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HOME   -   HISTORY DICTIONARY   -   ORDER OF THE GARTER

 
   


 

Order of the Garter

The Most Noble Order of the Garter was founded in 1348.

King Edward III was the founder of this order of knighthood. Until this day, the highest honor the British can bestow upon you is to make you a member of the Order of the Garter.

 

 



 

With this distinction in your pocket you are officially allowed to put the title SIR before, and the letters KG (Knight of the Garter) after your name. Or rather LG (Lady of the Garter) respectively.
 


 

Prince Albert's Garter and George III's diamond Star
Prince Albert's Garter and
George III's diamond Star

 



 

Who Else Is or Was a Member of the Order?

The British ruler and the Prince of Wales are always members.

Back in the days, existing knights were allowed to elect new knights but today that is the exclusive privilege of the British sovereign. The number of knights is limited to 24, plus Royal knights.

Edward the Black Prince and John Chandos were founding members. The poster child of chivalry, Jean de Grailly, was also knighted back in the days by Edward III himself.

Elizabeth I's secretary Francis Walsingham was knighted in 1577.

England's Thirty Years' War diplomat Thomas Roe became a member in 1637. Benjamin Disraeli and Robert Cecil were also in.

And then there was Winston Churchill, who was a bit fussy about his nomination at first but then he finally accepted it in 1953.

In 1995, New Zealand mountain climber Edmund Hillary was knighted.

However, being a knight of the Garter does not guarantee immunity of any sort.  Charles I, for instance, wore his Order to his execution in 1649.

 

 

What is the Motto of the Order of the Garter?

The Order's motto is Honi soit qui mal y pense, which is French and means Evil to him who evil thinks.

Everybody has a different idea regarding why Edward started the Order of the Garter in the first place and why the knights ended up embracing the slogan above, but the fact of the matter is that no one knows for sure.

 

 

The Club House

In St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle each knight has his own little space where he displays his name plate, banner, helmet, crest, and sword. When a knight dies his gear is taken down but his name plate stays.

Hence, you got quite a few names in the chapel by now, a who's who of British history's upper crust.

 

 

Other Orders

The second highest order of chivalry in Britain is The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, the society of the Scottish knights.

 

 

 

 

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