Honours
Cassel's friendship with the King and achievements in international finance earned him many British and foreign honours. Contemporary society gossip suggested that he demanded these as a return for his services. In 1899, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG). In 1901, he was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO). In 1902, he was made a Privy Counsellor. In 1905, he was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) and, in 1906, he was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). In 1909, he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB).
Awards received in thanks for services to foreign governments included Commander, first class, of the Royal Order of Vasa in 1900 from Sweden, the Grand Cordon of the Imperial Ottoman Order of Osmanieh in 1903, Commander of the Légion d'honneur in 1906 from France, the Order of the Crown, first class, in 1908 from Germany, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star in 1909 from Sweden, the Order of the Rising Sun, first class, in 1911 from Japan and the Order of the Red Eagle, first class with brilliants in 1913 from Germany.
Cassel died at Brook House, Park Lane, London. He and his wife are buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, London, in a large grave in front of the Anglican All Souls' Chapel.
A few months after his death, Cassel's estate was probated at £6,000,000 (equivalent to £197 million today).. However, in terms of gold (Britain being on the gold standard at the time of death), £6,000,000 is equivalent to 1.41 million troy ounces of gold, worth £1,500 million in 2012 (£1 = 1 Sovereign = 0.2354 tr.oz.).
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Famous quotes containing the word honours:
“If a novel reveals true and vivid relationships, it is a moral work, no matter what the relationships consist in. If the novelist honours the relationship in itself, it will be a great novel.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“Come hither, all ye empty things,
Ye bubbles rais’d by breath of Kings;
Who float upon the tide of state,
Come hither, and behold your fate.
Let pride be taught by this rebuke,
How very mean a thing’s a Duke;
From all his ill-got honours flung,
Turn’d to that dirt from whence he sprung.”
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)
“Vain men delight in telling what Honours have been done them, what great Company they have kept, and the like; by which they plainly confess, that these Honours were more than their Due, and such as their Friends would not believe if they had not been told: Whereas a Man truly proud, thinks the greatest Honours below his Merit, and consequently scorns to boast. I therefore deliver it as a Maxim that whoever desires the Character of a proud Man, ought to conceal his Vanity.”
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)