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Order of the Garter

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.

Most Noble Order of the Garter
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
TypeDynastic order
Established1348; 676 years ago (1348)
MottoHoni soit qui mal y pense
(Anglo-Norman for 'Shame on him who thinks evil of it')[1]
Criteriaat His Majesty's pleasure
StatusCurrently constituted
FounderEdward III
SovereignCharles III
ChancellorThe Duke of Abercorn
PrelateThe Bishop of Winchester (ex officio)
Classes
  • Royal Knight/Lady (Companion) (KG/LG)
  • Stranger Knight/Lady Companion (KG/LG)
  • Knight/Lady Companion (KG/LG)
Statistics
First induction1348
Total inductees Tally: 1,031
Precedence
Next (higher)George Cross
Next (lower)Order of the Thistle

Ribbon of the Order of the Garter

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

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 edit

 
"Roy" Edward III, King of England. Bruges Garter Book.

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, who died on 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 edit

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 edit

 
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,[11] 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.[12] 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][13]

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.[14] 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).[15] 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."[16]

Ladies of the Garter edit

Soon after the founding of the Order, women were appointed "Ladies of the Garter", but some historians argue that they were not appointed Companions. 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. Throughout the 20th century, women continued to be associated with the Order, but save for foreign female monarchs, they were not made Companions.[17]

In 1987, by a statute of Queen Elizabeth II, the installation of "Ladies Companion of the Garter" became possible.[18]

In 2022, Valerie, Baroness Amos, became the first black lady companion member of the Order since its foundation.[19]

Composition edit

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

Members edit

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] Monarchs are 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.[17] 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).[17]

Supernumerary members edit

 
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 edit

 
Henry, 2nd Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyme, KG. Portrait by William Hoare in the National Portrait Gallery

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, 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 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 edit

 
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 abdication crisis of Edward VIII), and so it was withheld from his successor, Kenneth Kirk, and has since been held by one of the Knights 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 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 edit

 
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.[36]

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.[36]

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.[37]

Robes and insignia edit

 
Mantle and hat of the Order

Members edit

Order's ceremonial occasions edit

 
The garter of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria

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.[37]
  • The hat is a Tudor bonnet of black velvet with a plume of white ostrich and black heron feathers.[37]
 
The insignia of a knight of the Order of the Garter
  • 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[37] alone, a combination of both forms.[38] Today one of the most visible representations of the collar forms part of the monarch's heraldic achievement on the gates of Buckingham Palace.[39]
  • 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.[37]
  • The Garter is worn on ceremonial occasions around the left calf[40] 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.[37] 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.[41]

Other occasions edit

 
Top: A Garter "Star"; middle: A "Great George" (St George on horseback slaying the dragon) pendant from the Collar; bottom: the Garter
 
The Garter "Star" worn by King Charles XI of Sweden, late 17th century

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

 
William, Prince of Wales (then The Duke of Cambridge, on his wedding day) wearing Garter riband and star
  • 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.[37]
  • 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.[37] There are examples in the Royal Collection of the stars of foreign orders given George V surrounded with the Garter, e.g. the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle given to George V when Prince of Wales.[42]
  • 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.[37]
  • 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.[37]

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.[37]

Officers edit

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

  • The mantles for the prelate and chancellor are dark blue like those of the members (as a member, the chancellor wears a member's mantle), but the mantles for the other officers are dark red. All mantles are embroidered with a heraldic shield of St George's Cross. For Garter ceremonies, Garter Principal King of Arms wears this red mantle rather than the tabard of the royal arms worn for other State ceremonial occasions.[37]
  • Officers wear badges of office suspended from a chain worn around the neck. The badge for the prelate shows the Lesser George encircled by the Garter, which is surmounted by a bishop's mitre. The badge for the chancellor is a rose encircled by the Garter. The badge for the register is two crossed quills over a book encircled by the Garter surmounted by a crown. The badge for Garter Principal King of Arms is the royal arms impaled with St George's Cross encircled by the Garter and surmounted by a crown. The badge for the usher is a knot (like those on the collars of the companions of the order) encircled by the Garter and surmounted by a crown. The badge for the secretary shows two crossed quills in front of a rose and encircled by the Garter surmounted by a crown.[37]

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.[37]

Chapel edit

 
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.[17]

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.[43] 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.[17]

Investiture and installation edit

 
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.[17] 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.[44][45]

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.[46] 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.[47]

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;[43] on the occasion of the order's 600th anniversary.[48]

Privileges edit

Precedence edit

 
Members of the order may encircle their heraldic arms with the Garter.
 
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.[49]

Knights Companion prefix "Sir"[50] and Ladies Companion prefix "Lady" to their forenames.[51] Wives of Knights Companion may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but no corresponding privilege exists for husbands of Ladies Companion.[52] Such forms are not used by royalty, peers, peeresses, or Anglican clergymen, who instead use only the post-nominal letters.[50]

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).[53]

Heraldry edit

In their heraldic achievements, members of the Order of the Garter may encircle their escutcheon with the Garter.[54] 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.[54]

Gallery edit

Garter banners in St George's Chapel edit

Armorial edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c d . 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.
  3. ^ Bruges, William (1430–1440). . William Bruges' Garter Book. Archived from the original on 9 January 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2023. Languages: Anglo-Norman
  4. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c 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 1-85696-026-9.
  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.
  11. ^ 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'.
  12. ^ Rogers 2018, pp. 134–138
  13. ^ Rogers 2018, pp. 139–144
  14. ^ Cotton Nero A.x 128v.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ a b c d e f . The Royal Household. Archived from the original on 14 June 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "Prince Andrew out of view as Tony Blair receives royal honour". BBC News. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  20. ^ Gay, Oonagh (20 March 2006). (PDF). United Kingdom Parliament. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  21. ^ . 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. ^ a b "Select Committee on Public Administration Fifth Report". UK Parliament. 13 July 2004. Retrieved 8 November 2006.
  24. ^ a b c . 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 (12 January 1992). The Pleasures and Treasures of Britain: A Discerning Traveller's Companion. Dundurn. p. 141. ISBN 978-1-77070-070-3.
  27. ^ Kingston, Jeff (13 March 2005). . The Japan Times. Tokyo. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016.
  28. ^ Knight, Charles (1811). "9". Guide to Windsor.
  29. ^ . 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. ^ a b . College of St George – Windsor Castle. Archived from the original on 10 May 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  37. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Cox, Noel (1999). . Heraldry News, the Journal of Heraldry (22). Journal of Heraldry Australia Inc.: 6–12. Archived from the original on 20 April 2003.
  38. ^ 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).
  39. ^ See image File:Buckingham Palace - 02.jpg.
  40. ^ 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 for by most Garter Knights has fallen into disuse.
  41. ^ Una Campbell (1989). Robes of the Realm: 300 Years of Ceremonial Dress. Michael O'Mara Books. p. 21.
  42. ^ "- Order of the Black Eagle (Prussia). George V's star with garter". www.royalcollection.org.uk. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  43. ^ a b "Garter Banner List". Dean & Canons of Windsor. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  44. ^ William Berry. Encyclopaedia Heraldica Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry. Vol. 1. Google eBook.
  45. ^ "Research guides No.1: The Order of the Garter" (PDF). St George's Chapel Archives and Chapter Library. s.v. "Oath".
  46. ^ Thomas Robson (1830). The British Herald, or Cabinet of armorial bearings of the nobility and gentry of Great Britain & Ireland. p. 96. Google eBook.
  47. ^ De la Bere, Brigadier Sir Ivan (1964). The Queen's Orders of Chivalry. London: Spring Books. p. 85.
  48. ^ (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.
  49. ^ Mosley, Charles (2005). . Burke's Peerage and Gentry. Archived from the original on 28 September 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  50. ^ a b . Forms of Address. Debretts. Archived from the original on 25 August 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  51. ^ . Forms of Address. Debretts. Archived from the original on 21 August 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  52. ^ . Forms of Address. Debretts. Archived from the original on 7 August 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  53. ^ "Order of Wear". The UK Honours System. Cabinet Office. Archived from the original on 30 January 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  54. ^ a b Courtenay, Paul (14 October 2008). "The Armorial Bearings of Sir Winston Churchill". The Churchill Centre. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  55. ^ Princess Beatrix's Garter banner has retained her arms as monarch.
  56. ^ a b c d e f g h Stranger Knights and Ladies do not embellish the arms they use in their countries with British decorations.

References edit

  • Ashmole, Elias (1672). Institution, Laws and Ceremonies of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. London.
  • Begent, P.J.; Chesshyre, H. (1999). The Most Noble Order of the Garter: 650 Years. London: Spink and Son. ISBN 1-902040-20-1.
  • Beltz, George Frederick (1841). Memorials of the Order of the Garter. London: William Pickering. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  • Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Knighthood and Chivalry" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 851–867.
  • Fellowes, Edmund (1939). The Knights of the Garter, 1348–1939: With a Complete List of the Stall Plates in St. George's Chapel. Historical monographs relating to St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Vol. 1. SPCK.
  • Rogers, Clifford J. (2018). "The symbolic meaning of Edward III's Garter badge". In Baker, Gary P.; Lambert, Craig L.; Simpkin, David (eds.). Military Communities in Late Medieval England: essays in honour of Andrew Ayton. Woodbridge: Boydell. pp. 125–45. ISBN 978-1-78327-298-3.

Further reading edit

  • Hope, W. H. St.John; et al. (1901). The Stall Plates of the Knights of the Order of the Garter 1348–1485. Reprinted 2005.

External links edit

  • Official webpage at: royal.uk
  • – official website of the British Monarchy
  • St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle: Order of the Garter
  • List of historic occupants of Garter stalls
  • List of the Knights of the Garter
  • BBC gallery: Order Of The Garter
  • Brennan, I. G. "The Most Noble Order of the Garter." HeraldicSculptor.com. 2004.
  • Velde, F. R. "Order of Precedence in England and Wales." 2003.

order, garter, most, noble, order, chivalry, founded, edward, england, 1348, most, senior, order, knighthood, british, honours, system, outranked, precedence, only, decorations, victoria, cross, george, cross, dedicated, image, arms, saint, george, england, pa. 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 Most Noble Order of the GarterBadge of the Order of the Garter The attributed arms of Saint George circumscribed by the GarterAwarded by the Monarch of the United KingdomTypeDynastic orderEstablished1348 676 years ago 1348 MottoHoni soit qui mal y pense Anglo Norman for Shame on him who thinks evil of it 1 Criteriaat His Majesty s pleasureStatusCurrently constitutedFounderEdward IIISovereignCharles IIIChancellorThe Duke of AbercornPrelateThe Bishop of Winchester ex officio ClassesRoyal Knight Lady Companion KG LG Stranger Knight Lady Companion KG LG Knight Lady Companion KG LG StatisticsFirst induction1348Total inducteesEdward III 62 Richard II 29 Henry IV 27 Henry V 21 Henry VI 44 Edward IV 36 Edward V 0 Richard III 8 Henry VII 37 Henry VIII 53 Edward VI 13 Mary I amp Philip 9 Elizabeth I 54 James I 29 Charles I 21 Charles II 47 James II 7 Mary II amp William III 14 Anne 14 George I 21 George II 32 George III 75 George IV 14 William IV 14 Victoria 132 Edward VII 27 George V 45 Edward VIII 0 George VI 31 Elizabeth II 110 Charles III 6 Tally 1 031PrecedenceNext higher George CrossNext lower Order of the ThistleRibbon of the Order of the Garter 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 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 Contents 1 History 1 1 List of Founder Knights 1 2 Legendary origins 1 3 Ladies of the Garter 2 Composition 2 1 Members 2 2 Supernumerary members 2 3 Degradation of members 2 4 Officers 3 Military Knights of Windsor 4 Robes and insignia 4 1 Members 4 1 1 Order s ceremonial occasions 4 1 2 Other occasions 4 2 Officers 5 Chapel 6 Investiture and installation 7 Privileges 7 1 Precedence 7 2 Heraldry 8 Gallery 8 1 Garter banners in St George s Chapel 8 2 Armorial 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External linksHistory edit nbsp Roy Edward III King of England Bruges Garter Book 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 who died on 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 edit 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 King Edward III 1312 77 Edward the Black Prince Prince of Wales 1330 76 Henry of Grosmont 4th Earl of Lancaster c 1310 61 Thomas de Beauchamp 11th Earl of Warwick 1313 69 Jean de Grailly III Captal de Buch d 1376 Ralph de Stafford 1st Earl of Stafford 1301 72 William de Montacute 2nd Earl of Salisbury 1328 97 Roger Mortimer 2nd Earl of March 1328 60 John 2nd Baron Lisle 1318 55 Bartholomew 2nd Baron Burghersh c 1329 69 John 1st Baron Beauchamp d 1360 John 2nd Baron Mohun c 1320 76 Sir Hugh de Courtenay 1327 1349 Thomas Holland 1st Earl of Kent 1314 60 John 1st Baron Grey de Rotherfield 1300 59 Sir Richard Fitz Simon 1295 1348 49 Sir Miles Stapleton c 1320 64 Sir Thomas Wale 1303 52 Sir Hugh Wrottesley d 1381 Sir Nele Loring 1320 86 Sir John Chandos c 1320 69 Sir James Audley c 1318 69 Sir Otho Holand c 1316 59 Sir Henry Eam d before 1360 Sir Sanchet d Abrichecourt c 1330 59 4 Sir Walter Paveley 1319 75 They are all depicted by individual portraits in the Bruges Garter Book compiled c 1431 and now in the British Library Legendary origins edit nbsp 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 11 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 12 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 13 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 14 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 bothe cursed be both cowardice and coveting v 2374 15 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 16 Ladies of the Garter edit Soon after the founding of the Order women were appointed Ladies of the Garter but some historians argue that they were not appointed Companions 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 Throughout the 20th century women continued to be associated with the Order but save for foreign female monarchs they were not made Companions 17 In 1987 by a statute of Queen Elizabeth II the installation of Ladies Companion of the Garter became possible 18 In 2022 Valerie Baroness Amos became the first black lady companion member of the Order since its foundation 19 Composition editSee also List of current knights and ladies of the Garter nbsp Knights Companion processing to St George s Chapel for the Garter Service Members edit 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 Monarchs are 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 17 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 17 Supernumerary members edit nbsp 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 edit nbsp Henry 2nd Duke of Newcastle under Lyme KG Portrait by William Hoare in the National Portrait Gallery 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 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 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 edit nbsp 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 abdication crisis of Edward VIII and so it was withheld from his successor Kenneth Kirk and has since been held by one of the Knights 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 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 editMain article Military Knights of Windsor nbsp 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 36 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 36 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 37 Robes and insignia edit nbsp Mantle and hat of the Order Members edit Order s ceremonial occasions edit nbsp The garter of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria 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 37 The hat is a Tudor bonnet of black velvet with a plume of white ostrich and black heron feathers 37 nbsp The insignia of a knight of the Order of the Garter 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 37 alone a combination of both forms 38 Today one of the most visible representations of the collar forms part of the monarch s heraldic achievement on the gates of Buckingham Palace 39 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 37 The Garter is worn on ceremonial occasions around the left calf 40 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 37 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 41 Other occasions edit nbsp Top A Garter Star middle A Great George St George on horseback slaying the dragon pendant from the Collar bottom the Garter nbsp The Garter Star worn by King Charles XI of Sweden late 17th century On other occasions when decorations are worn the members wear simpler insignia nbsp William Prince of Wales then The Duke of Cambridge on his wedding day wearing Garter riband and star 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 37 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 37 There are examples in the Royal Collection of the stars of foreign orders given George V surrounded with the Garter e g the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle given to George V when Prince of Wales 42 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 37 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 37 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 37 Officers edit For ceremonial occasions of the Order the officers wear the following garments and accessories The mantles for the prelate and chancellor are dark blue like those of the members as a member the chancellor wears a member s mantle but the mantles for the other officers are dark red All mantles are embroidered with a heraldic shield of St George s Cross For Garter ceremonies Garter Principal King of Arms wears this red mantle rather than the tabard of the royal arms worn for other State ceremonial occasions 37 Officers wear badges of office suspended from a chain worn around the neck The badge for the prelate shows the Lesser George encircled by the Garter which is surmounted by a bishop s mitre The badge for the chancellor is a rose encircled by the Garter The badge for the register is two crossed quills over a book encircled by the Garter surmounted by a crown The badge for Garter Principal King of Arms is the royal arms impaled with St George s Cross encircled by the Garter and surmounted by a crown The badge for the usher is a knot like those on the collars of the companions of the order encircled by the Garter and surmounted by a crown The badge for the secretary shows two crossed quills in front of a rose and encircled by the Garter surmounted by a crown 37 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 37 Chapel edit nbsp 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 17 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 43 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 17 Investiture and installation edit nbsp 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 17 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 44 45 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 46 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 47 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 43 on the occasion of the order s 600th anniversary 48 Privileges editPrecedence edit nbsp Members of the order may encircle their heraldic arms with the Garter nbsp 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 49 Knights Companion prefix Sir 50 and Ladies Companion prefix Lady to their forenames 51 Wives of Knights Companion may prefix Lady to their surnames but no corresponding privilege exists for husbands of Ladies Companion 52 Such forms are not used by royalty peers peeresses or Anglican clergymen who instead use only the post nominal letters 50 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 53 Heraldry edit In their heraldic achievements members of the Order of the Garter may encircle their escutcheon with the Garter 54 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 54 Gallery edit nbsp Garter banner of Alexander Baring 6th Baron Ashburton now in Winchester Cathedral nbsp Garter banner of Oliver Lyttelton 1st Viscount Chandos now in St John the Baptist Church Hagley nbsp Garter banner of Lord Wilson of Rievaulx now at Jesus College Chapel Oxford nbsp Garter banner of Henry Manners 8th Duke of Rutland now at Belvoir Castle nbsp Arms of Philip Prince of Asturias at his investiture encircled by the Garter in 1554 nbsp Garter stall plate of George 5th Earl Cadogan nbsp Arms of Margaret Thatcher Baroness Thatcher nbsp The arms of John Duke of Marlborough are encircled by both the Garter and the collar nbsp The arms of John Casimir of the Palatinate Simmern encircled by the Garter Garter banners in St George s Chapel edit Armorial edit Coats of arms of current Knights and Ladies of the Garter Sovereign nbsp Arms of The King Royal Knights and Ladies Companion nbsp nbsp nbsp Arms of The Duke of Kent Arms of The Princess Royal Arms of The Duke of Gloucester nbsp nbsp nbsp Arms of Princess Alexandra The Hon Lady Ogilvy Arms of The Duke of York Arms of The Duke of Edinburgh nbsp nbsp nbsp Arms of The Prince of Wales Arms of The Queen Arms of The Duchess of Gloucester Stranger Knights and Ladies Companion nbsp nbsp nbsp Arms of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark 56 Arms of The King of Sweden 56 Arms of King Juan Carlos I of Spain 56 nbsp nbsp nbsp Arms of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands 56 Arms of Emperor Akihito of Japan 56 Arms of The King of Norway 56 nbsp nbsp Arms of The King of Spain 56 Arms of The King of the Netherlands 56 Knights and Ladies Companion nbsp nbsp nbsp Arms of The Duke of Abercorn Arms of The Lord Butler of Brockwell Arms of Sir John Major nbsp nbsp nbsp Arms of The Lord Luce Arms of Sir Thomas Dunne Arms of The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers nbsp nbsp nbsp Arms of The Lord Stirrup Arms of The Baroness Manningham Buller Arms of The Lord King of Lothbury nbsp nbsp nbsp Arms of The Lord Shuttleworth Arms of Lady Mary Fagan Arms of The Viscount Brookeborough nbsp nbsp nbsp Arms of Lady Mary Peters Arms of The Marquess of Salisbury Arms of The Baroness Amos nbsp nbsp nbsp Arms of Sir Tony Blair Arms of The Baroness Ashton of Upholland Arms of The Lord Patten of Barnes nbsp nbsp nbsp Arms of The Lord Peach TBA Arms of The Lord Kakkar TBA Arms of The Lord Lloyd Webber TBA nbsp nbsp nbsp Vacant Vacant Vacant The Order nbsp nbsp Arms of the Order Variant with the royal arms and St Edward s CrownSee also edit nbsp England portal List of current knights and ladies of the Garter List of knights and ladies of the Garter The Society of the Friends of St George s and Descendants of the Knights of the GarterNotes edit a b c d 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 The Order of the Garter The Royal Family 11 November 2015 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 a b 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 amp Sons p 276 a b c Chisholm 1911 pp 851 867 Rogers 2018 pp 131 134 Beltz 1841 pp cxlix cl Harrison James 1996 The Plantagenets Children s Encyclopedia of British History Rev reformatted and updated ed London Kingfisher p 46 ISBN 1 85696 026 9 Rogers 2018 pp 126 131 On the Origin of the Order of the Garter from the Supplement to Granger s Biographical History The Annual Register 17 145 December 1774 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 Rogers 2018 pp 134 138 Rogers 2018 pp 139 144 Cotton Nero A x 128v 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 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 a b c d e f 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 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 Prince Andrew out of view as Tony Blair receives royal honour BBC News 13 June 2022 Retrieved 13 June 2022 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 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 Begent amp Chesshyre 1999 p 198 a b Select Committee on Public Administration Fifth Report UK Parliament 13 July 2004 Retrieved 8 November 2006 a b c Royal Insight June 2004 Focus The Order of the Garter The Royal Household June 2004 Archived from the original on 27 September 2007 Peter J Begent The Most Noble Order of the Garter its History and Ceremonial David Kemp 12 January 1992 The Pleasures and Treasures of Britain A Discerning Traveller s Companion Dundurn p 141 ISBN 978 1 77070 070 3 Kingston Jeff 13 March 2005 The Tokyo envoys Englishmen in Japan The Japan Times Tokyo Archived from the original on 4 June 2016 Knight Charles 1811 9 Guide to Windsor 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 Begent amp Chesshyre 1999 p 105 Begent amp Chesshyre 1999 pp 109 112 Begent amp Chesshyre 1999 p 116 Begent amp Chesshyre 1999 p 122 Begent amp Chesshyre 1999 p 143 Begent amp Chesshyre 1999 p 132 a b 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 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 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 See image File Buckingham Palace 02 jpg 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 for by most Garter Knights has fallen into disuse Una Campbell 1989 Robes of the Realm 300 Years of Ceremonial Dress Michael O Mara Books p 21 Order of the Black Eagle Prussia George V s star with garter www royalcollection org uk Retrieved 18 April 2018 a b Garter Banner List Dean amp Canons of Windsor Retrieved 23 April 2019 William Berry Encyclopaedia Heraldica Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry Vol 1 Google eBook Research guides No 1 The Order of the Garter PDF St George s Chapel Archives and Chapter Library s v Oath Thomas Robson 1830 The British Herald or Cabinet of armorial bearings of the nobility and gentry of Great Britain amp Ireland p 96 Google eBook De la Bere Brigadier Sir Ivan 1964 The Queen s Orders of Chivalry London Spring Books p 85 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 Mosley Charles 2005 Precedence Burke s Peerage and Gentry Archived from the original on 28 September 2008 Retrieved 18 September 2008 a b Knight Forms of Address Debretts Archived from the original on 25 August 2009 Retrieved 11 August 2009 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 Dame Forms of Address Debretts Archived from the original on 7 August 2009 Retrieved 11 August 2009 Order of Wear The UK Honours System Cabinet Office Archived from the original on 30 January 2006 Retrieved 21 August 2016 a b Courtenay Paul 14 October 2008 The Armorial Bearings of Sir Winston Churchill The Churchill Centre Retrieved 21 August 2016 Princess Beatrix s Garter banner has retained her arms as monarch a b c d e f g h Stranger Knights and Ladies do not embellish the arms they use in their countries with British decorations References editAshmole Elias 1672 Institution Laws and Ceremonies of the Most Noble Order of the Garter London Begent P J Chesshyre H 1999 The Most Noble Order of the Garter 650 Years London Spink and Son ISBN 1 902040 20 1 Beltz George Frederick 1841 Memorials of the Order of the Garter London William Pickering Retrieved 27 October 2013 Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Knighthood and Chivalry Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 15 11th ed Cambridge University Press pp 851 867 Fellowes Edmund 1939 The Knights of the Garter 1348 1939 With a Complete List of the Stall Plates in St George s Chapel Historical monographs relating to St George s Chapel Windsor Castle Vol 1 SPCK Rogers Clifford J 2018 The symbolic meaning of Edward III s Garter badge In Baker Gary P Lambert Craig L Simpkin David eds Military Communities in Late Medieval England essays in honour of Andrew Ayton Woodbridge Boydell pp 125 45 ISBN 978 1 78327 298 3 Further reading editHope W H St John et al 1901 The Stall Plates of the Knights of the Order of the Garter 1348 1485 Reprinted 2005 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Order of the Garter category Official webpage at royal uk Order of the Garter official website of the British Monarchy St George s Chapel at Windsor Castle Order of the Garter List of historic occupants of Garter stalls List of the Knights of the Garter BBC gallery Order Of The Garter Brennan I G The Most Noble Order of the Garter HeraldicSculptor com 2004 Velde F R Order of Precedence in England and Wales 2003 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w 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