"most noble" Order of the Garter

The "most noble" Order of the Garter the first, the most esteemed, and most ancient of all the existing Orders of secular Knighthood, served as the Prime Order of England as the Thistle was for Scotland and St Patrick for Ireland. The full title and ceremonious designation of this Order of knighthood is, "the most noble Order of St. George, or the Garter." The Order has always borne the name of the tutelar saint of England, as well ; as that by which it is more colloquially known ; for no affair of so great importance as the institution of an order of knighthood, would, in those days, be undertaken, without placing it under the immediate protection of St. George.

Edward III, By the Grace of God King of England and France and Lord of Ireland, reigned for 50 years between 1327 and 1377, and was undoubtedly one of the most successful monarchs of the Middle Ages. Edward's idol was the legendary King Arthur, and he had ambitions to institute something of his own court of the Round Table so famous in Arthurian lore. He ordered the construction of a round stone feasting hall in the Upper Ward of Windsor Castle, where the knights of a new "Round Table in the same manner and conditions as the Lord Arthur, formerly King of England, appointed it." Those knights would be bound together by a badge of "unit and concord," the garter.

Edward's version of Arthur's Knights of the Round Table was thus created in The Most Noble Order of the Garter. The exact date is uncertain. Froissart, who was almost contemporary, says the institution took place in 1344; but it is probable that the Garter and its motto were originally designed merely as a livery collar, or personal ornament to be worn, according to the custom of the time, at jousts and other festivals. No notice of the issue of this device appears in "The Accounts of the Royal Wardrobe", before 1346. But vestments embroidered with the Garter and motto had been delivered for the use of the King, and of persons who were not afterwards included among the members of the Order, at Christmas festivities held at Guildford in 1347, and at tournaments held at Bury, Windsor, Lichfield, and Eltham in that year. Twelve blue Garters with the motto were provided for the Eltham jousts.

The actual institution of the Order of the Garter as a permanent knightly association probably took place between 24th June, and the foundation of St.George's Chapel, 6th August 1348. Although commonly thought to have been established in the autumn of 1348, records indicate that it's possible it was not in existence before the summer of 1346. Nobody who was not a knight could under its statutes have been admitted to it, and neither the prince of Wales nor several others of the original companions were knighted until the middle of 1348. The first knight given the honor of the Garter was Edward's eldest son, Edward the Black Prince.

Regarding the occasion there has been almost as much controversy as regarding the date of its foundation. The "vulgar and more general story" as Ashmole calls it, is thhe story given by POLYDORE VERGIL, which associates its foundation, and the adoption of its distinctive badge with the founder's asserted passion for the wife of WILLIAM MONTACUTE, Earl of Salisbury. But commentators are not at one as to which countess of Salisbury was the heroine of the adventure, whether she was Katherine Montacute or Joan the Fair Maid of Kent. The most famous legend, which recent research suggests may actually be true, gave rise to the Order's motto. It is said that King Edward was dancing at a ball with Joan, Countess of Salisbury, when Joan's garter fell off. The king bent over to pick it up, and several of the men around him began to tease Edward. Although Edward is thought to be the first king after the Norman Conquest to be able to speak English, he snapped at the men in French (which was his everyday language) "Honi soit qui mal y pense," or "Shame on him who thinks ill of it." Thus, the Order of the Garter gained a motto.

Heylyn rejects the legend as "a vain and idle romance derogatory both to the founder and the order, first published by Polydor Vergil, a stranger to the affairs of England, and by him taken upon no better ground than the tradition of the common people, too trifling a foundation for so great a building." Beltz thinks "the Garter may have been adopted as an emblem of the tie, or union, of warlike qualities to be employed in the assertion of the founder's claim to the French crown ; and the motto as a retort of shame and defiance upon him who should think ill of the enterprise." But as Sir Harris Nicolas points out "a great variety of devices and mottoes were used by Edward III.; they were chosen from the most trivial causes and were of an amorous rather than of a military character. Nothing," he adds, "is more likely than that in a crowded assembly a lady should accidentally have dropped her garter; that the circumstance should have caused a smile in the bystanders; and that on it being taken up by Edward he should have reproved the levity of his courtiers by so happy and chivalrous an exclamation, placing the garter at the same time on his own knee, as Honi soit qui mal y pense (Shame on him who thinks this evil).

The Insignia consist of the Garter; the Collar and St. George ; the Star ; and the Ribbon and Badge, or lesser George. The Garter, which was originally of embroidered cloth or silk, is now of dark blue velvet, edged and buckled with gold, and bears in letters of gold the motto-" Honi soil qui mal y pense." (Dishonoured be he that thinks ill of it.) Occasionally diamonds are used instead of gold. The Garter is buckled below the left knee. Female Sovereigns wear it upon the left arm above the elbow.

The COLLAR consists of twenty-six pieces, composed alternately of golden love-knots, and of buckled garters enamelled with the motto, and enclosing roses; these were originally all red, but later were made to consist of red roses charged with white ones, alternating with white roses charged with red. From the central link depends the Badge, or George; a golden figure enamelled, or set with jewels, representing St. George, the patron Saint of the realm, transfixing with his lance an overthrown dragon. The STAR, added to the Insignia by CHARLES I in 1629, consists of eight silver or diamond rays, in the center of which is placed the circular buckled garter and motto, enclosing on a field of white enamel the red cross of St. George. The Star is worn on the left breast.

When the Collar and George are not used, the BADGE, or lesser George : -a figure of the saint vanquishing the dragon, chased in gold on an oval of blue enamel, and surrounded by a golden garter - is worn from the broad blue ribbon of the Order en ccharpe at the right side, the ribbon passing over the left shoulder. Originally, as in the case of all Ancient Orders of Knighthood, the Badge was suspended from a ribbon round the neck. The change in the mode of wearing the ribbon was probably made in the reign of Charles I, whose portraits by VANDYKE show that he wore the ribbon and lesser George in both ways. The oft-repeated story which connects the present mode with a natural son of Charles II, is therefore inexact. In 1521 the lesser George was directed to be worn attached to a gold chain or ribbon round the neck. The colour of the ribbon was optional, but was usually black. In 1623 it was ordered that the Knights should use only the ribbon, and that of blue.

The habit of the Order consists of a crimson velvet surcoat; a mantle of deep blue velvet, lined with white taffeta, fastened by cordons of blue and gold, and bearing on the left shoulder the shield of St. George within the garter. This mantle was originally powdered with garters, and in times of mourning was of black. The colour of the surtout varied from year to year; blue, scarlet, sanguine in grain, white, and black, having all been used. The hood is of crimson velvet. The hat of black velvet, is plumed with white ostrich feathers and an aigrette of herons' feathers, and is ornamented with a diamond black buckle.

The Order of the Garter is bestowed solely by the reigning monarch, known as the Sovereign of the Garter, as a personal gift of that monarch. It is limited to the reigning sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and 25 Knights or Ladies Companion. Not counting towards the limit of 25, however, are supernumerary Knights and Ladies, which would include members of the royal family and foreign monarchs, who are also referred to as Stranger Knights and Ladies Companion.

The Order, which from the first consisted of the Sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and twenty-four Knights, was in 1786 enlarged to admit in addition to these such lineal descendants of King GEORGE III. as -might from time to time be elected. In 1805 this privilege was extended to the lineal descendants of King George II.; and in 1831 it was decreed that thenceforth the Order should consist of the Sovereign, and twenty-five Knights- Companions, together with such lineal descendants of King George I as had been, or might thereafter be, elected. Special statutes also provide for the admission of foreign princes ; and occasionally extra-Knights have been appointed by special statutes, and absorbed into the number of regular Knights as vacancies occurred in the Order.

Knights or Ladies may have they membership revoked by the sovereign in case of the commitment of severe crimes, and this was seen especially when Stranger Knights Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany and Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria had their memberships annulled during World War I. Emperor Hirohito of Japan had the unique honor of being appointed a Stranger Knight by two different sovereigns, as his membership was annulled due to World War II and he was later reinstated by Elizabeth II.

Traditionally, the monarch announces the names of those chosen to be new members of the Order on St. George's Day, April 23. On Monday of Royal Ascot week each June, members of the Order meet in the state apartments of the Upper Ward of Windsor Castle, wearing their full regalia. They then process on foot through the Castle, led by the Military Knights of Windsor, to St. George's Chapel for the Garter service, where new knights (if any) are installed by the Queen. Afterwards, the knights both old and new return to the Upper Ward by carriage. Knights Companion of the Order attach "Sir" before their first name, and Ladies Companion attach the word "Lady," not "Dame," the word seen in other chivalric orders. The Wives of male members may use the word Lady before their names, but there is no such provision for the husbands of Ladies Companion. Members may use the letters "KG" or "LG" after their names. They may also surround their families' personal arms with the garter.