The Most Noble Order of the Garter is considered to be one of the most prestigious chivalric orders in the world and King Charles is set to lead its annual procession as the knights and ladies of the Order gather in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor in one of the most historic of all royal events.
Founded in 1348 by King Edward III, who was “so inspired by the tales of King Arthur and the chivalry of the Knights of the Round Table”, the Order of the Garter was a group of honourable knights.
A legend persists that Edward III was dancing with a woman when her garter fell to the floor. As courtiers around him laughed, the King picked up the garter and replaced it, uttering the Order’s motto: “Honi soit qui mal y pense” – “Shame on him who thinks this evil”.
The woman’s identity has never been confirmed, but there are three accepted possibilities. First is his daughter in law, Joan, called the Fair Maid of Kent, who married Edward III’s eldest son and became the first English woman to hold the title of Princess of Wales. Other possibilities are Katharine Grandison, Countess of Salisbury – Edward III was surrounded by rumours that he was infatuated with a Countess of Salisbury and Katherine has long been a main contender. Another legend is that the woman whose garter he scooped up was his wife, Philippa of Hainault, Queen of England.
In modern times, members of the Order are chosen for their public service instead of their aristocratic background, and at any given time there can only be 24 knights (in addition to the Sovereign). The Sovereign and the Prince of Wales are always members of the Order of the Garter.
King Charles became the Sovereign of the Order of the Garter on September 8 2022 when he succeeded as Monarch. Prince William was already a member of the Order, having been named as such in April 2008. He was appointed by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who made the honour extra special by ensuring that her grandson became the 1,000th member of the Order of the Garter.
One of the last people appointed to the Order by Queen Elizabeth II was Queen Camilla who was named a Royal Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter on January 1 2022. Just weeks later, Elizabeth II used her Platinum Jubilee address to confirm that Camilla would be known as Queen in the reign of Charles III. As Saint George is the patron saint of the Order, any new appointments are usually announced on St. George’s Day, 23 April.
The Prince of Wales acts as an ex-officio member. Other royals to hold the honours are the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alexandra. The Princess Royal and the Duke of Edinburgh are also members. One of the first appointments of the reign of Charles III was that of the Duchess of Gloucester.
However, the honour can also be removed. In October 2025, it was confirmed that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, had been stripped of his membership of the Order of the Garter as King Charles removed all his royal titles and honours.
European monarchs are sometimes given the Order of the Garter as Stranger Knights and Ladies, and these currently include the Emperor of Japan, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, King Juan Carlos of Spain, King Felipe of Spain, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands and King Harald of Norway.
There are five officers in the Order: the Prelate (always the Bishop of Winchester), Chancellor, Registrar (the Dean of Windsor since Charles I’s reign), Garter King of Arms, and Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod.
Members of the Order are always referred to as Knights or Ladies, and add “KG” or “LG” to their post-nominals. The Order of the Garter precedes all orders and merits except those of the Victoria Cross and George Cross.
Over time, some members of the Order have been degraded and their heralds removed from St. George’s Chapel (during the Second World War, extra knights Emperor Hirohito and King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy were degraded, although the Emperor’s was later restored during a State Visit in the 1970s). Henry VIII had several of his knights beheaded, and Winston Churchill declined a spot in 1945 after his government had been voted out of office, saying that he couldn’t accept the Order of the Garter if the people had given him the “Order of the Boot.”
Each member is given a stall at St. George’s Chapel, where they display their banner, helmet and stall plate with their arms. After their deaths, the banners and helmets are taken down but their stall plate remains.
Each year, Garter Day is celebrated in June in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle – the Order’s Mother Church. The King begins Garter Day by formally investing any new members in the Throne Room at Windsor Castle, then hosts a lunch for all members. Afterwards, all members proceed by foot to St. George’s Chapel for a service, known as the Garter Day procession, robed in velvet robes, insignia and plumed hats.
