Order of the Garter

Order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England

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
Type| Dynastic order
Established| 1348; 677 years ago (1348)
Motto| Honi soit qui mal y pense
(Anglo-Norman for 'Shame on him who thinks evil of it')[1]
Criteria| At the monarch's pleasure
Status| Currently constituted
Founder| Edward III
Sovereign| Charles III
Chancellor| Eliza Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller
Prelate| The Bishop of Winchester (ex officio)
Classes|

* Royal Knight/Lady (Companion)
* Stranger Knight/Lady Companion
* Knight/Lady Companion
* (all abbreviated as KG/LG)

Statistics
First induction| 1348
Total inductees|

* Edward 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 & Philip: 9
* Elizabeth I: 54
* James I: 29
* Charles I: 21
* Charles II: 47
* James II: 7
* Mary II & 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: 7

Tally: 1,032
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

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.

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]

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, of whom the latest notice (according to the book) is 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 (1327–49)
* 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 of Bedale (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]

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,[a] 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.[11] 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][12]

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.[13] 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).[14] 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."[15]

### 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, as they were not Knights. Queen Philippa was the first Lady to be appointed in 1358. 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, and his daughter Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II). Throughout the 20th century, women continued to be associated with the Order, but save for foreign female monarchs, they were not made Companions.[16]

In 1987, by a statute of Queen Elizabeth II, the installation of "Ladies Companion of the Garter" became possible.[17] Unlike previous queens consort, Queen Camilla was named a Royal Lady of the Garter by her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, when she was still the Duchess of Cornwall.[18]

In 2022, Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos, became the first Black Lady Companion of the Order since its foundation.[19] Eliza Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller, became the first Lady Companion to be appointed chancellor of the Order, on 18 June 2024.[20]

## Composition

[edit]

See also: List of current knights and ladies of the Garter

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.[21] The monarch is known as the Sovereign of the Garter, and the Prince of Wales is known as a Royal Knight Companion of the Garter.[22]

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.[23]

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.[16] Thus, the sovereign personally selects Knights and Ladies Companion of the Garter, without political influence.[24] Appointments are typically announced on Saint George's Day (23 April).[16]

### 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".[25] 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.[25]

### Degradation of members

[edit]

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 Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, in 1716.[26]

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 I of Austria, were struck off the roll of the order, their appointments being annulled in 1915.[25] 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.[27] 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.[28]

### 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.[29] 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.[30]

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.[31]

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 Edward VIII abdication crisis), and so it was withheld from his successor, Kenneth Kirk, and has since been held by one of the Knights and Ladies Companion.[32]

The office of Register has been held by the Dean of Windsor since 1558.[33] 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.[34] 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 typically also been selected from the other officers of the College of Arms.[35] 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.[36]

* Prelate: Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Winchester (ex officio, 2023)
* Chancellor: Eliza Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller LG, DCB (2024)
* Register:[37] Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Dean of Windsor (ex officio, 2023)
* King of Arms: David White OStJ, Garter Principal King of Arms (ex officio, 2021)
* Secretary: Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Segrave (2024)
* Usher: Sarah Clarke CVO, OBE, Lady Usher of the Black Rod (ex officio, 2018)

## Military Knights of Windsor

[edit]

Main article: Military Knights of Windsor

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.[38]

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.[38]

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.[39]

## Robes and insignia

[edit]

King Charles III and Queen Camilla wearing their insignia on Garter Day in 2024.

### Members

[edit]

#### Order's ceremonial occasions

[edit]

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.[39]
* The hat is a Tudor bonnet of black velvet with a plume of white ostrich and black heron feathers.[39]
* 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[39] alone, a combination of both forms.[b] Today one of the most visible representations of the collar forms part of the monarch's heraldic achievement on the gates of Buckingham Palace.[c]
* 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.[39]

The insignia of a knight/lady companion of the Order of the Garter

* The Garter is worn on ceremonial occasions around the left calf[d] 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.[39] 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.[40]

#### 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

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

* 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.[39]
* 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.[39] There are examples in the Royal Collection of the stars of foreign orders given to George V surrounded with the Garter, e.g. the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle given to George V when Prince of Wales.[41]
* 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.[39]
* 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.[39]

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.[39]

### 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.[39]
* 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.[39]

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.[39]

## 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.[16]

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.[42] 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.[16]

## 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.[16] 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.[43][44]

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.[45] 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.[46]

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;[42] on the occasion of the order's 600th anniversary.[47]

## 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.[48]

Knights Companion prefix "Sir"[49] and Ladies Companion prefix "Lady" to their forenames.[50] Wives of Knights Companion may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but no corresponding privilege exists for husbands of Ladies Companion.[51] Such forms are not used by royalty, peers, peeresses, or Anglican clergymen, who instead use only the post-nominal letters.[49]

Knights and Ladies Companion use the post-nominal letters "KG" and "LG" respectively.[24] 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).[52]

### Heraldry

[edit]

In their heraldic achievements, members of the Order of the Garter may encircle their escutcheon with the Garter.[53] 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.[53]

## Gallery

[edit]

* Garter banner of Alexander Baring, 6th Baron Ashburton, now in Winchester Cathedral

* Garter banner of Oliver Lyttelton, 1st Viscount Chandos, now in St John the Baptist Church, Hagley

* Garter banner of Lord Wilson of Rievaulx, now at Jesus College Chapel, Oxford

* Garter banner of Henry Manners, 8th Duke of Rutland, now at Belvoir Castle

* Arms of Philip, Prince of Asturias at his investiture, encircled by the Garter (in 1554)

* Garter stall plate of George Cadogan, 5th Earl Cadogan

* Arms of Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher

* The arms of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, are encircled by both the Garter and the collar.

* The arms of John Casimir of the Palatinate-Simmern, encircled by the Garter

* The Garter "Star" worn by King Charles XI of Sweden, late 17th century

* The garter of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria

### Armorial

[edit]

Coats of arms of current Knights and Ladies of the Garter

| Sovereign

Arms of King Charles III
Royal Knights and Ladies (Companion)

|  |
Arms of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent | Arms of Anne, Princess Royal | Arms of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
|  |
Arms of Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy | Arms of Prince Andrew, Duke of York | Arms of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
|  |
Arms of William, Prince of Wales | Arms of Queen Camilla | Arms of Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester
Stranger Knights and Ladies Companion

|  |
Arms of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark[e] | Arms of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden[e] | Arms of King Juan Carlos I of Spain[e]
|  |
Arms of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands[e] | Arms of Emperor Akihito of Japan[e] | Arms of King Harald V of Norway[e]
|  |
Arms of King Felipe VI of Spain[e] | Arms of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands[e] | Arms of Emperor Naruhito of Japan
Knights and Ladies Companion

|  |
Arms of James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn | Arms of Robin Butler, Baron Butler of Brockwell | Arms of Sir John Major
|  |
Arms of Richard Luce, Baron Luce | Arms of Nicholas Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers | Arms of Jock Stirrup, Baron Stirrup
|  |
Arms of Eliza Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller | Arms of Mervyn King, Baron King of Lothbury | Arms of Charles Kay-Shuttleworth, 5th Baron Shuttleworth
|  |
Arms of Lady Mary Fagan | Arms of Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough | Arms of Lady Mary Peters
|  |
Arms of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury | Arms of Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos | Arms of Sir Tony Blair
|  |
Arms of Catherine Ashton, Baroness Ashton of Upholland  | Arms of Chris Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes  | Arms of Stuart Peach, Baron Peach
|  |
Arms of Ajay Kakkar, Baron Kakkar | Arms of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber  | Vacant
|  |
Vacant | Vacant | Vacant
The Order

Arms of the Order  | Variant with the royal arms and St Edward's Crown

## See also

[edit]

* 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 Garter

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ 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'.
2. ^ 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).
3. ^ See image File:Buckingham Palace - 02.jpg.
4. ^ 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 by most Garter knights has fallen into disuse.
5. ^ 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]

1. ^ 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.
2. ^ "The Order of the Garter". The Royal Family. 11 November 2015. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
3. ^ 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"
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 1856960269.
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. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
11. ^ Rogers 2018, pp. 134–138
12. ^ Rogers 2018, pp. 139–144
13. ^ Cotton Nero A.x 128v Archived 13 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine.
14. ^ 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 539521.301-315&rft.date=1997&rft_id=info:doi/10.2307/539521&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/539521#id-name=JSTOR&rft.aulast=Friedman&rft.aufirst=Albert+B.&rft.au=Osberg,+Richard+H.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Order+of+the+Garter" class="Z3988">
15. ^ 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 2871614.146-149&rft.date=1938&rft_id=info:doi/10.2307/2871614&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2871614#id-name=JSTOR&rft.aulast=Savage&rft.aufirst=Henry+L.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Order+of+the+Garter" class="Z3988">
16. ^ 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.
17. ^ 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 165893968.97-113&rft.date=1993&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:165893968#id-name=S2CID&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2541800#id-name=JSTOR&rft_id=info:doi/10.2307/2541800&rft.aulast=Waddington&rft.aufirst=Raymond+B.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Order+of+the+Garter" class="Z3988">
18. ^ "Queen wants Camilla to be Queen Consort when Charles becomes king". The Guardian. 5 February 2022.`{{cite news}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
19. ^ "Prince Andrew out of view as Tony Blair receives royal honour". BBC News. 13 June 2022. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
20. ^ Furness, Hannah (13 June 2024). "Former M15 boss becomes first female Chancellor of the Order of the Garter". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
21. ^ 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.
22. ^ "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.
23. ^ Begent & Chesshyre 1999, p. 198
24. ^ a b "Select Committee on Public Administration Fifth Report". UK Parliament. 13 July 2004. Archived from the original on 23 November 2006. Retrieved 8 November 2006.
25. ^ 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.
26. ^ Peter J Begent. The Most Noble Order of the Garter, its History and Ceremonial.
27. ^ David Kemp (1992). The Pleasures and Treasures of Britain: A Discerning Traveller's Companion. Dundurn. p. 141\. ISBN 9781770700703. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
28. ^ Kingston, Jeff (13 March 2005). "The Tokyo envoys: Englishmen in Japan". The Japan Times. Tokyo. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016.
29. ^ Knight, Charles (1811). "9". Guide to Windsor.
30. ^ "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.
31. ^ Begent & Chesshyre 1999, p. 105
32. ^ Begent & Chesshyre 1999, pp. 109–112
33. ^ Begent & Chesshyre 1999, p. 116
34. ^ Begent & Chesshyre 1999, p. 122
35. ^ Begent & Chesshyre 1999, p. 143
36. ^ Begent & Chesshyre 1999, p. 132
37. ^ "The Register of the Order of the Garter". The Companion – magazine for the College of St George. No. 21\. The Dean and Canons of Windsor. 13 June 2015. p. 12. Retrieved 23 April 2021 - via issuu.com.
38. ^ 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.
39. ^ 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 2003.6-12&rft.date=1999&rft.aulast=Cox&rft.aufirst=Noel&rft_id=http://www.geocities.com/noelcox/Garter_Dress.htm&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Order+of+the+Garter" class="Z3988">
40. ^ Una Campbell (1989). Robes of the Realm: 300 Years of Ceremonial Dress. Michael O'Mara Books. p. 21.
41. ^ "- Order of the Black Eagle (Prussia). George V's star with garter". www.royalcollection.org.uk. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
42. ^ a b "Garter Banner List". Dean & Canons of Windsor. Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
43. ^ William Berry. Encyclopaedia Heraldica Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry. Vol. 1. Google eBook.
44. ^ "Research guides No.1: The Order of the Garter" (PDF). St George's Chapel Archives and Chapter Library. s.v. "Oath". Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
45. ^ Thomas Robson (1830). The British Herald, or Cabinet of armorial bearings of the nobility and gentry of Great Britain & Ireland. p. 96. Google eBook.
46. ^ De la Bere, Brigadier Sir Ivan (1964). The Queen's Orders of Chivalry. London: Spring Books. p. 85.
47. ^ "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.
48. ^ Mosley, Charles (2005). "Precedence". Burke's Peerage and Gentry. Archived from the original on 28 September 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
49. ^ a b "Knight". Forms of Address. Debretts. Archived from the original on 25 August 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
50. ^ "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.
51. ^ "Dame". Forms of Address. Debretts. Archived from the original on 7 August 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
52. ^ "Order of Wear". The UK Honours System. Cabinet Office. Archived from the original on 30 January 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
53. ^ a b Courtenay, Paul (14 October 2008). "The Armorial Bearings of Sir Winston Churchill". The Churchill Centre. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2016.

## Sources

[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 1902040201.
* 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. 851–867.851-867&rft.edition=11th&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=1911&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Order+of+the+Garter" class="Z3988">
* 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. 125–145\. ISBN 9781783272983.125-145&rft.pub=Boydell&rft.date=2018&rft.isbn=9781783272983&rft.aulast=Rogers&rft.aufirst=Clifford+J.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Order+of+the+Garter" class="Z3988">

## 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.
* Brennan, I. G. "The Most Noble Order of the Garter." HeraldicSculptor.com. 2004.
* Velde, F. R. "Order of Precedence in England and Wales." 2003.
* Statutes of the Order as provided by the Cabinet Office, 2023.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Order of the Garter (category)

* The Order of the Garter – Royal Household website
* Order of the Garter – UK Cabinet Office
* 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

* v
* t
* e

Current members of the Order of the Garter

Sovereign|

* The King (ex officio)

Royal Knights
and Ladies (Companion)|

* The Duke of Kent
* The Princess Royal
* The Duke of Gloucester
* Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
* The Duke of York
* The Duke of Edinburgh
* The Prince of Wales (ex officio)
* The Queen
* The Duchess of Gloucester

Stranger Knights
and Ladies Companion|

* Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
* The King of Sweden
* King Juan Carlos I of Spain
* Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands
* Emperor Akihito of Japan
* The King of Norway
* The King of Spain
* The King of the Netherlands
* The Emperor of Japan

Knights and Ladies
Companion|

* The Duke of Abercorn
* The Lord Butler of Brockwell
* Sir John Major
* The Lord Luce
* The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers
* The Lord Stirrup
* The Baroness Manningham-Buller
* The Lord King of Lothbury
* The Lord Shuttleworth
* Lady Mary Fagan
* The Viscount Brookeborough
* Lady Mary Peters
* The Marquess of Salisbury
* The Baroness Amos
* Sir Tony Blair
* The Baroness Ashton of Upholland
* The Lord Patten of Barnes
* The Lord Peach
* The Lord Kakkar
* The Lord Lloyd-Webber
* 4 vacancies

Officers|

* Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Winchester (Prelate, ex officio)
* The Baroness Manningham-Buller (Chancellor)
* Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Dean of Windsor (Register, ex officio)
* David White (Garter King of Arms, ex officio)
* Stephen Segrave (Secretary)
* Sarah Clarke (Black Rod, ex officio)

* v
* t
* e

Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom

Orders|

| Current|

* Garter
* Thistle
* Bath
* Merit
* St Michael and St George
* Royal Victorian
* Distinguished Service
* British Empire
* Imperial Service
* Companions of Honour
* St John

| Royal family orders|

* George VI
* Elizabeth II
* Charles III

|

Dormant|

* St Patrick
* Crown of India
* Star of India
* Indian Empire
* Indian Merit
* British India
* Burma

Defunct|

* Royal Guelphic

| Royal family orders|

* George IV
* Victoria & Albert
* Edward VII
* George V

|

Other|

* Royal Victorian Chain
* Hereditary peerage
* Life peerage
* Privy counsellor
* Baronet
* Knight Bachelor
* Aide-de-camp

Current
decorations
and medals|

| Level 1|

* Victoria Cross
* George Cross

|

Level 2A|

* Distinguished Service Order
* Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
* Royal Red Cross (class I)

Level 2B|

* George Medal
* King's Police Medal, for Gallantry
* King's Fire Service Medal, for Gallantry

Level 3A|

* Distinguished Service Cross
* Military Cross
* Distinguished Flying Cross
* Air Force Cross
* Royal Red Cross (class II)

Level 3B|

* Sea Gallantry Medal
* King's Gallantry Medal
* Royal Victorian Medal
* British Empire Medal
* King’s Police Medal, for Distinguished Service
* King's Fire Service Medal, for Distinguished Service
* King's Ambulance Service Medal
* King's Volunteer Reserves Medal
* Polar Medal
* Imperial Service Medal
* Overseas Territories Police Medal
* Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service

Level 4|

* Mentioned in Despatches
* King's Commendation for Bravery
* King's Commendation for Bravery in the Air
* King's Commendation for Valuable Service

Other|

* Badge of Honour
* Elizabeth Cross
* Elizabeth Emblem

Obsolete
decorations
and medals|

| Level 1|

* Indian Order of Merit (1st class)
* Albert Medal (1st class)
* Edward Medal (1st class)
* Empire Gallantry Medal

|

Level 2A|

* Indian Order of Merit (2nd class)
* Distinguished Conduct Medal
* Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
* Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying)

Level 2B|

* Albert Medal (2nd class)
* Edward Medal (2nd class)
* Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Gold

Level 3A|

* Order of British India (1st class)
* Order of British India (2nd class)
* Indian Order of Merit (3rd class)
* Title Badge (India) (1st class)
* Title Badge (India) (2nd class)
* Title Badge (India) (3rd class)
* Royal West African Frontier Force Distinguished Conduct Medal
* King's African Rifles Distinguished Conduct Medal
* Indian Distinguished Service Medal
* Distinguished Service Medal
* Military Medal
* Distinguished Flying Medal
* Air Force Medal
* Burma Gallantry Medal

Level 3B|

* Constabulary Medal (Ireland)
* Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver
* Kaisar-i-Hind Medal (Gold, Silver, Bronze)
* Indian Police Medal, for Gallantry
* Ceylon Police Medal, for Gallantry
* Sierra Leone Police Medal, for Gallantry
* Sierra Leone Fire Brigades Medal, for Gallantry
* Mauritius Police Medal for Meritorious Service
* Colonial Police Medal, for Gallantry
* Canada Medal
* Queen's Medal for Chiefs
* Indian Police Medal, for Meritorious Service
* Ceylon Police Medal, for Merit
* Sierra Leone Police Medal, for Meritorious Service
* Sierra Leone Fire Brigades Medal, for Meritorious Service

Level 4|

* Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct
* Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air

See also
Order of Wear
British campaign medals
Degradation (knighthood)
Revocations

* v
* t
* e

Orders, decorations, and medals of Australia

(order of wearing)

National orders|

* / Order of Australia

Royal orders|

* Order of the Garter
* Order of the Thistle
* Order of Merit
* Royal Victorian Order
* Order of St John

Gallantry|

* Victoria Cross for Australia (VC)
* Star of Gallantry (SG)
* Medal for Gallantry (MG)
* Commendation for Gallantry

Bravery|

* Cross of Valour (CV)
* Star of Courage (SC)
* Bravery Medal (BM)
* Commendation for Brave Conduct
* Group Bravery Citation

Distinguished service|

* Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)
* Distinguished Service Medal (DSM)
* Commendation for Distinguished Service

Conspicuous service|

* Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC)
* Conspicuous Service Medal (CSM)

Nursing service|

* Nursing Service Cross (NSC)

Meritorious service|

* Public Service Medal (PSM)
* Australian Police Medal (APM)
* Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM)
* Ambulance Service Medal (ASM)
* Emergency Services Medal (ESM)
* Australian Corrections Medal (ACM)
* Australian Intelligence Medal (AIM)
* Australian Antarctic Medal (AAM)
* Royal Victorian Medal (RVM)

Campaign medals
(service periods)|

| 1939–1945|

* Australia Service Medal 1939–1945

|

1945–1975|

* Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975
* Australian General Service Medal for Korea (1953–1956)
* Vietnam Medal (1964–1973)
* Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal (1968–1973)
* Australian Service Medal 1945–1975

1975–2012|

* Australian Active Service Medal (1975–present)
* Rhodesia Medal (1979–1980)
* International Force East Timor Medal (1999–2000)
* Afghanistan Medal (2001–2014)
* Iraq Medal (2003–2013)
* Australian Service Medal (1975–present)

2012–present|

* Australian Operational Service Medal – Border Protection (2012–present)
* Australian Operational Service Medal – GMEO (2014–present)
* Australian Operational Service Medal – Special Operations (2019–present)
* Australian Operational Service Medal – Counter Terrorism/Special Recovery (2020–present)
* Australian Operational Service Medal – Africa (2023–present)
* Australian Operational Service Medal – Civilian (2012–present)

Special service|

* Police Overseas Service Medal
* Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal
* National Emergency Medal
* Civilian Service Medal 1939–1945
* National Police Service Medal
* Australian Sports Medal (2000, 2021–present)

Commemorative

* King Edward VII Coronation Medal (1902)
* King George V Coronation Medal (1911)
* King George V Silver Jubilee Medal (1935)
* King George VI Coronation Medal (1937)
* Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (1953)
* Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (1977)
* 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance Medal (1999)
* Centenary Medal (2001)
* Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)
* Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
* Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022)
* King Charles III Coronation Medal (2023)

Long service|

* Defence Force Service Medal (1982–1998)
* Reserve Force Decoration (1982–1998) (RFD)
* Reserve Force Medal (1982–1998)
* Defence Long Service Medal (1998–)
* National Medal
* Australian Cadet Forces Service Medal
* Service Medal of the Order of St John

Other defence awards|

* Australian Defence Medal
* Champion Shots Medal
* Anniversary of National Service 1951–1972 Medal
* / Unit Citation for Gallantry
* / Meritorious Unit Citation

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* 2
* 3

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Italy
* Australia
* Czech Republic
* 2
* Spain
* Sweden
* Vatican
* Israel

Other|

* IdRef

*[c.]: circa
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template