History of the Grand Priory of Great Britain

 

The Grand Priory of Great Britain is not only interesting, but important to the history of many nations around the world. The Grand Priory of Great Britain began as the Priory of Great Britain, when it was created such in 1980 by President of Poland in exile Juliusz Nowina Sokolnicki. Here sat the exiled, yet legitimate Government of Poland under the invasion and rule of the Soviet Socialist Republic, where Polish values and Royal history were preserved and enjoyed whilst Poland was plunged into the red days of soviet socialist rule. The Priory of Great Britain became home not only to the President in Exile, but the Order of St. Stanislas which can trace its lineage back to His Majesty, King Stanislas. Great Britain has and continues to play a great role in the preservation of Polish history such as seen and experienced with the Order of St. Stanislas. 

 

Colchester, Essex was the seat of the President in Exile, which subsequently became the seat of the Order of St. Stanislas. As Poland was no longer hospitable to the values and statues of which the Oder was built upon, Juliusz Nowina Sokolnicki was able to freely build, support and advertise the principles and core values of the Order of St. Stanislas which promotes democracy, personal rights and freedoms and the care of the sick and less fortunate. The order is a worldwide organisation with Delegations, Priories and Grand Priories operating throughout the world. Nations such as.....

Though the order is international in its composition, it was regulated and administered by the Grand Master from its seat of authority in Colchester, Essex, England. 

 

Essex - Home to the first priory and group of members of this chivalric order in Britain, to which the order was expanded and exported to America, Canada sdhksfjgkdfght. The Priory of Great Britain grew in stature, grew in importance, and grew in influence throughout the world, leading to a large membership whose administration sat in Colchester and influenced the world. 

 

1985 - The Order of Saint Stanislas was reformed by the President in Exile, Julius Nowina Sokolnicki , the VIIIth Grand Master of the Order.

 

2008 - Dame Commander Mervyn Redding was made  Grand Prior of the Grand Priory of Great Britain in April of 2008 by President in Exile Sokolnicki. Upon this promotion Dame Commander Mervyn Redding was given the title of Dame Grand Cross within the Order. 

 

2009 - Saw the demise of the Grand Master, President Sokolnicki. 2009 was a very difficult year not only for the Grand Priory of Great Britain, but the Order in whole. With the loss of the Grand Master and a direct tie to Poland, the Order's seat of administration was in question. Though  times were trying, the Priory of Great Britain prevailed, eventually being made The Priory of Great Britain in 2009 by The Regent, Tomas Lorant. 

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2011 - Dame Commander Mervyn Redding was created Her Excellency, Dame Mervyn Redding Grand Cross with Collar (GCC)

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2017- His. Excellency Chev: Lawrence Day was appointed Grand Prior of Great Britain, Malta and Gibraltar, upon the retirement of Dame Mervyn Redding, who later was to leave the Order. The Order in the UK later became known as The Grand Priory of Great Britain and Associated Territories the title it currently holds today.

 

 

Turbulent transitions  April 2011 to current day 

 

In April of 2011, Dame Commander Mervyn Redding was created Her Excellency, Dame Mervyn Redding Grand Cross with Collar (GCC) upon the installation of Count Waldemar Wilk, to which he was installed as the 10th Grand Master of the Order of St. Stanislas: His Serene Highness, Prince Grand Master Waldemar Wilk, GCCSt. In November 2019 under the direction of the new Grand Prior for Great Britain and Associated Territories His Excellency Lawrence J Day Grand Cross with Collar the Xth Grand Master was removed from Office by vote at the General Assembly and The Regent, Tomas Lorant assumed control of The Order. The Office of Grand Master remains vacant. 

 

Today the Grand Priory of Great Britain may no longer houses the President of Poland in Exile or be the seat of the central administration of the Order, but it still retains its important links to this magnificent world wide chivalric order. The Grand Priory remains the honoured home of the Order during times of Poland's Soviet troubles and is where the funeral and cremation for President Juliusz Nowina Sokolnicki took place.  After the cremation, members of the Grand Priory of Great Britain accompanied the Grand Prior to return the remains of President Juliusz Nowina Sokolnicki to Poland, where a State Funeral took place for the internment of Poland's last President in Exile. 

 

The order within the Grand Priory is a full functioning organisation which is currently recruiting new members and continuously extending its charitable practices to help those throughout the nation. The Priory and Grand Priory has collected and raised funds for several different purposes over the years, such as for orphanages in Poland, the British Armed Forces, Military retirement homes (Star and Garter) and other general charitable purposes. 

 

President Juliusz Nowina Sokolnicki is a direct descendant of His Majesty, King Stanislas and reformed the order as Grand Master on the 15th of September 1990. 

 

Subsequent to the reformation of the order, President Juliusz Nowina Sokolnicki issued an amendment to the Constitution of the order on the 11th of November 1984, to change the name from the Sovereign Order to The Order of Saint Stanislas, therefore omitting the word Sovereign to reflect the separation of Royal Orders from the newly founded Polish State Orders.