![]() Conferment of the order entails adoption into knighthood and the right to use the title “Sir.” Holders of the order add KG after their names. Originally, existing knights elected new knights, but now appointment to the order is solely at the discretion of the British monarch. The Sovereign and the Prince of Wales are always members of the order. Membership was expanded in the late 18th and early 19th centuries to include supernumeraries such as members of the royal family (known as Royal Knights Companion), certain other chosen lineal descendants of King George I, and foreigners (known as extra knights). Little has changed, the order today consisting of the Queen, her consort the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, and 24 Knights Companion (excluding the Queen’s other sons and the Ladies of the Garter). The original medieval membership consisted of the English king and the Prince of Wales, each with 12 companions, as if at a tournament. In 1945, when his party was voted out of office, Winston Churchill refused the honour when it was first offered to him, explaining in private, “I can hardly accept the Order of the Garter from the king after the people have given me the Order of the Boot.” Churchill relented, however, and was inducted into the order in 1953. The conferment of the honour has even been refused. During World War II, the crests and swords of the “extra knights” Emperor Hirohito of Japan and King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy were removed from the order’s chapel. Thirty-six knights of the Garter have been beheaded, with Henry VIII alone accounting for six. Nonetheless, members have fallen from honour and forfeited their rank. The most popular candidate is Joan, “Fair Maid of Kent,” the king’s cousin, but Katharine Grandison, Countess of Salisbury, has a strong claim, and one Tudor historian named the lady as the queen, Philippa of Hainault.Īs one of the most distinguished and exclusive orders of knighthood, (there is only one rank, that of Knight Companion), the order’s roll has contained many illustrious names. The king inaugurated the Order of the Garter with a great feast and joust, but the identity of the lady thus granted immortality is uncertain. As bystanders snickered, Edward gallantly picked up the garter and put it on his own leg, admonishing the courtiers in French with the phrase that remains the order’s motto, “Honi soit qui mal y pense” (“Shame to him who thinks evil of it,” popularly rendered as “Evil to him who evil thinks”). The order was established to commemorate an incident in which Edward was dancing when one of his partner’s blue garters dropped to the floor. ![]() One theory is that Edward III wished to revive the Round Table of Arthurian legend. Because the earliest records of the order were destroyed by fire, it is difficult for historians to be certain of its original purposes, the significance of its emblem, and the origin of the order’s motto. The Most Noble Order of the Garter, English order of knighthood founded by King Edward III in 1348, ranked as the highest British civil and military honour obtainable. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.From tech to household and wellness products. Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.
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