Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The C.V.O., O.B.E. group of four attributed to Mr. F. E. Raikes, Senior King’s Foreign Messenger

The Royal Victorian Order, C.V.O., Commander’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, the reverse officially numbered ‘C660’; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Civil) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, hallmarked London 1917; Coronation 1902, silver; Coronation 1911, silver; together with mounted group of miniatures of the first four and a King’s Messenger badge, E.VII.R., silver-gilt and enamels, lacking pendant silver greyhound, very fine or better (9) £600-£800

C.V.O., London Gazette 31 December 1921: ‘Francis Edward Raikes, Esq., M.V.O., O.B.E.’

M.V.O. 4th Class, London Gazette 12 February 1917: ‘King’s Foreign Service Messenger.’

O.B.E. London Gazette 7 January 1918: ‘For services in connection with the War:- Francis Edward Raikes, Esq., Senior King’s Foreign Messenger.’

Francis Edward Raikes was born on 7 June 1870, 2nd son of the Right Hon. Henry Cecil Raikes. Educated at Haileybury, he held a commission in the 3rd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, 1888-91. He was Private Secretary to his father, the Postmaster General, 1890-91, and was appointed a Queen’s Foreign Service Messenger in 1892, rising to become Senior King’s Foreign Service Messenger under King George V. He resigned due to ill-health in 1921, and died at Datchet on 11 September 1922. The following obituary was published in a local newspaper:

‘It is with much regret that we have to report the death of Mr. F. E. Raikes, C.V.O., O.B.E., of Moy Lodge, Datchet, which took place there on Monday last. Second son of the late Right Hon. H. C. Raikes, formerly the Postmaster General, he was educated at Haileybury, and subsequently acted as Private Secretary to his father in his official capacity. In 1902 (sic) he became a Queen’s Foreign Service Messenger, and continued in the Messenger Service for twenty-eight years. Mr. Raikes was in Petrograd at the time of the revolution in 1916, and reached home after an arduous journey suffering from congestion of the lungs. From that time his health began to fail, but he carried on his duties as Senior Messenger, with very little rest till he was compelled to retire in 1920. He came to live in Datchet in 1905, and in 1906 married Miss Iris Veronica Sopwith, daughter of Mr. Thomas Sopwith, and sister of the well-known airman Mr. T. Sopwith.’