![]() To date, King Olav V of Norway has been the only foreign sovereign to be admitted, in 1962. In addition, members of the Royal Family and foreign sovereigns can be appointed as ‘extra’ Knights and Ladies. The Order is limited to the Sovereign and 16 members. It is Scotland’s senior order and the second-highest order within the United Kingdom. The Order of the Thistle was formally established in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland (James II of England). ********** The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle Wikipedia: St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.Medals of the World: Order of the Garter.It is worn by men just below the left knee, and by women on the left arm. The Garter is made of dark blue velvet edged with gold, bearing the motto of the Order in gold lettering. The Hat is a Tudor bonnet made of black velvet with a plume of white ostrich feathers. The Collar is worn overtop of the mantle, attached at each shoulder with a white bow. The garter, surrounding the St George Cross, is sewn onto the left shoulder of the mantle (other than the Sovereign’s, which features the Star of the order instead). The Mantle is made of dark blue velvet lined with white taffeta, with a hood of crimson velvet. These include the mantle, hat, and garter. The Sash is a four-inch wide band of silk, in kingfisher blue, from the left shoulder.įor ceremonial occasions, such as the Garter Service, the ceremonial vestments are worn. It is worn suspended from the sash, on the right hip. The Badge (Lesser George) is an oval-shaped pendant, depicting Saint George on horseback slaying a dragon, surrounded by the garter. Afterward, they all don their robes, hats, and insignia and process on foot to St George’s Chapel for a service, at which any new members are installed. On the Monday of Ascot Week in June, the members of the Order gather at Windsor Castle, where new members are invested with the insignia, followed by a luncheon in the Waterloo Chamber. New members are traditionally announced on St George’s Day, April 23rd. Wikipedia: List of current Knights and Ladies of the Garter.Unlike many of the British Honours, the Order of the Garter is granted solely at the discretion of the Sovereign, and not on the advice of the government. Members are appointed in recognition of their public service, contributions to national life or personal service to the Sovereign. In addition, members of the Royal Family are known as Royal Knights and Ladies, while foreign sovereigns are known as Stranger (or Extra) Knights and Ladies. The Order is limited to the Sovereign, the Prince of Wales and 24 members. The King allegedly picked it up and uttered the phrase ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense’ – Shame to the person who thinks evil of it – which has since become the Order’s motto. The most accepted history is that while dancing, the Countess of Salisbury’s garter slipped from her leg. The Order of the Garter was founded in 1348 by King Edward III, and is the oldest and most senior order in the United Kingdom. The reigning monarch remains Sovereign of each of these: In addition, there are several Orders which are dormant and no longer granted, however, they have never been formally abolished. The current active orders of the United Kingdom are: In addition to this article, be sure to check out The Queen’s Orders of Chivalry – a wonderful column written several years ago by Paul James. In addition to those listed below, there are several ‘national’ orders within the various realms.īefore going on, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention two wonderful sources of information – specifically photographs! They are The Royal Collection and Medals of the World. As times have changed and the British Empire no longer exists as it once did, some orders have fallen into abeyance, however, none have been formally abolished. ![]() ![]() Most are granted on the advice of the government, however, there are several which remain the sole gift of the Sovereign. The reigning monarch is Sovereign of each order, and as ‘fount of honour’, all are awarded in his or her name. From some which are very rarely and exclusively awarded, to those with tens of thousands of members, the British Honours system is perhaps the most extensive of all the world’s monarchies.
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