Orders, Decorations and Medals

Sixteen: Sidney John Miller, Page of the Presence to His Majesty King George VI, late Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and onetime Cowboy in Canada

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901 (7638 Pte., Rl. Warwick. Regt.); The Royal Victorian Medal, G.VI.R., Silver, 1st issue; Coronation 1902, bronze; Coronation 1911; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Royal Household Faithful Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue, suspension dated ‘1902-1923’, with scroll bar ‘Thirty Years’ (J. Miller) suspension bar a little bent as a result of mounting; France, Medal of Honour, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, silver; Italy, Royal Service Medal, Victor Emanuele III, gold; Russia, Medal of Zeal, Nicholas II, silver, worn on the ribbon of St Anne; Belgium, Royal Household Medal, Albert I, silver; Norway, Haakon VII Coronation Medal 1906, bronze; Greece, Royal Household Medal, George I, silver; Rumania, Faithful Service Cross, bronze; Yugoslavia, Faithful Service Medal, Alexander I, gilt; Greece, Medal of the Order of George I, gilt, mounted court style as worn, generally very fine or better and an exceptional group (16) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Royal Household Awards.

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Sidney John Miller served with the 6th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, in South Africa form December 1899 to June 1901. His Q.S.A. was presented to him by King Edward VII at a special investiture on 29 July 1901. Miller entered Royal service in 1902 as a Brusher to the Prince of Wales but decided, early in 1910, that he would quit Royal service to try his hand at ranching in Canada, in partnership with a friend. The Prince was very reluctant to lose him and made Miller promise that he would return if things did not work out. In the event he left in January 1910 but was back in England the following July. During his absence Edward VII had died and the Prince was now King. Miller was taken back into Royal service from 1 August 1910 as Second Valet to His Majesty. If his service had been continuous he would have received his Faithful Service Medal in July 1922, but as he had been out of service between January and August 1910, he received his medal in January 1923, hence the unusual dating on his suspension which would normally reflect twenty years service. Miller received the Royal Victorian Medal on 8 June 1939 as Page of the Presence to King George VI.