Dame is an honorific title given to women who have been admitted to certain orders of chivalry . It is the female equivalent of Sir , the title used by knights . Baronetesses in their own right also use the title Dame .
67-708: A woman appointed to the grades of Dame Commander or Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Saint John , the Order of the Holy Sepulchre , the Order of the Bath , the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George , the Royal Victorian Order , or the Order of the British Empire becomes a dame. A Central European order in which female members receive the rank of Dame is the Order of Saint George . Since there
134-729: A False Orders Committee (renamed and reorganised as the Committee on Orders of Saint John), with representatives of each of the five orders, to expose and take action against such imitations. The Order and its affiliate orders in the Netherlands and Sweden, which became independent of the Bailiwick of Brandenburg in 1946, after the Second World War , are Protestant. The SMOM, headquartered in Rome , admits only men and women of
201-610: A Hindu widow, though, under the Act, the widow forsook any inheritance due her from her deceased husband. Social stigma in Joseon Korea required that widows remain unmarried after their husbands' death. In 1477, Seongjong of Joseon enacted the Widow Remarriage Law, which strengthened pre-existing social constraints by barring the sons of widows who remarried from holding public office. In 1489, Seongjong condemned
268-659: A Roman Catholic, Adam von Schwarzenberg , in 1641) were announced to the Grand Prior of Germany in the Roman Catholic Order of Malta and, in accordance with the requests from the governing authorities of the Order of Malta, responsions (periodic remittances from revenues) were paid to the Grand Priory. The horrific Thirty Years' War devastated the Bailiwick, resulting in the deaths of many knights and
335-627: A desire to maintain a relationship with the Protestant knights despite the theological and ecclesiological differences between the two groups. But in 1581, then Grand Master Jean de la Cassière called Herrenmeister Martin von Hohenstein before the Chapter ( ruling council ) of the Order of Saint John in Malta; when the Herrenmeister did not appear, De la Cassière declared the expulsion of
402-793: A global commandery with subcommanderies in twelve other countries ( Australia , Belgium , Canada , Colombia , Denmark , Italy , Namibia , Poland , South Africa , the United Kingdom , the United States , and Venezuela ). Together with the London -based Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (of which the British monarch is Sovereign Head), the Swedish Johanniterorden i Sverige , and
469-465: A long black cord called a cingulum . The insignia , also known as crosses of honor, are no longer bestowed by the Order automatically (reception into the Order now involves only ceremonial robing with the cloak in a church service). Knights of Honor now must have rendered five years of service to the Order before a cross of honor is granted. Promotion to Knight of Justice requires at least seven years of distinguished service. The basic insignia of
536-417: A long terminal illness. In addition, both men and women have been observed to experience lifestyle habit changes after the death of a spouse. Both sexes tend to have a harder time looking after themselves without their spouse to help, though these changes may differ based on the sex of the widow and the role the spouse played in their life. The older spouses grow, the more aware they are of being alone due to
603-591: A similarly named order of merit, the Royal Prussian Order of Saint John which also had similar insignia. The Herrenmeister of the Bailiwick, Prince August Ferdinand , became the first grand master of the new order of merit and continued to reside in the Ordenspalais , the palace of the Bailivick of Brandenburg. All knights of the Bailiwick became members of the new order of merit. In 1852
670-421: A spouse's death, when they had a 66-percent increased chance of dying". There remains controversy over whether women or men are worse off, and studies have attempted to make each case, while others suggest there are no sex differences. While it is disputed as to whether sex plays a part in the intensity of grief, sex often influences how a person's lifestyle changes after a spouse's death. Research has shown that
737-730: A union of Swedish knights of the Order, they were 54 in number. In 1946, the union of Swedish knights separated from the German Johanniterorden and a Swedish order was established. Known as the Johanniterorden i Sverige , and with the Swedish monarch as its High Protector, it helped found the Alliance of the Orders of St. John of Jerusalem on June 13, 1961. Even though it is still a semi-official chivalric order of
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#1732773116163804-434: A woman of the royal clan, Yi Guji , when it was discovered that she had cohabited with her slave after being widowed. More than 40 members of her household were arrested and her lover was tortured to death. In some parts of the world, such as Zimbabwe , the property of widows, such as land, is often taken away by her in-laws. While illegal, since most marriages are conducted under customary law and not registered, redressing
871-497: Is a person whose spouse has died and has usually not remarried . The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjective for either sex is widowed . These terms are not applied to a divorcé(e) following the death of an ex-spouse. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood . The term widowhood can be used for either sex, at least according to some dictionaries, but
938-566: Is also uncommon for widows to challenge their treatment because they are often "unaware of their rights under the modern law…because of their low status, and lack of education or legal representation.". Unequal benefits and treatment generally received by widows compared to those received by widowers globally has spurred an interest in the issue by human rights activists . During the HIV pandemic, which particularly hit gay communities, companions of deceased men had little recourse in estate court against
1005-687: Is either a Knight of Justice ( Rechtsritter ) or a Knight of Honour ( Ehrenritter ). Membership in the Order is by appointment only, and individuals may not petition for admission; it is not limited to German citizens or German speakers, and knights include citizens and residents of numerous countries. Although membership is no longer limited to the nobility, as it was until 1948, the majority of knights still are drawn from this class. The Order comprises seventeen commanderies in Germany, one each in Austria , Finland , France , Hungary , and Switzerland , and
1072-548: Is no female equivalent to a Knight Bachelor , women are always appointed to an order of chivalry . Women who are appointed to the Order of the Garter or the Order of the Thistle are given the title of Lady rather than Dame. Women receive all their honours in the same fashion as men receiving decorations or medals, even if they are receiving a damehood, so there is no female word equivalent of being "knighted". The Order of
1139-427: Is plain black with a large, white, linen eight-pointed cross on the left breast. For most knights, the cloak is black woollen (to which French knights add distinctive white woollen collars) with a plain lining, but the Herrenmeister ’s cloak is of black velvet lined in satin. The cloaks of most knights are closed only at the neck, but the Herrenmeister , Commanders, Honorary Commanders, and Knights of Justice also wear
1206-537: Is used with the holder's given name or full name but never with the surname alone; this follows the same usage customs as " Sir ". Nuns of the English Benedictine order are given the title Dame in preference to Sister . In French Louisiana from the 17th through to the 19th centuries, Dame was the title accorded to a woman "of substance or position in the locality". Similarly, in 1889 in France, it
1273-527: The Bailiwick of Brandenburg and accepted Lutheran theology while continuing to recognize the headship of the grand master of the Order, who, with the majority of the knights, remained Roman Catholic . The higher officials of the Order, now headquartered on the Mediterranean island of Malta after the successive losses of Jerusalem , Acre , and Rhodes to Muslim Arabs and Turks , evinced
1340-576: The Catholic faith . The Venerable Order of Saint John , a recreation of the medieval English Langue of the Order of Saint John, was chiefly Anglican at its formation in the nineteenth century but since has opened its membership to men and women of any faith. Soon after the formation of the Order in Jerusalem, supporters in Western Europe began to donate farmland and other assets for
1407-816: The Dutch Johanniter Orde in Nederland , the Order is a member of the Alliance of the Orders of Saint John of Jerusalem . Along with the Roman Catholic Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), these four "Alliance Orders" represent the legitimate heirs of the Knights Hospitaller . They consider other orders using the name of Saint John to be merely imitative, and the Alliance and the SMOM jointly formed
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#17327731161631474-532: The Herrenmeister is now elected and no is longer nominated by the king of Prussia or emperor of Germany, each holder of the office since 1693 has been a member of the House of Hohenzollern , the family of the former Prussian kings and last German emperors. The present status of the Order under German law derives from its incorporation in 1852, and from official recognition by the German government in 1957 and 1959 of
1541-517: The Johanniterorden in 1909, when the Dutch monarch afforded it royal protection; and the commandery separated from the German Johanniterorden in 1946. The commandery became an independent order in 1958 and is known as Johanniter Orde in Nederland , now admitting noblewomen as well as noblemen. The Dutch monarch is an honorary commander. With the German and Swedish orders, the Dutch order helped found
1608-775: The Neumark of Brandenburg, east of the Oder River , though the Herrenmeister resided in the Ordenspalais in Berlin from its completion in 1738. As the intense sectarianism of early modern Europe gave way to the Enlightenment , further if sporadic attempts were made to accommodate the Protestant Bailiwick within the Roman Catholic Order of Malta . Despite cordial relations, however, including payment of responsions to Malta and participation of delegates from
1675-634: The Order of Saint John or the Johanniter Order (German: Johanniterorden ), is the German Protestant branch of the Knights Hospitaller , the oldest surviving chivalric order , which generally is considered to have been founded at Jerusalem in 1099. The Order is led by its thirty-seventh Herrenmeister ("Master of the Knights" or Grand Master ), Oskar Prince of Prussia . Each of its knights, about four thousand men worldwide,
1742-470: The Sati Prevention Act , which made it illegal to support, glorify or attempt to commit sati. Support of sati, including coercing or forcing someone to commit sati, can be punished by the death sentence or life imprisonment, while glorifying sati is punishable with one to seven years in prison. The people of Fiji practised widow-strangling. When Fijians adopted Christianity, widow-strangling
1809-581: The St. John Ambulance in many Commonwealth nations , and to various organisations affiliated with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta . All are carried out under the auspices of the Christian faith. Additionally, spiritual retreats and other activities of the Order concentrate on the spiritual formation and development of Christian citizens in the modern world. The cloak of the Order
1876-437: The folklore of Chiloé of southern Chile, widows and black cats are important elements that are needed when hunting for the treasure of the carbunclo . In societies where the husband is the sole provider, his death can leave his family destitute. The tendency for women generally to outlive men can compound this. The Bible has written several commandments about caring for the widow, the prohibition against harming her and
1943-705: The Accord of Heimbach recognized the right of the Bailiwick of Brandenburg to choose its own governor (the Bailiff of Brandenburg, more commonly called the Herrenmeister ) and preceptors (the commanders of the commanderies constituting the Bailiwick). During the Protestant Reformation , large parts of the German Langue of the then-undivided Order of Saint John followed the leadership of
2010-647: The Alliance of the Orders of St. John of Jerusalem on June 13, 1961. Dutch insignia of the Johanniter Orde in Nederland replace Prussian eagles with the Dutch lion . A Swedish commandery of the Order of Saint John had been established by 1185, but laicized in 1530 as a result of the Reformation . Some Swedish noblemen had become knights of the Johanniterorden by the early nineteenth century; by 1920, when King Gustav V placed them under his protection as
2077-644: The Bailiwick in the Chapter General of the Order of Malta in 1776, nominal reunion of the two orders was prevented by the withholding of papal approval. In 1811 and 1812, as protector of the Order, King Frederick William III of Prussia transferred the powers of the Herrenmeister and the Chapter (the governing council of the Order) to the Prussian Crown, effectively dissolving the Bailiwick and confiscating its possessions. In its place he established
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2144-527: The Ermine , founded in France by John V, Duke of Brittany , in 1381, was the first order of chivalry to accept women; however, female knights existed for centuries in many places in the world prior to this. Like their male counterparts, they were distinguished by the flying of coloured banners and generally bore a coat of arms. One woman who participated in tournaments was Joane Agnes Hotot (born 1378), but she
2211-590: The German Langue (one of the "Tongues", the major divisions of the mediaeval Order of Saint John) until, during the Reformation , they associated themselves with the reformed Bailiwick of Brandenburg. Both the Bailiwick of Utrecht and the Commandery of Haarlem were suppressed in 1810, during the Napoleonic occupation. Dutch knights of the Bailiwick of Brandenburg formed their own commandery within
2278-518: The Order but have given it some extraordinary service. Through its Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe ("Saint John Accident Assistance"), its hospitals , nursing homes , hospices , and other institutions, the Order today is a major provider of medical and rescue services in Germany and, to a lesser extent, of comparable services elsewhere in Europe, Africa , and the Americas . These services are similar to
2345-428: The Order is a white- enamelled Maltese cross . The crowned Brandenburg (later, Prussian) eagles between the arms of the crosses date from 1668; they are gold for Knights of Justice, Honorary Commanders, Commanders, and the Herrenmeister , but, on the crosses of Knights of Honour and Honorary Members, the eagles are enamelled black with only the tiny crowns on each eagle's head left unenamelled gold. The closed crown of
2412-410: The Order of the Bath in 1971. The youngest person to be appointed a Dame was sailor Ellen MacArthur at the age of 28. The oldest had been actress Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies at the age of 100, until Olivia de Havilland was appointed two weeks before her 101st birthday. Several high-profile figures have declined the honour , including Vanessa Redgrave , who eventually accepted the honour. The prefix
2479-461: The Roman Catholic Order of Malta . During the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Order created and supported more and more charitable activities. It now owns and operates numerous hospitals, ambulance services, old-age homes, and nurseries and provides first-aid training courses and disaster relief, both within Germany and abroad. After World War II , with the Neumark given by
2546-515: The Swedish state, membership of the Swedish order in practice remains limited to noblemen. Swedish insignia of the Johanniterorden i Sverige replace Prussian eagles with the sheaf of the House of Vasa . Following is a list of the men who have headed the Order, with the title of Herrenmeister , from the beginning of the institution as a subdivision of the Knights Hospitaller. Widow A widow (female) or widower (male)
2613-590: The United States to signify their widowhood and devotion to their deceased husband. After the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856 in India, the status of widowhood for Hindu women was accompanied by a body symbolism - The widow's head was shaved as part of her mourning, she could no longer wear a red dot sindoor on her forehead, was forbidden to wear wedding jewellery, had to keep her bosoms uncovered and
2680-428: The ability to ascend socio-economically, widows—who were "presumably celibate"—were much more able (and likely) to challenge conventional sexual behaviour than married women in their society. It may be necessary for a woman to comply with the social customs of her area because her fiscal stature depends on it, but this custom is also often abused by others as a way to keep money within the deceased spouse's family. It
2747-559: The badges of rank in the Order as German decorations of merit. There are three active classes in the Order: Commander ( Kommendator ), Knight of Justice ( Rechtsritter ), and Knight of Honour ( Ehrenritter ). There are also classes of Honorary Commander ( Ehrenkommendator ), given to Knights of Justice who have rendered distinguished service to the Order, and Honorary Member ( Ehrenmitglieder ), which can be bestowed on men (including non-evangelical Christians) who do not belong to
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2814-427: The countries that have joined CEDAW. In the United States, Social Security offers a Survivor's Benefit to qualified people once for a loss through their 50th birthday after which a second marriage may be considered when applying for benefits. The maximum still remains the same but here the survivor has options between accessing their earned benefits or one of their qualifying late spouses at chosen intervals to maximize
2881-581: The cross of the Herrenmeister , 7 cm The uncrowned cross of a Knight of Honour is 6 cm in diameter. Each cross is worn from a black-moire, 4.5-centimeter-wide ribbon worn about the neck. All members of the Order may also wear a plain, Maltese cross as a star or 'breast badge'. Most such stars are of plain linen, though enamelled stars in either silver or silver gilt, of about 5.5cm in diameter, also are worn in formal evening attire. A white-enamelled Maltese cross in either gold (generally about 1.8 centimeters in diameter) or silver (1.3), may be worn on
2948-576: The death of their husband or wife. This negatively impacts the mental as well as physical well-being in both men and women. In some parts of Europe and Latin America , including Russia , Slovakia , the Czech Republic , Greece , Italy , Portugal , Spain and Mexico , widows used to wear black for the rest of their lives to signify their mourning, a practice that has largely died out. Orthodox Christian immigrants may wear lifelong black in
3015-418: The deceased’s family. Not yet able to have been legally married the term widower was not considered socially acceptable. This situation was usually blessed with an added stigma being attached to the surviving man. As of 2004, women in United States who were widowed younger are at greater economic hardship risk. Married women who are in a financially unstable household are more likely to become widows "because of
3082-529: The destruction of much of the wealth of the Bailiwick. By the terms of the Peace of Westphalia ending the conflict, the Bailiwick was effectively placed under the protection of the Prince Electors of Brandenburg, later Kings of Prussia , members of the House of Hohenzollern . Under this protection, the Johanniterorden , as the Order came to be known, came to be headquartered at Sonnenburg Castle in
3149-462: The difference falls in the burden of care, expectations, and how they react after the spouse's death. For example, women often carry more of an emotional burden than men and are less willing to go through the death of another spouse. After being widowed, men and women may react very differently and frequently change their lifestyles. Women tend to miss their husbands more if they died suddenly; men tend to miss their wives more if they died after suffering
3216-412: The direct oversight of the Bailiwick (though continuing in loose association with it through the Alliance since 1961) in 1946, and two years later, the Bailiwick itself began to admit commoners as knights, because the post-monarchical German nobility was seen as a "frozen caste". The Finnish commandery, however, remains a purely noble society, as do the now independent Swedish and Dutch orders. Although
3283-455: The duty to make her happy during the holidays, for example: "Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns".(Hebrew Bible, Book of Deuteronomy 16:14) In 19th-century Britain, widows had greater opportunity for social mobility than in many other societies. Along with
3350-406: The increased benefits for delaying a filing (i.e. at age 63 claim husband one's reduced benefit, then husband two's full amount at 67 and your own enhanced benefit at 68). In parts of Africa, such as Kenya , widows are viewed as impure and in need of cleansing. This often requires having sex with someone. Those refusing to be cleansed risk getting beaten by superstitious villagers, who may also harm
3417-474: The king of Prussia on the Herrenmeister ' s cross and the crosses of Commanders, Honorary Commanders, Knights of Justice, and Honorary Members dates from the time of Frederick the Great , when his government authorised it to be used on the insignia. Excluding the crown, the cross of a Knight of Justice is 5 cm in diameter; the cross of a Commander, Honorary Commander, or Honorary Member, 5.5 cm; and
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#17327731161633484-573: The knights of the Bailiwick from the order, though he did so without the agreement of the Chapter. Though separated from the Roman Catholic main stem of the Order of Saint John, the Bailiwick of Brandenburg continued to flourish. Admitting only noblemen , principally from the Germanies, the Bailiwick maintained hospitals and other institutions to care for the poor, the sick, and the injured. Elections of successive Herrenmeister (including
3551-488: The left lapel of a knight's suit coat or sportcoat. From the late eighteenth century, the Johanniter have had a uniform similar to the Knights of Malta. Though not abolished, this uniform has not been worn since before the Second World War. In 1946, the Dutch and Swedish commanderies of the Order separated from the direct oversight of the Bailiwick to form distinct, though related, orders. The mediaeval Dutch Bailiwick of Utrecht and Commandery of Haarlem formed parts of
3618-463: The northeastern parts of the Holy Roman Empire , an aggregation of commanderies of the Order under a bailiff , a high officer of the Order. The riches and influence of the Bailiwick (especially after augmentation by properties of the suppressed Order of the Temple ) were so sizeable that, in 1382, the Prior of the German Langue (the eight territorial "Tongues" of the mediaeval Order of Saint John were its major subdivisions) in what became known as
3685-427: The objectives of the order, the military protection and medical aid of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land . In time, these landholdings were gathered into regional administrative divisions known as commanderies, each headed by a senior knight, or knight commander of the Order. The first commandery in the Germanies was founded in the mid-twelfth century. By 1318, the Bailiwick of Brandenburg had been established in
3752-420: The order of merit was in its turn dissolved and King Frederick William IV of Prussia , again exercising the powers of the kings of Prussia as protectors of the Order, restored the original Bailiwick. The eight surviving knights of justice of the original Order were among its first members. In 1853, they elected the younger brother of the Prussian king, Prince Friedrich Karl Alexander , the new Herrenmeister of
3819-419: The restored Order. He announced his election to the head of the Order of Malta, who in acknowledgement recognized this restoration as the continuation of the historic Bailiwick. The Johanniterorden and its branches became fully independent of the Roman Catholic grand master in Rome , although the Herrenmeisters then and since have continuously and explicitly recognized the Order's historical connection with
3886-493: The strong relationship between mortality [of the male head] and wealth [of the household]." In underdeveloped and developing areas of the world, conditions for widows continue to be much more severe. The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (ratified by 135 countries) while slow, is working on proposals which will make certain types of discrimination and treatment of widows (such as violence and withholding property rights) illegal in
3953-417: The victorious Allies to Poland (Sonnenburg has been renamed " Słońsk ", and the castle lies in ruins), the Order moved its headquarters to Bonn , West Germany . After the reunification of West and East Germany, the headquarters were moved again, to Berlin . More than the location of the seat of the Order changed in the aftermath of the Second World War. The Swedish and Dutch commanderies separated from
4020-412: The way men were. Formerly, a knight's wife was given the title of Dame before her name, but this usage was replaced by Lady during the 17th century. The title of Dame as the official equivalent of a knight was introduced in 1917 with the introduction of the Order of the British Empire, and was subsequently extended to the Royal Victorian Order in 1936, the Order of St Michael and St George, and finally
4087-474: The woman and her late husband's children. It is argued that this notion arose from the idea that if a husband dies, the woman may have performed witchcraft against him. Use of widows in harem has been recorded in Ancient Egypt , medieval Europe, and Islamic empires. Sati was a practice in South Asia where a woman would immolate herself upon her husband's death. These practices were outlawed in 1827 in British India and again in 1987 in independent India by
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#17327731161634154-418: The word widowerhood is also listed in some dictionaries. An archaic term for a widow is " relict ", literally "someone left over"; this word can sometimes be found on older gravestones . Occasionally, the word viduity is used. The phenomenon that refers to the increased mortality rate after the death of a spouse is called the widowhood effect . It is "strongest during the first three months after
4221-553: Was abandoned. Those likely to be accused and killed as witches , such as in Papua New Guinea , are often widows. Widow inheritance (also known as bride inheritance) is a cultural and social practice whereby a widow is required to marry a male relative of her late husband, often his brother. The Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856 , enacted in response to the campaign of the reformer Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar , to encourage widow remarriage and provided legal safeguards against loss of certain forms of inheritance for remarrying
4288-441: Was expected to walk barefoot. These customs are mostly considered backward but still prevalent among Hindus. In some parts of South Asia , a woman is often accused of causing her husband's death and is not allowed to look at another person as her gaze is considered bad luck. Some Nigerians prefer a widow to drink the water her dead husband's body was washed in, or otherwise sleep next to her husband's grave for three days. In
4355-545: Was not the only one. Additionally, women adopted certain forms of regalia which became closely associated with the status of knighthood. Unlike the male knights , it was virtually unimaginable to see women taking part in medieval battles or commanding battalions of soldiers, but there were exceptions. Joan of Arc is the most famous; another case was the Welsh princess Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd . Some wore armour, others commanded troops, and some were members of an official order of chivalry. One woman to wear full armour into battle
4422-444: Was reportedly "a title of honour which long distinguished high-born ladies from the wives of citizens and the commonalty in general" and a title of respect for a widow . Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg) The Bailiwick of Brandenburg of the Chivalric Order of Saint John of the Hospital at Jerusalem ( German : Balley Brandenburg des Ritterlichen Ordens Sankt Johannis vom Spital zu Jerusalem ), commonly known as
4489-470: Was the Duchess Gaita of Lombardy (also called Sikelgaita), who rode beside her Norman mercenary husband, Robert Guiscard . She was a knight in her own right. Another was Petronilla de Grandmesnil, Countess of Leicester ; wearing a mail hauberk with a sword and a shield, she defended her lands from Henry II of England. She and her husband participated in the rebellion in 1173 against King Henry II . However, this does not mean that they were officially knighted
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