politics at Oxford University, 1938–9. During World War II , he

3888-476: The opportunity also taken to regularise the 1815 expansion of the Order. The 1847 statutes also abolished all the medieval ritual, but they did introduce a formal Investiture ceremony, conducted by the Sovereign wearing the Mantle and insignia of the Order, attended by the Officers and as many GCBs as possible, in their Mantles. In 1850, a special statute authorised appointments of Knight Commander and Companion, in

3969-778: The opposition from rural areas convinced the Conservative opposition to oppose it and no further action was taken after the Conservatives won the 1970 general election . He retired as Master of University College in 1976, to be succeeded by the leading lawyer Lord Goodman . His 1973 portrait by Ruskin Spear can be seen in the National Portrait Gallery , London. Another portrait hangs in the Hall at University College in Oxford. Redcliffe-Maud

4050-458: The order and is responsible for enforcing the statutes. The statutes also provide for the following: Regular membership is limited to citizens of the United Kingdom and of other Commonwealth countries of which the British monarch is Sovereign. Appointees are usually officers of the armed forces or senior civil servants, such as permanent secretaries . Members appointed to the Civil Division must "by their personal services to [the] crown or by

4131-654: The performance of public duties have merited ... royal favour." Appointments to the Military Division are restricted by the minimum rank of the individual. GCBs hold the rank of admiral in the Royal Navy, general in the British Army or Royal Marines , or air chief marshal in the Royal Air Force . KCBs must at least hold the rank of vice admiral , lieutenant general in the Army or Marines, or air marshal . CBs tend be of

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4212-522: The political world. The King was limited in that he had to choose Ministers who could command a majority in Parliament , but the choice remained his. The leader of an administration still had to command the King's personal confidence and approval. A strong following in Parliament depended on being able to supply places, pensions, and other marks of Royal favour to the government's supporters. The attraction of

4293-450: The prestige of the Order. In 1847, Queen Victoria issued new statutes eliminating all references to an exclusively military Order. As well as removing the word 'Military' from the full name of the Order, this opened up the grades of Knight Commander and Companion to civil appointments, and the Military and Civil Divisions of the Order were established. New numerical limits were imposed, and

4374-456: The previous year, had also held that office. The second Dame Grand Cross, Sally Davies , was appointed in the 2020 New Year Honours . The British Sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order of the Bath. As with all honours, except those in the Sovereign's personal gift, the Sovereign makes all appointments to the Order on the advice of the Government . The next-most senior member of the Order

4455-552: The rank of rear admiral , major general in the Army, Royal Navy or Royal Marines, or air vice marshal in the Royal Air Force, and in addition must have been Mentioned in Despatches for distinction in a command position in a combat situation, although the latter is no longer a requirement. Non-line officers (e.g. engineers , medics) may be appointed only for meritorious service in wartime. Commonwealth citizens not subjects of

4536-404: The reign of James I , Knights of the Bath were using the motto Tria juncta in uno ( Latin for 'Three joined in one'), and wearing as a badge three crowns within a plain gold oval. These were both subsequently adopted by the Order of the Bath; a similar design of badge is still worn by members of the Civil Division. Their symbolism however is not entirely clear. The 'three joined in one' may be

4617-436: The source for many of Bridcut's observations. Britten had a close friendship with Wulff Scherchen (son of the conductor Hermann Scherchen , and later known as John Woolford ) whom he met when Wulff was 14 and Britten 21. Five years later in 1939, Britten dedicated the song "Antique" from his song cycle Les Illuminations to Wulff. As a German national, Scherchen was interned during World War II, following which he served in

4698-626: The statutes allow the Sovereign to exceed the limits in time of war or other exceptional circumstances. The office of Dean is held by the Dean of Westminster . The King of Arms, responsible for heraldry , is known as Bath King of Arms; he is not, however, a member of the College of Arms , like many heralds. The Order's Usher is known as the Gentleman Usher of the Scarlet Rod ; he does not, unlike his Order of

4779-405: The statutes set out the full medieval ceremony which was to be used for creating knights, this was not performed, and indeed, was possibly never intended to be, as the original statutes contained a provision allowing the Great Master to dispense Knights Companion from these requirements. The original knights were dispensed from all the medieval ceremonies with the exception of the Installation, which

4860-707: The subject of the interview and the incident with Harry Morris, when Britten "may have crossed the line", was described in detail. Bridcut writes about Britten's friendship with Humphrey Maud which started when the boy was nine. They became close friends a few years later when Humphrey was at Eton . Humphrey's father Sir John Maud , who was then Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education and would therefore have been wary of any potential scandal, eventually intervened to ask Britten to stop inviting Humphrey to spend school holidays with him at Aldeburgh. Humphrey himself told Bridcut: "I certainly don't think that he [Sir John Maud]

4941-499: The tragic love of a novelist for the beautiful boy Tadzio. Jonathan Keates' review in The Daily Telegraph sums up the dilemma of writing about Britten's children: "Nowadays a known homosexual who sought out the company and affection of small boys would probably end up on a police register or behind bars. In treating Britten's fondness for the young of his own sex as something more than lipsmacking paedophilia, this book does him

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5022-515: The two positions had been held concurrently for the previous century. An Officer of Arms and a Secretary for the Knights Commander and Companions were established in 1815, but abolished in 1847. The office of Deputy Secretary was created in 1925. Under the Hanoverian kings, certain of the officers also held heraldic office. The office of Blanc Coursier Herald of Arms was attached to that of

5103-523: Was Master of Birkbeck College (1939–1943) and was also based at Reading Gaol , working for the Ministry of Food . He became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1942, and after the war, he worked at the Ministry of Education (1945–1952), rising to Permanent Secretary and then the Ministry of Fuel and Power until 1958. He became a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1946, and

5184-509: Was "at once aware I attracted him". Jonny and his siblings and cousins provided the children's names for Britten's opera The Little Sweep . David Spenser was thirteen years old when he had the role of Harry in Britten's opera Albert Herring . When he first went to stay with Britten at Crag House, they shared a double bed, Britten explaining that with the recent move from the Old Mill at Snape it

5265-526: Was a sexual relationship. The answer to that question, as I have often said, is: no, he did not. I have slept in his bed, yes, only because I was scared at night...and I have never ever, ever felt threatened by Ben at all because I was more heterosexual than Genghis Khan!" Bridcut also writes at length about Roger Duncan. Duncan was aged eleven when he first met Britten. Their relationship was unusual in that Britten persuaded Roger's father to share him and Roger spent many weeks staying with Britten. Roger's father

5346-474: Was a wonderful father figure ... and I thought in a sense that he was the father to Benjamin at the same time ... He would restrain Benjamin when Ben was going off the rails ... He had this air of stability that Ben didn't have." Thirteen-year-old Piers Dunkerley, whom Britten met aged 20 and described by Bridcut as "emphatically good-looking", was another early favourite. The composer's website reports that Dunkerley, one of Britten's closest friends, took part in

5427-470: Was also to appoint eight officers for this body. However, the statute was never invoked. In January 1815, after the end of the Peninsular War , the Prince Regent (later George IV ) expanded the Order of the Bath to the end that those Officers who have had the opportunities of signalising themselves by eminent services during the late war may share in the honours of the said Order, and that their names may be delivered down to remote posterity, accompanied by

5508-432: Was an extremely good looking young chap and he also very much played up to Ben's obvious adoration of him, and drank it in," and adds, "Obviously it was a sexual attraction but I'm sure that it was never actually fulfilled." Hemmings told Bridcut: "He was not only a father to me, but a friend – and you couldn't have had a better father or a better friend. [...] Everybody asks me whether or not he gave me one, whether or not it

5589-436: Was appointed by Sir Keith Joseph , at the request of local council associations, to head a departmental committee looking into the management of local government. The Maud Committee reported three years later. During the course of the inquiry, Maud was chosen to head a Royal Commission on the reform of all local government in England . He was awarded a life peerage , hyphenating his surname to become Baron Redcliffe-Maud , of

5670-437: Was ever afraid that I might be the victim of my friendship with Britten. I think it was a precautionary measure; just in case others might think ill of it, it would be as well that it should be seen to stop." Britten dedicated The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra to Humphrey and the other Maud children. Jonathan Gathorne-Hardy was another friend of Britten. Fourteen-year-old Jonny "could not help flirting slightly" and

5751-412: Was fundamentally benign." Australian composer Lyle Chan discovered the relationship between Britten and Wulff Scherchen on reading Britten's Children in 2015. He sought out Scherchen, then a 95-year-old man living in Australia, and obtained his consent to create a song cycle out of the story of the relationship. The Serenade for Tenor, Saxophone and Orchestra ("My Dear Benjamin") was commissioned by

5832-456: Was limited to 72 members, of which twelve could be appointed for civil or diplomatic services. The military members had to be of the rank of at least major-general or rear admiral . The Knights Commander were limited to 180, exclusive of foreign nationals holding British commissions, up to ten of whom could be appointed as honorary Knights Commander. They had to be of the rank of lieutenant-colonel or post-captain . The number of Companions

5913-525: Was married to Jean Hamilton , who was educated at Somerville College, Oxford . His son, Humphrey Maud , was one of Benjamin Britten 's favourite boys while he was at Eton. Sir John intervened to curtail Humphrey's frequent visits to stay with Britten on his own. The incident is described in John Bridcut's Britten's Children . John Redcliffe-Maud is buried in Holywell Cemetery , Oxford. His archive

5994-517: Was not specified, but they had to have received a medal or been mentioned in despatches since the start of the war in 1803. A list of about 500 names was subsequently published. Two further officers were appointed, an 'Officer of arms attendant on the Knights Commanders and Companions', and a 'Secretary appertaining to the Knights Commanders and Companions'. The large increase in numbers caused some complaints that such an expansion would reduce

6075-427: Was not subject to any restrictions. Another statute, this one issued some 80 years earlier, had also added a military note to the Order. Each knight was required, under certain circumstances, to supply and support four men-at-arms for a period not exceeding 42 days in any year, to serve in any part of Great Britain. This company was to be captained by the Great Master, who had to supply four trumpeters , and

6156-464: Was performed in the Order's Chapel, the Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey , on 17 June. This precedent was followed until 1812, after which the Installation was also dispensed with, until its revival in the twentieth century. The ceremonies however remained part of the Statutes until 1847. Although the initial appointments to the Order were largely political, from the 1770s, appointments to

6237-633: Was raised to a Knight Grand Cross in 1955. Inter alia , Maud appeared on the BBC programme The Brains Trust in 1958. He was High Commissioner to the Union of South Africa from 1959 to 1961, and Ambassador from 1961, when the country became a republic and left the Commonwealth . In 1963, he became Master of University College, Oxford, where he had been a Fellow before the Second World War. In March 1964, Maud

6318-449: Was sexually attracted to young boys, but similarly shows that it is unlikely that Britten ever stepped over the line of propriety. Britten lived with his long-time partner Peter Pears . Nevertheless, as Bridcut notes, there was frequent and continuing gossip in society about Britten's infatuation with boys. Britten would provide each new favourite with gifts and treats, and was a prolific letter-writer. The thousands of surviving letters are

6399-407: Was the essential act in creating a knight, and a simpler ceremony developed, conferring knighthood merely by striking or touching the knight-to-be on the shoulder with a sword, or 'dubbing' him, as is still done today. In the early medieval period, the difference seems to have been that the full ceremonies were used for men from more prominent families. From the coronation of Henry IV in 1399,

6480-552: Was the only bed in the house. Not all Britten's young boys were musicians. He was very fond of a local boy Robin Long, known as "Nipper", and he used to take the boy sailing. Bridcut interviewed a number of Britten's children including the actor David Hemmings . Hemmings was twelve when he came into Britten's life as the creator of the role of Miles in Britten's The Turn of the Screw . The conductor Charles Mackerras observed, "David Hemmings

6561-550: Was the writer Ronald Duncan, the librettist of The Rape of Lucretia . Both Roger and Humphrey Stone, another young friend, recall enjoying regular naked midnight swims with Britten. Bridcut makes it clear that Britten was inspired by his love of young boys to write extensively for children, and particularly for boy trebles. Among his finest works are The Turn of the Screw , with the dark relationship between Quint and Miles, and Death in Venice , based on Thomas Mann 's novella about

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