At present, there are 24 living members of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. This ancient British order of knighthood was founded by King Edward III in 1348 and is the highest symbolic honor bestowed on individuals in Great Britain.
Today, membership of the Most Noble Order of the Garter is awarded to selected members of the British royal family, as well as some foreign royals, members of the British government, and foreign nationals who have rendered exceptional service to the United Kingdom.
The monarch is the Sovereign of the Garter and appoints his or her own representatives, known as “outsiders,” to the order. To date, there have been 690 members of the Most Noble Order of the Garter since its inception.
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Who are the current holders of the Order of the Garter?
The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most prestigious order of chivalry in Britain. Members of the Order are chosen personally by the reigning monarch upon traditional criteria of exemplary service to the nation and the Crown.
The current holders of the Order of the Garter are:
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (appointed in 1947)
His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales (appointed in 1958)
His Royal Highness, The Duke of Cambridge (appointed in 2008)
His Royal Highness, The Duke of Sussex (appointed in 2018)
His Royal Highness, The Duke of York (appointed in 1986)
His Royal Highness, The Earl of Wessex (appointed in 1999)
His Royal Highness, The Duke of Gloucester (appointed in 1974)
Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal (appointed in 1994)
His Royal Highness, The Duke of Kent (appointed in 1985)
Other current members of the Order include former Prime Ministers Theresa May and Sir John Major, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and former Supreme Court President Baroness Hale of Richmond. In addition, Knights and Ladies of the Garter are appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of distinguished external figures including senior members of the Armed Forces and academics.
Who has been removed from Order of the Garter?
The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior order of knighthood in Britain, having been founded by Edward III in 1348. It is a very select order, with only the Queen and 24 other members allowed at any one time.
Over the years, a number of members have been removed or resigned, including some famous figures.
One of the earliest removals was that of Sir Simon Burley in 1388, who had served as a mentor to Edward III’s son, the Black Prince. Burley was accused of plotting against the king and was removed from the order.
In 1559, Henry VIII withdrew from the order due to concerns regarding his marriage to Anne of Cleaves. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who was Henry’s Lord Chancellor, also resigned from the order due to his treatment by the king.
More recently, Lord Ernest Hamilton was removed from the order in 1986 after it was discovered that he had been involved in a fraudulent sale of shares in a Scottish brewery. And in 2014, Prince Andrew was removed from the order due to his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
Is Prince Harry a member of the Order of the Garter?
Yes, Prince Harry is a member of the Order of the Garter. It is the highest order of chivalry and the most senior and the oldest British Order of Chivalry. The Order of the Garter was established by Edward III in 1348, and has consisted of the King and Prince of Wales, together with 24 Knights Companions, ever since.
Prince Harry was installed as a knight in April 2008, and as a result, is the 1000th knight in the Order’s 650-year history. Prince Harry is the first royal who is in a modern relationship to be appointed in the Order, and the first royal of his generation to be appointed.
Who is the sovereign of the most noble order of the garter?
The Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter is currently Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who has been the Sovereign of the Order since her accession in 1952. The Order of the Garter is the senior and oldest British Order of Chivalry, founded by King Edward III in 1348.
The Order is composed of the Sovereign, the Great Master, and twenty-four Knights Companions. Each year in June, the Sovereign appoints additional Knights Companions, upon whom they confer the honour and the insignia of a blue garter and a starred badge.
The Order is accompanied by a Union Flag, which works as a banner of the Sovereign and symbolizes the unity, faith and sovereignty of the nation.
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is considered one of the highest honors of the United Kingdom and is associated with honor, bravery, and chivalry. The Order is held in high regard, and the Sovereign of the Order is seen as a symbol of the British Monarchy’s commitment to upholding the highest ideals of the nation.
Is Kate Middleton in the royal Garter?
No, Kate Middleton is not in the royal Garter. The Garter is the oldest and most senior English Order of Chivalry and is restricted to only 24 individuals. It is exclusively for those men and women of the British Royal Family and requires any new members to have the personal approval of the Sovereign.
There are currently 23 members of the Garter, all men, apart from the Queen.
Is Prince Andrew still a Garter knight?
Yes, Prince Andrew is still a Garter knight. He was appointed by the Queen on June 23, 1978 and has held the title ever since. The Garter is the highest Order of Chivalry in the United Kingdom, and Prince Andrew is the 8th member of the Royal Family to be admitted (after the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince Philip, Prince Edward, Prince William, Prince Richard and Prince Michael).
The knight’s insignia is a blue riband with blue enameled garter star, and Prince Andrew wears his insignia with pride. Prince Andrew is also a member of the Order of Merit, the Order of the Thistle and the Royal Victorian Order.
What is the Order of the Garter knights?
The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most prestigious order of chivalry in the United Kingdom. It is dedicated to the image and arms of Saint George and the Virgin Mary. The Order dates back to 1348 when King Edward III formally founded the chivalric order to consolidate his power and to reward loyalty and knightly service.
The Order consists of the King, the Prince of Wales, and twenty-four other Knights Companions, who are usually high-ranking members of the British aristocracy. Over the centuries, the Order has come to symbolize excellence and honour in British society and culture.
The Order of the Garter is not a religious order, although it contains some religious symbolism. Its main purpose is to recognize and reward individual acts of chivalric behaviour, to promote chivalric ideals, and to foster unity among nations.
The Sovereign is the head of the Order and serves as a figurehead. Each Knight Companion is selected by the Sovereign after consultation with the Prime Minister and is appointed for life upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
The Order of the Garter is composed of elaborate ceremonies, ceremonies of installation and investiture, magnificent apparel and insignia, special regalia and symbols, and a special badge. Each knight wears a special robe, known as a Robe of the Order, and a collar made of blue velvet and gold linked by knots which symbolizes his knightly rank.
All Knights are also bestowed with knighthood regalia, such as a scarf and a golden crown, to decorate the gown during official occasions. All Knights also receive an eight-pointed star known as the “Order Star”, which is worn on the left arm.
The Order of the Garter is one of the most prestigious and exclusive clubs of knights in the entire world. It celebrates and rewards chivalric behavior and is still a coveted honour that is highly respected in British and world society.
Which Knights of the Garter have been removed?
Only three Knights of the Garter have been removed since the Order was founded in 1348. The first was Thomas, Duke of Norfolk in 1536, who was convicted and executed for treason in the reign of Henry VIII.
In 1786, the second, the 3rd Earl Ferrers, was removed by George III for his role in a murder. The third and most recent was the 9th Duke of Leinster in 1931, who was removed after publicly converting to Roman Catholicism.
Can Prince Andrew still be called a prince?
Yes, Prince Andrew can still be referred to as a prince. While he stepped down from public duties in November 2019, he technically has not lost his royal title. Prince Andrew is still a member of the Royal Family, he just is no longer undertaking public engagements.
As the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, he is still officially titled His Royal Highness, The Duke of York. He is entitled to be referred to as a prince as it is part of his title, and precedes his other name.
Is Harry still in line to the throne?
Yes, Harry is still in line to the throne. Harry is currently sixth in line to the throne, behind his father Prince Charles, his brother Prince William, his nephews Prince George and Prince Louis, and his niece Princess Charlotte.
Although the line of succession can fluctuate with the birth of new children or the death of people ahead of Harry, he remains sixth in line until the Line of Succession changes.
Who can remove royal titles?
Royal titles can only be removed or altered by the reigning monarch of a particular country. This is a prerogative power, which means that the monarch has the exclusive right to make a decision on the matter without consulting any other authority.
This right has been traditionally used in many monarchies throughout the world and is still exercised today in countries such as the United Kingdom. The monarch is usually advised by their ministers and advisers prior to making a decision on the matter, so it is not necessarily their sole discretion.
In most monarchies, the removal of a royal title is limited to members of the royal family, and cannot be extended to ordinary citizens. In some cases, the removal of a title may be reserved for particularly serious offenses, such as treason or adultery.
Why is Prince Edward not in line for the throne?
Prince Edward is not in line for the throne because he is the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. According to the laws of male-preference primogeniture, other members of the British Royal Family are ahead of him in the line of succession.
These include his elder brothers, Prince Charles (heir apparent to the throne) and Prince Andrew, as well as his nephews and nieces. Therefore, Prince Edward will never become the monarch of the United Kingdom.
In addition to the line of succession, Edward is also prevented from becoming the monarch by his own decision to renounce his rights to the throne when he married in 1999. Under the Royal Marriages Act 1772, the Sovereign opposes any member of the family from marrying without the consent of the reigning monarch.
Since the Queen did not approve of his intended marriage to Sophie Rhys-Jones, Edward voluntarily relinquished his entitlement to his place in the line of succession.
