Order of the Garter

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Most Noble Order of the Garter
Arms of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.svg
Badge of the Order of the Garter:
The attributed arms of Saint George circumscribed by the Garter
Awarded by
the Monarch of the United Kingdom
Type Dynastic order
Established1348;676 years ago (1348)
Motto Honi soit qui mal y pense
(Anglo-Norman for 'Shame on him who thinks evil of it') [1]
CriteriaAt the monarch's pleasure
StatusCurrently constituted
Founder Edward III
Sovereign Charles III
Chancellor Eliza Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller
PrelateThe Bishop of Winchester (ex officio)
Classes
  • Royal Knight/Lady (Companion)
  • Stranger Knight/Lady Companion
  • Knight/Lady Companion
  • (all abbreviated as KG/LG)
Statistics
First induction1348
Total inductees
Tally: 1,032
Precedence
Next (higher) George Cross
Next (lower) Order of the Thistle
Order of the Garter UK ribbon.svg
Ribbon of the Order of the Garter

Badge of the Order embroidered onto the left shoulder of a Knight's blue velvet mantle KG badge.jpg
Badge of the Order embroidered onto the left shoulder of a Knight's blue velvet mantle
Henry of Grosmont, Earl (later Duke) of Lancaster (d. 1361), the second appointee of the Order, shown wearing a tabard displaying the royal arms of England over which is his blue mantle or garter robe. Illuminated miniature from the Bruges Garter Book c. 1430 by William Bruges, first Garter King of Arms Portrait of Henry, Duke of Lancaster - William Bruges's Garter Book (c.1440-1450), f.8 - BL Stowe MS 594 (cropped).jpg
Henry of Grosmont, Earl (later Duke) of Lancaster (d. 1361), the second appointee of the Order, shown wearing a tabard displaying the royal arms of England over which is his blue mantle or garter robe. Illuminated miniature from the Bruges Garter Book c. 1430 by William Bruges, first Garter King of Arms

The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, it is outranked in precedence only by the decorations of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross. The Order of the Garter is dedicated to the image and arms of Saint George, England's patron saint.

Contents

Appointments are at the Sovereign's sole discretion, typically made in recognition of national contribution, service to the Crown, or for distinguished personal service to the Monarch. [2] Membership of the order is limited to the sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and no more than 24 living members, or Companions. The order also includes Supernumerary Knights and Ladies (e.g., members of the British royal family and foreign monarchs).

The order's emblem is a garter circlet with the motto Honi soit qui mal y pense (Anglo-Norman for 'Shame on him who thinks evil of it') in gold script. [3] Members of the order wear it on ceremonial occasions.

History

King Edward III founded the Order of the Garter around the time of his claim to the French throne. [1] The traditional year of foundation is usually given as 1348 (when it was formally proclaimed). However, The Complete Peerage , under "The Founders of the Order of the Garter", states the order was first instituted on 23 April 1344, listing each founding member as knighted in 1344. The list includes Sir Sanchet D'Abrichecourt, of whom the latest notice (according to the book) is 20 October 1345. [4] Other dates from 1344 to 1351 have also been proposed. The King's wardrobe account shows Garter habits first issued in the autumn of 1348. Also, its original statutes required that each member of the Order already be a knight (what would now be referred to as a knight bachelor) and some of the initial members listed were only knighted that year. [5] Its foundation is likely to have been inspired by the Castilian Order of the Band, established in about 1330. [6]

List of Founder Knights

At the time of its foundation, the Order consisted of King Edward III, together with 25 Founder Knights, listed in ascending order of stall number in St George's Chapel: [7]

They are all depicted by individual portraits in the Bruges Garter Book compiled c. 1431, and now in the British Library.

Legendary origins

Statutes of the Order of the Garter, this copy having once belonged to Emperor Alexander III of Russia Statutes of the Order of the Garter (Alexander III of Russia).jpg
Statutes of the Order of the Garter, this copy having once belonged to Emperor Alexander III of Russia

Various legends account for the origin of the Order. The most popular involves the "Countess of Salisbury", whose garter is said to have slipped from her leg while she was dancing at a court ball at Calais. When the surrounding courtiers snickered, the King picked it up and returned it to her, exclaiming, "Honi soit qui mal y pense!" ('Shame on him who thinks ill of it!'), which phrase has become the Order's motto. [1] [8] However, the earliest written version of this story dates from the 1460s, and it seems to have been conceived as a retrospective explanation for the adoption of what was then seen as an item of female underclothing as the symbol of a band of knights. In fact, at the time of the Order's establishment in the mid-14th century, garters were predominantly an item of male attire. [9]

According to another legend, King Richard I was inspired in the 12th century by St George the Martyr while fighting in the Crusades to tie garters around the legs of his knights, who subsequently won the battle. King Edward supposedly recalled the event in the 14th century when he founded the Order. [5] This story is recounted in a letter to the Annual Register in 1774: [10]

In Rastel's Chronicle, I. vi. under the life of Edward III is the following curious passage: "About the 19 yere [ sic ] of this kinge, he made a solempne feest at Wyndesore, and a greate justes and turnament, where he devysed, and perfyted substanegally, [a] the order of the knyghtes of the garter; howe be it some afferme that this order began fyrst by kynge Rycharde, Cure de Lyon, at the sege of the citye of Acres; where, in his great necessyte, there were but 26 knyghtes that fyrmely and surely abode by the kynge; where he caused all them to were thonges of blew leyther about theyr legges. And afterwarde they were called the knyghtes of the blew thonge." I am obliged for this passage to John Fenn, Esq; a curious and ingenious gentleman of East-Dereham, in Norfolk, who is in possession of the most rare book whence it is taken. Hence some affirm, that the origin of the garter is to be dated from Richard I* and that it owes its pomp and splendor to Edward III.

*Winstanley, in his Life of Edward III says that the original book of the institution deduces the invention from King Richard the First.

The motto in fact refers to Edward's claim to the French throne, and the Order of the Garter was created to help pursue this claim. [11] The use of the garter as an emblem may have derived from straps used to fasten armour, and may have been chosen because it held overtones of a tight-knit "band" or "bond" of knightly "supporters" of Edward's cause. [1] [12]

There is a connection between the Order of the Garter and the Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (late 14th century). The motto is inscribed, as hony soyt qui mal pence, at the end of the text in the sole surviving manuscript in the British Library, albeit in a later hand. [13] In the poem, a girdle, very similar in its erotic undertones to the garter, plays a prominent role. A rough equivalent of the Order's motto has been identified in Gawain's exclamation corsed worth cowarddyse and couetyse boþe ('cursed be both cowardice and coveting', v. 2374). [14] While the author of that poem remains disputed, there seems to be a connection between two of the top candidates and the Order of the Garter, John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and Enguerrand de Coucy, seventh Sire de Coucy. De Coucy was married to King Edward III's daughter, Isabella, and was given admittance to the Order of the Garter on their wedding day." [15]

Ladies of the Garter

Soon after the founding of the Order, women were appointed "Ladies of the Garter", but some historians argue that they were not appointed Companions, as they were not Knights. Queen Philippa was the first Lady to be appointed in 1358. King Henry VII discontinued the practice in 1488; his mother, Margaret Beaufort, was the last Lady of the Garter before Queen Alexandra.

Except for female sovereigns, the next Lady of the Garter named was Queen Alexandra, by her husband King Edward VII. King George V also made his consort, Queen Mary, a Lady of the Garter and King George VI subsequently did the same for his wife, Queen Elizabeth, and his daughter Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II). Throughout the 20th century, women continued to be associated with the Order, but save for foreign female monarchs, they were not made Companions. [16]

In 1987, by a statute of Queen Elizabeth II, the installation of "Ladies Companion of the Garter" became possible. [17]

In 2022, Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos, became the first Black Lady Companion of the Order since its foundation. [18] Eliza Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller, became the first Lady Companion to be appointed chancellor of the Order, on 18 June 2024. [19]

Composition

Knights Companion processing to St George's Chapel for the Garter Service Knights Companion of the Garter.JPG
Knights Companion processing to St George's Chapel for the Garter Service

Members

Membership in the Order is strictly limited and includes the Monarch, the Prince of Wales, not more than 24 Companion members, and various supernumerary members. The monarch alone decides who is appointed. [20] The monarch is known as the Sovereign of the Garter, and the Prince of Wales is known as a Royal Knight Companion of the Garter. [21]

Male members of the Order are titled "Knights Companion" and female members are called "Ladies Companion". Formerly, the sovereign filled vacancies upon the nomination of the members. Each member would nominate nine candidates, of whom three had to have the rank of earl or higher, three the rank of baron or higher, and three the rank of knight or higher. The sovereign would choose as many nominees as were necessary to fill any vacancies in the order. They were not obliged to choose those who received the most nominations. Candidates were last nominated in 1860, and appointments have since been made by the sovereign acting alone, with no prior nominations. The statutes prescribing the former procedure were not amended, however, until 1953. [22]

From the 18th century, the sovereign made their choices on the advice of the government. In 1946, with the agreement of Prime Minister Clement Attlee and Opposition Leader Winston Churchill, membership of Great Britain's highest ranking orders of chivalry (the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle and the dormant Order of St Patrick) became a personal gift of the Sovereign once again. [16] Thus, the sovereign personally selects Knights and Ladies Companion of the Garter, without political influence. [23] Appointments are typically announced on Saint George's Day (23 April). [16]

Supernumerary members

Emperor Taisho, after the 1902 Anglo-Japanese Alliance, in his Garter robes Emperor Taisho the Order of the Garter.jpg
Emperor Taishō, after the 1902 Anglo-Japanese Alliance, in his Garter robes

The Order includes supernumerary members, whose number do not count towards the limit of 24 companions. Several supernumerary members, known as "Royal Knights and Ladies of the Garter", belong to the royal family. These titles were introduced in 1786 by King George III so that his many sons would not curtail the number of non-royal companions. He created the statute of supernumerary members in 1805 so that any descendant of King George II could be installed as such a member. In 1831, this statute was extended again to include all descendants of King George I. [5]

With the installation of Emperor Alexander I of Russia in 1813, supernumerary membership was extended to foreign monarchs, who are known as "Stranger Knights and Ladies of the Garter". [24] Each such installation originally required the enactment of a statute; however, a 1954 statute authorises the regular admission of Stranger Knights or Ladies without further special enactments. [24]

Degradation of members

The sovereign may "degrade" members who have taken up arms against the Crown. From the late 15th century, there was a formal ceremony of degradation, in which Garter King of Arms, accompanied by the rest of the Heralds, processed to St George's Chapel. While the Garter King read aloud the Instrument of Degradation, a Herald climbed up a ladder and removed the former Knight's banner, crest, helm, and sword, throwing them down into the quire. Then the rest of the Heralds kicked them down the length of the chapel, out of the doors, and into the castle ditch. The last such formal degradation was that of James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, in 1716. [25]

During the First World War, two Royal Knights and six Stranger Knights, all monarchs or princes of enemy nations and including Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, were struck off the roll of the order, their appointments being annulled in 1915. [24] The banner of King Victor Emmanuel III was removed from the chapel after Italy entered World War II against the United Kingdom and its allies in 1940. [26] The banner of Emperor Hirohito was removed from St George's Chapel when Japan entered World War II in 1941, but that banner and his knighthood were restored by Elizabeth II in 1971, when Hirohito made a state visit to the United Kingdom. The Emperor was particularly pleased by the restoration to the Garter. [27]

Officers

Officers of the Order of the Garter (left to right): Secretary (barely visible), Black Rod, Garter Principal King of Arms, Register, Prelate, Chancellor Officers of the Order of the Garter.JPG
Officers of the Order of the Garter (left to right): Secretary (barely visible), Black Rod, Garter Principal King of Arms, Register, Prelate, Chancellor

The Order has six officers: the Prelate, the Chancellor, the Register, the Garter Principal King of Arms, the Usher, and the Secretary. [28] The offices of Prelate, Register, and Usher were created on the order's establishment; those of Garter Principal King of Arms and Chancellor, in the 15th century; and that of Secretary, in the 20th century. [29]

William of Edington, Bishop of Winchester, was the first Prelate of the Order, and that office has since been held by his successors at Winchester, traditionally a senior bishopric of the Church of England. [30]

The office of Chancellor is now held by one of the companions of the order. For most of its existence, the Bishop of Salisbury has held the office, although laymen held it from 1553 to 1671. In 1837, after boundary changes made Windsor Castle fall in the diocese of Oxford, the Chancellorship was transferred to the Bishop of Oxford. A century later, the Bishop of Salisbury challenged this transfer, on the grounds that the Chancellorship had been attached to his office regardless of the diocese in which the chapel of the order lay; and that, in any event, St George's Chapel, as a Royal Peculiar, was not under diocesan jurisdiction. The office of Chancellor was removed from the Bishop of Oxford (the outgoing bishop, Thomas Strong, had been outspoken in the Edward VIII abdication crisis), and so it was withheld from his successor, Kenneth Kirk, and has since been held by one of the Knights and Ladies Companion. [31]

The office of Register has been held by the Dean of Windsor since 1558. [32] The Garter Principal King of Arms is ex officio the senior officer of the College of Arms (the heraldic authority of England), and is usually appointed from among the other officers of arms at the College. [33] As the title suggests, Garter Principal King of Arms has specific duties as the Order's officer of arms, attending to the companions' coats of arms and banners of arms, which are exhibited in the chapel. The Secretary, who acts as deputy to Garter in the ceremonial aspects of the Order, has since 1952 typically also been selected from the other officers of the College of Arms. [34] The office of Usher is held by the Usher of the Black Rod, who is also the Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Lords. [35]

Military Knights of Windsor

Military Knights of Windsor in the procession to the Garter Service Military Knights of Windsor.JPG
Military Knights of Windsor in the procession to the Garter Service

At the founding of the Order of the Garter, 26 "poor knights" were appointed and attached to the Order and its chapel. This number was not always maintained, and by the 17th century, there were only thirteen such knights. King Charles II increased the number to 18 (in large part because of funds allocated from Sir Francis Crane's will) after his coronation in 1660. After the knights objected to being termed "poor", King William IV redesignated them in the 19th century as the Military Knights of Windsor. [37]

The poor knights were impoverished military veterans, required to pray daily for the Knights Companion. In return, they received a salary and lodging in Windsor Castle. The knights are no longer necessarily poor, but are still military pensioners. They participate in the Order's processions, escorting the members, and in the chapel services. However, they are not considered members of the Order. [37]

The poor knights originally wore red mantles, each of which bore St George's Cross, but did not depict the Garter. Queen Elizabeth I replaced the mantles in the 16th and 17th centuries with blue and purple gowns, but the red mantles returned in the 17th century under King Charles I. When the knights were renamed, the mantles were abandoned. The military knights now wear the old military uniform of an "army officer on the unattached list": black trousers with red stripe, a red double-breasted swallow-tailed coat, gold epaulets and brushes, a cocked hat with a plume, and a sword on a white baldric. [38]

Robes and insignia

King Charles III and Queen Camilla wearing their insignia on Garter Day in 2024. King Charles III and Queen Camilla Garter Day 2024.jpg
King Charles III and Queen Camilla wearing their insignia on Garter Day in 2024.

Members

Order's ceremonial occasions

For the Order's ceremonial occasions, such as the annual Garter Day, the members wear elaborate vestments and accoutrements, which include:

  • The mantle is a vestment or robe worn by members since the 15th century. Once made of wool, by the 16th century it was made of velvet. The mantle was originally purple, but varied during the 17th and 18th centuries between celestial blue, pale blue, royal blue, dark blue, violet, and ultramarine. Mantles are now dark blue and lined with white taffeta. The mantles of the Sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and Royal Knights and Ladies end in trains. The heraldic shield of St George's Cross encircled by the Garter is sewn onto the left shoulder of the mantle, but the Sovereign's mantle instead has the star of the Order. Attached to the mantle over the right shoulder are a dark red velvet hood and surcoat, which have lost all function over time and appear to the modern observer simply as a splash of colour. [38]
  • The hat is a Tudor bonnet of black velvet with a plume of white ostrich and black heron feathers. [38]
  • The collar is worn around the neck, over the mantle and is secured with white ribbons tied in bows on the shoulders. Like the mantle, it was introduced in the 15th and 16th centuries. Made of pure gold, it weighs 30 troy ounces (0.933 kg). The collar is composed of gold heraldic knots alternating with enamelled medallions, each showing a rose encircled by the Garter. During the reign of Henry VII (1485–1509), commencing at the termination of the Wars of the Roses, each garter surrounded two roses – one red for the House of Lancaster and one white for the House of York – but he changed the design to encircle the Tudor rose [38] alone, a combination of both forms. [b] Today one of the most visible representations of the collar forms part of the monarch's heraldic achievement on the gates of Buckingham Palace. [c]
  • The Great George, which is worn suspended from the collar, is a colourfully enamelled (sometimes jewelled) three-dimensional figure of St George the Martyr on horseback slaying a dragon. [38]
The insignia of a knight/lady companion of the Order of the Garter Hosenbandorden.jpg
The insignia of a knight/lady companion of the Order of the Garter
  • The Garter is worn on ceremonial occasions around the left calf [d] by knights and around the left arm by ladies, and is depicted on several insignia. The Garter is a buckled dark-blue (originally light-blue) velvet strap, and bears the motto in gold letters. The garters of Stranger Knights and Ladies were once set with several jewels. [38] Two styles have been used: one is a working garter where the end slips through the buckle, passed behind, and then is tucked down through the formed loop, as it is shown in the arms of the order, and the other style is a 'pre-made' one that has the buckled and tucked end pre-fashioned and is fastened with a clip attachment.

Up until the middle part of the 20th century, it was customary to wear Tudor style under-dress, consisting of white silk embroidered doublet, breeches, full hose, white doeskin pumps with satin bows and a sword belt with sword, under the robes. Nowadays, morning dress or a lounge suit is worn, except for coronations when Tudor under-dress is worn by the canopy-bearers. [39]

Other occasions

Top: A Garter "Star"; middle: A "Great George" (St George on horseback slaying the dragon) pendant from the Collar; bottom: the Garter GarterInsigniaBurkes.JPG
Top: A Garter "Star"; middle: A "Great George" (St George on horseback slaying the dragon) pendant from the Collar; bottom: the Garter

On other occasions when decorations are worn, the members wear simpler insignia:

  • The collar is worn on designated collar days over military uniform or morning dress by members attending formal events. The collar is fastened to the shoulders with silk ribbons (or gold safety pins when worn with morning dress). Since the collar signifies the Order of the Garter, members can then wear the riband of any other order to which they belong. [38]
  • The star, which is worn pinned to the left breast, was introduced in the 17th century by King Charles I and is a colourfully enamelled depiction of the heraldic shield of St George's Cross, encircled by the Garter, which is itself encircled by an eight-point silver badge. Each point is depicted as a cluster of rays, with the four points of the cardinal directions longer than the intermediate ones. The stars of Stranger Knights and Ladies were once set with several jewels. Since the Order of the Garter is the senior order of the United Kingdom, a member will wear its star above the others (up to three) that they hold. [38] There are examples in the Royal Collection of the stars of foreign orders given to George V surrounded with the Garter, e.g. the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle given to George V when Prince of Wales. [40]
  • The riband is a four-inch (10.16 cm)-wide sash worn over the left shoulder, or pinned beneath it, to the right hip, and was introduced in the 17th century by King Charles I. The riband's colour has varied over the years: it was originally light blue, but was a dark shade under the Hanoverian monarchs. In 1950, the colour was fixed as "kingfisher blue". A member will wear only one riband, even if they belong to several orders. [38]
  • The badge is worn suspended from a small gold link from the riband at the right hip, and is sometimes known as "the Lesser George". Like the Great George, the badge shows St George the Martyr on horseback slaying a dragon, but it is flatter and gold. In earlier times, the badge was worn from a ribbon tied around the neck. [38]

On the death of a member, the Lesser George and breast star are returned personally to the sovereign by the former member's nearest male relative, and the other insignia to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, save the riband, mantle and hat. [38]

Officers

For ceremonial occasions of the Order, the officers wear the following garments and accessories:

The chancellor carries a purse, which is embroidered with the royal arms impaled by the Cross of St George. The purse contains the seal of the Order. Garter Principal King of Arms carries his baton of office. The usher carries their staff of office, the Black Rod. [38]

Chapel

Banners in St George's Chapel of members of the Order of the Garter Castell de Windsor - Capella de Sant Jordi.JPG
Banners in St George's Chapel of members of the Order of the Garter

St George's Chapel in Windsor is the mother church of the Order of the Garter and the location of special services in relation to the Order. [16]

During their lifetime, all members of the Order of the Garter are entitled to display their heraldic crests and banners in St George's Chapel. While the Garter stall plates (see below) stay in the chapel permanently, the crests and banners of deceased knights are, following presentation at the High Altar, removed from the chapel. Sometimes they are then given to institutions that were connected with the late knight, or kept privately depending on family wishes. [41] Originally after a knight's death, the crests became the property of Garter King of Arms, and these crests have been the subject of occasional exhibitions in the Earl Marshal's Court at the College of Arms.

Garter stall plates are small enamelled and engraved brass plates located in St George's Chapel as memorials to Knights of the Garter. [16]

Investiture and installation

Edward VII invests Haakon VII of Norway with the insignia of the Order of the Garter in the Throne Room of Windsor Castle, 9 November 1906. Painting by Sydney Prior Hall. Order of the Garter investiture of King Haakon VII of Norway, by Sydney Prior Hall.jpg
Edward VII invests Haakon VII of Norway with the insignia of the Order of the Garter in the Throne Room of Windsor Castle, 9 November 1906. Painting by Sydney Prior Hall.

Each June, on Garter Day, the members of the Order, wearing their habits and garter insignia, meet at Windsor Castle. When any new Knights and/or Ladies of the Garter are due for installation, an investiture ceremony is held in the Throne Room of Windsor Castle on the morning of Garter Day. [16] This ceremony is attended by all available Knights and Ladies Companion of the Order, wearing the ceremonial habits and garter insignia, and also by their spouses. The wording of the oath sworn by the new knights at this ceremony and of the Admonitions addressed to them in turn by the prelate and chancellor of the order when the several items of insignia are placed upon them are extremely similar to the traditions of the past. [42] [43]

At the investiture ceremony, two senior knights or ladies of the order assist the Sovereign by placing the garter around the left leg of the new knight, or left arm of the new lady, and in the fastening of the riband and Lesser George about the body of the new knight or lady, and in the adjustment of the mantle and the collar. [44] After the investiture ceremony at Windsor is concluded, a state luncheon is held in the Banqueting Room. This is attended by the royal family, by all the Companions of the Order and their spouses, and by the Officers of the Order. After the banquet all the knights and ladies of the order, together with the prelate, chancellor and other officers of the order, in their mantles and ceremonial robes, led by the Military Knights of Windsor, move in procession, watched by a great crowd of spectators, through the castle, down the hill, which is lined with soldiers, to Saint George's Chapel for a worship service, before which the formal installation of the new knights takes place. [45]

While (then just) knights continued to be invested with their ensigns, the formal installation of knights at St George's Chapel ceased in 1805. Installation, along with the annual Garter service, returned in 1948; [41] on the occasion of the order's 600th anniversary. [46]

Privileges

Precedence

Member of the Garter - Non Arms.svg
Members of the order may encircle their heraldic arms with the Garter.
Collar of the Order of the Garter.svg
The collar of the order as it appears on some heraldic arms.

Members are assigned positions in the order of precedence, coming before all others of knightly rank, and above baronets. The wives, sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Companion are also assigned precedence. Relatives of Ladies Companion are not, however, assigned any special positions. (Generally, individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not from their wives.) The Chancellor is also assigned precedence, but since 1837 the office has been held by a diocesan bishop of the Church of England or a peer, who have a higher precedence than that bestowed by the Chancellorship. [47]

Knights Companion prefix "Sir" [48] and Ladies Companion prefix "Lady" to their forenames. [49] Wives of Knights Companion may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but no corresponding privilege exists for husbands of Ladies Companion. [50] Such forms are not used by royalty, peers, peeresses, or Anglican clergymen, who instead use only the post-nominal letters. [48]

Knights and Ladies Companion use the post-nominal letters "KG" and "LG" respectively. [23] When an individual is entitled to use multiple post-nominal letters, those of the Order of the Garter appear before all others, except "Bt" or "Bart" (Baronet), "VC" (Victoria Cross) and "GC" (George Cross). [51]

Heraldry

In their heraldic achievements, members of the Order of the Garter may encircle their escutcheon with the Garter. [52] Knights and Ladies Companion are also entitled to receive heraldic supporters, a privilege granted to few other private individuals. While some families claim supporters by ancient use, and others have been granted them as a special reward, only members of the Royal Family, peers, Knights and Ladies Companion of the Garter, Knights and Ladies of the Thistle, and Knights and Dames Grand Cross of the junior orders of chivalry are automatically entitled to them. [52]

Armorial

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Dibdin's 1811 edition of Rastell's 'The Pastime of People, Or, The Chronicles of Divers Realms; and Most Especially of the Realm of England' gives this word as 'substancyally'.
  2. ↑ See for example the single roses on the collar of the effigy of Robert Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby de Broke, KG (died 1502) in Callington Church, Cornwall (see image File:RobertWilloughbyCallington.jpg).
  3. ↑ See image File:Buckingham Palace - 02.jpg.
  4. ↑ The Garter is worn over and above the left strap of the dress breeches of men but nowadays it is anachronistically worn over the trousers because the wearing of court dress by most Garter knights has fallen into disuse.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Stranger Knights and Ladies do not embellish the arms they use in their countries with British decorations.

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The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour of two military saints, Michael and George.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of the Thistle</span> British order of chivalry associated with Scotland

The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland, who asserted that he was reviving an earlier order. The order consists of the sovereign and sixteen knights and ladies, as well as certain "extra" knights. The sovereign alone grants membership of the order; they are not advised by the government, as occurs with most other orders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Victorian Order</span> British order of chivalry established in 1896

The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the monarch. The present monarch, King Charles III, is the sovereign of the order. The order's motto is Victoria. The order's official day is 20 June. The order's chapel is the Savoy Chapel in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of the Star of India</span> Dormant British order of chivalry established 1861

The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:

  1. Knight Grand Commander (GCSI)
  2. Knight Commander (KCSI)
  3. Companion (CSI)
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crest (heraldry)</span> Top component of an heraldic display

A crest is a component of a heraldic display, consisting of the device borne on top of the helm. Originating in the decorative sculptures worn by knights in tournaments and, to a lesser extent, battles, crests became solely pictorial after the 16th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military Knights of Windsor</span> Chivalric order

The Military Knights of Windsor, originally the Alms Knights and informally the Poor Knights, are retired military officers who receive a pension and accommodation at Windsor Castle, and who provide support for the Order of the Garter and for the services of St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. They are commanded by a senior retired officer as Governor of the Military Knights of Windsor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Guelphic Order</span> Hanoverian order of chivalry

The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent. It takes its name from the House of Guelph, of which the House of Hanover was a branch. Since Hanover and the United Kingdom shared a monarch until 1837, the order was frequently bestowed upon British subjects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livery collar</span> Heavy chain worn as insignia of office or mark of fealty

A livery collar or chain of office is a collar or heavy chain, usually of gold, worn as insignia of office or a mark of fealty or other association in Europe from the Middle Ages onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Society of the Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter</span>

The Society of the Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter is a constituent group of the Foundation of the College of St George, Windsor Castle which is a national charity in England. The society includes more than 5,100 members worldwide to "protect, preserve and enhance" the college, its St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle and the chivalric knighthood, the Order of the Garter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hubert Chesshyre</span> British officer of arms (1940–2020)

David Hubert Boothby Chesshyre was a British officer of arms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conrad Swan</span>

Sir Conrad Marshall John Fisher Swan was a Canadian-British herald who was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Having been first appointed to work at the College in 1962, he rose to the office of Garter Principal King of Arms in 1992, a position he held until 1995. He was the first Canadian ever to be appointed to the College of Arms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Bellew</span> British officer of arms

Sir George Rothe Bellew,, styled The Honourable after 1935, was a long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London. Educated at the University of Oxford, he was appointed Portcullis Pursuivant in 1922. Having been Somerset Herald for 24 years, he was promoted to the office of Garter Principal King of Arms in 1950, the highest heraldic office in England and Wales. He served in that capacity until his resignation in 1961. As Garter, Bellew oversaw the funeral of George VI, proclaimed the late King's daughter, Elizabeth II, as Queen and took a leading role in the organisation of her Coronation in 1953. After his retirement, Bellew was Secretary of the Order of the Garter and Knight Principal of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor. He lived for many years at Dower House in Old Windsor, Berkshire, but later moved to Farnham and died in 1993, aged 93.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heraldic flag</span> Flag containing coat of arms or heraldic badge

In heraldry and vexillology, a heraldic flag is a flag containing coats of arms, heraldic badges, or other devices used for personal identification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collar (order)</span>

A collar, also known as collar of an order, is an ornate chain, often made of gold and enamel, and set with precious stones, which is worn about the neck as a symbol of membership in various chivalric orders. It is a particular form of the livery collar, the grandest form of the widespread phenomenon of livery in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period. Orders which have several grades often reserve the collar for the highest grade. The links of the chain are usually composed of symbols of the order, and the badge of the order normally hangs down in front. Sometimes the badge is referred to by what is depicted on it; for instance, the badge that hangs from the chain of the Order of the Garter is referred to as "the George".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle</span> Royal chapel in Windsor Castle, England

St George's Chapel, formally titled The King's Free Chapel of the College of St George, Windsor Castle, at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is a Royal Peculiar, and the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. St George's Chapel was founded in the 14th century by King Edward III and extensively enlarged in the late 15th century. It is located in the Lower Ward of the castle.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "College of St George – Windsor Castle – The Order of the Garter". College of St George – Windsor Castle. Archived from the original on 15 July 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  2. ↑ "The Order of the Garter". The Royal Family. 11 November 2015. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  3. ↑ Bruges, William (1430–1440). "Stowe MS 594". William Bruges' Garter Book. Archived from the original on 9 January 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2023. Languages: Anglo-Norman
  4. 1 2 Cokayne, George Edward, ed. (1887). Complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct or dormant (A to Bo). Vol. 1. London: George Bell & Sons. p. 276.
  5. 1 2 3 Chisholm 1911 , pp. 851–867
  6. ↑ Rogers 2018 , pp. 131–134
  7. ↑ Beltz 1841 , pp. cxlix–cl
  8. ↑ Harrison, James (1996). "The Plantagenets". Children's Encyclopedia of British History (Rev., reformatted and updated ed.). London: Kingfisher. p. 46. ISBN   1856960269.
  9. ↑ Rogers 2018 , pp. 126–131
  10. ↑ "On the Origin of the Order of the Garter; from the Supplement to Granger's Biographical History". The Annual Register . 17: 145. December 1774. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  11. ↑ Rogers 2018 , pp. 134–138
  12. ↑ Rogers 2018 , pp. 139–144
  13. ↑ Cotton Nero A.x 128v Archived 13 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine .
  14. ↑ Friedman, Albert B.; Osberg, Richard H. (1997). "Gawain's Girdle as Traditional Symbol". The Journal of American Folklore. 90 (157). American Folklore Society: 301–315. doi:10.2307/539521. JSTOR   539521.
  15. ↑ Savage, Henry L. (1938). "Sir Gawain and the Order of the Garter". ELH. 5 (2). The Johns Hopkins University Press: 146–149. doi:10.2307/2871614. JSTOR   2871614.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Monarchy Today – Queen and Public – Honours – The Order of the Garter". The Royal Household. Archived from the original on 14 June 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  17. ↑ Waddington, Raymond B. (1993). "Elizabeth I and the Order of the Garter". Sixteenth Century Journal. 24 (1). The Sixteenth Century Journal: 97–113. doi:10.2307/2541800. JSTOR   2541800. S2CID   165893968.
  18. ↑ "Prince Andrew out of view as Tony Blair receives royal honour". BBC News. 13 June 2022. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  19. ↑ Furness, Hannah (13 June 2024). "Former M15 boss becomes first female Chancellor of the Order of the Garter". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  20. ↑ Gay, Oonagh (20 March 2006). "Honours Standard Note: SN/PC/2832" (PDF). United Kingdom Parliament. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  21. ↑ "College of St George – Windsor Castle – Orders of Chivalry". College of St George – Windsor Castle. Archived from the original on 19 February 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  22. ↑ Begent & Chesshyre 1999 , p. 198
  23. 1 2 "Select Committee on Public Administration Fifth Report". UK Parliament. 13 July 2004. Archived from the original on 23 November 2006. Retrieved 8 November 2006.
  24. 1 2 3 "Royal Insight: June 2004: Focus: The Order of the Garter". The Royal Household. June 2004. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  25. ↑ Peter J Begent. The Most Noble Order of the Garter, its History and Ceremonial.
  26. ↑ David Kemp (1992). The Pleasures and Treasures of Britain: A Discerning Traveller's Companion. Dundurn. p. 141. ISBN   9781770700703. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  27. ↑ Kingston, Jeff (13 March 2005). "The Tokyo envoys: Englishmen in Japan". The Japan Times. Tokyo. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016.
  28. ↑ Knight, Charles (1811). "9". Guide to Windsor.
  29. ↑ "The origin and history of the various heraldic offices". The College of Arms. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2006.
  30. ↑ Begent & Chesshyre 1999 , p. 105
  31. ↑ Begent & Chesshyre 1999 , pp. 109–112
  32. ↑ Begent & Chesshyre 1999 , p. 116
  33. ↑ Begent & Chesshyre 1999 , p. 122
  34. ↑ Begent & Chesshyre 1999 , p. 143
  35. ↑ Begent & Chesshyre 1999 , p. 132
  36. ↑ "The Register of the Order of the Garter". The Companion – magazine for the College of St George. No. 21. The Dean and Canons of Windsor. 13 June 2015. p. 12. Retrieved 23 April 2021– via issuu.com.
  37. 1 2 "College of St George – Windsor Castle – Military Knights". College of St George – Windsor Castle. Archived from the original on 10 May 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  38. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Cox, Noel (1999). "The ceremonial dress and accoutrements of the Most Noble Order of the Garter". Heraldry News, the Journal of Heraldry (22). Journal of Heraldry Australia Inc.: 6–12. Archived from the original on 20 April 2003.
  39. ↑ Una Campbell (1989). Robes of the Realm: 300 Years of Ceremonial Dress. Michael O'Mara Books. p. 21.
  40. ↑ "- Order of the Black Eagle (Prussia). George V's star with garter". www.royalcollection.org.uk. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  41. 1 2 "Garter Banner List". Dean & Canons of Windsor. Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  42. ↑ William Berry. Encyclopaedia Heraldica Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry. Vol. 1. Google eBook.
  43. ↑ "Research guides No.1: The Order of the Garter" (PDF). St George's Chapel Archives and Chapter Library. s.v. "Oath". Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  44. ↑ Thomas Robson (1830). The British Herald, or Cabinet of armorial bearings of the nobility and gentry of Great Britain & Ireland. p. 96. Google eBook.
  45. ↑ De la Bere, Brigadier Sir Ivan (1964). The Queen's Orders of Chivalry. London: Spring Books. p. 85.
  46. ↑ "Order of the Garter Timeline" (PDF). The Companion: The Magazine for the College of St George (21): 3. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  47. ↑ Mosley, Charles (2005). "Precedence". Burke's Peerage and Gentry. Archived from the original on 28 September 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  48. 1 2 "Knight". Forms of Address. Debretts. Archived from the original on 25 August 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  49. ↑ "Ladies of the Garter and Ladies of the Thistle". Forms of Address. Debretts. Archived from the original on 21 August 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  50. ↑ "Dame". Forms of Address. Debretts. Archived from the original on 7 August 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  51. ↑ "Order of Wear". The UK Honours System. Cabinet Office. Archived from the original on 30 January 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  52. 1 2 Courtenay, Paul (14 October 2008). "The Armorial Bearings of Sir Winston Churchill". The Churchill Centre. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2016.

Sources

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