from the start, the order has been open to women, florence nightingale being the first woman to receive the honour, in 1907. several people have not taken the honour, such as rudyard kipling, a. e. housman, and george bernard shaw. to date, prince philip, duke of edinburgh, remains the youngest person ever inducted into the order of merit, having been admitted by queen elizabeth ii in 1968, when he was 47 years of age.