This order did not follow the same rules as the Royal Family Orders that we see today, which aren't really orders at all, simply badges/brooches on ribbons.
The Order of Victoria and Albert was an official instituted Order, that began in 1862, and although it has never been officially abolished, Queen Elizabeth is still the sovereign of the Order, but no appointments have been made since Queen Victoria's death.
The order was only ever awarded to females, and it had Four Classes. The recipients were:
FIRST CLASS British Royal Family - HI&RM The German Empress (formerly The Princess Royal) - HRH Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (formerly The Princess Helena) - HRH The Princess of Wales (formerly Princess Alexandra of Denmark) - HRH The Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne - HRH The Princess Beatrice (later Princess Henry of Battenberg) - HI&RH The Duchess of Edinburgh (née Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia) - HRH The Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn (née Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia) - HRH The Duchess of Albany (née Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont) - HRH Princess Louise of Wales (later Duchess of Fife) - HRH Princess Victoria of Wales - HRH Princess Maud of Wales - HRH The Duchess of York (née Princess Mary of Teck)
Foreign - HM The Queen of Denmark (Louise) - HM The Queen of Hanover - HM The Queen of the Belgians (Marie Henriette) (on the occasion of the Silver wedding of the King and Queen) - HGDH Princess Louis of Battenberg (Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine) - HM The Queen Regent of Spain (Maria Christina) - HRH The Grand Duchess of Baden - HI&RM The German Empress - HM The Queen of Romania (Elisabeta) - HIM The Empress of Russia - HM The Queen of the Netherlands
SECOND CLASS British Royal Family - HRH Princess Marie of Edinburgh (Princess Ferdinand of Romania) - HRH Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh - HRH Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh - HRH Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh - HRH Princess Margaret of Connaught - HRH Princess Alice of Albany
Foreign - HIH Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia (formerly Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine) - HRH The Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meinigen (formerly Princess Charlotte of Prussia) - HRH Princess Henry of Prussia (formerly Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine) - HRH Princess Adolphe of Schaumburg-Lippe (formerly Princess Viktoria of Prussia) - HGDH The Princess of Leiningen - HH Princess Aribert of Anhalt (formerly Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein) - HRH The Crown Princess of Greece (formerly Princess Sophie of Prussia) - HRH Princess Frederick Charles of Hesse (formerly Princess Margaret of Prussia - HH Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein - HH Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg (later Queen of Spain)
Household - The Countess of Mount Edgcumbe (Lady of the Bedchamber)[2] - The Lady Churchill (Lady of the Bedchamber)[3]
THIRD CLASS - The Dowager Duchess of Wellington - The Dowager Lady Churchill - The Dowager Duchess of Roxburghe - The Lady Waterpark - The Dowager Duchess of Atholl - The Viscountess Clifden - The Dowager Countess of Mayo - The Dowager Countess of Erroll - The Lady Abercromby - The Lady Portman - Caroline Augusta, The Countess of Mount-Edgcumbe - Frances, Countess of Gainsborough - The Dowager Lady Southampton - The Dowager Duchess of Buccleuch - The Viscountess Jocelyn - Albertha, Duchess of Marlborough The Dowager Duchess of Bedford - The Dowager Duchess of Abercorn - The Duchess of Roxburghe - The Countess Spencer - The Duchess of Buccleuch & Queensberry - The Lady Ampthill - The Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava - Viscountess Downe - The Countess of Antrim - The Marchioness of Salisbury - The Marchioness of Lansdowne - The Countess of Lytton - Viscountess Chewton - The Countess Cadogan
FOURTH CLASS - Hon Lady Hamilton-Gordon - Edith Codrington, Lady Codrington - Adelaide Biddulph, Baroness Biddulph - Lady Elizabeth Phillipa Biddulph - Hon Flora C.I. Macdonald - Hon Mrs. Ferguson - Hon Horatia C. F. Stopford - Hon Emily Sarah Cathcart - Lady Cust - Hon Mrs Magdalen Wellesley - Hon Lady Ponsonby - Hon Ina Erskine McNeill (Duchess of Argyll) - Lady Geraldine Somerset - Hon Harriet Lepel Phipps - Hon Caroline Fanny Cavendish - Mrs. Georgina Townshend Wilson - Lady Cowell - Hon Mrs. Mallett - Hon. Mrs. Grant - Hon. Ethel H. M. Cadogan - Mrs. Helen Haughton
Interestingly this seems to be one of few orders that can be worn both on the shoulder as a brooch with the ribbon underneath, but was also worn, on occasion on a ribband/sash across the body. As seen here being worn by HRH The Duchess of Connaught
on February 12, 2012, 6:35 pm, in reply to "
