history

Q&A with Christopher McCreery, author of On Her Majesty’s Service

Tell us about your book.
On Her Majesty’s Service examines the Queen’s personal honurs that are awarded to Canada, namely the Royal Victorian Order. The RVO is one of Canada’s five national honours, although it differs from the Order of Canada and other honours in that it bestowed personally by The Queen for services rendered to her, the Governor General or Lieutenant Governors. I have also included a chapter on the Vice-Regal recognition badge, which is worn by Lieutenant Governors, and a chapter on the Vice-Regal Commendation.

How did you come up with the idea for this work?
Very little has been written on Canadian honours, and although the Royal Victorian Order is one of the most sparingly awarded honours it is one of the most interesting. Having written a book on the Order of Canada and another on Canadian Honours in general I thought it would be a useful reference work for people to have a book dedicated to the Royal Victorian Order and those who have received it.

How did you come up with the title?
Although the title sounds like that 1967 James Bond movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” I didn’t really get it from the movie! It comes from the fact that those awarded the Royal Victorian Order are recognized for their specific services to the Crown, thus they are literally “On Her Majesty’s Service.”

Did you have a specific readership in mind when you wrote your book?
I wrote the book not only for those who are interested in honours, but for those who are interested in the role of our Head of State, the history of honours, symbols and recognition in Canada. The book is written in such a way it is suitable for those who don’t really know much about honours or medals at all.

How did you research your book?
Much of my research was undertaken at the National Archives in Ottawa and some additional research in the UK, along with a variety of interviews.

Describe your ideal writing environment.
My cottage in the summer or fall is the ideal writing environment. Sleep in and stay up until 4 or 5am in the morning writing away.

What was your first publication?
The Canadian Honours System, which was published by Dundurn in 2005.

What is your next project?
I am presently working on two projects. The first is a history of the evolution of the function and role of the Queen/Governor General, the second is a book about all the maces, chains of office and badges of office used throughout Canada.

© 2009 Defining Canada.