Order of the Garter
St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle has been the home of the Most Noble Order of the Garter since King Edward III of England founded the Order in 1348 as "a society, fellowship and college of knights." It is now the oldest and highest order of chivalry in the British honours system.In conscious imitation of King Arthur's Round Table, the Order always has 26 official Knights of the Garter, including the sovereign, and each is assigned a seat in the choir of the Chapel; each knight's coat of arms is displayed on a flag hanging over that seat. Women are now admitted to the Order, as are a few non-Christian foreign heads of state. Since 1786 there have also been extra ("supernumerary") knights, not counted in the 26, to include certain ex officio personages, such as all the sons of the sovereign.
As with the other orders of chivalry, the sovereign fills vacancies in the membership by naming persons who have performed some note-worthy service for the nation. Knights have the right to wear (on the left leg) "the Garter," the buckled blue strap with the Order's motto, Honi soit qui mal y pense ('Shame on him who thinks evil of it'), and to use the post nominal "K.G." after their names.
The Original 25 Knights of the Garter (1348)
- Edward, the Black Prince, Prince of Wales (1330-1376)
- Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster, Admiral of the Fleet and Steward of England (1300-1361)
- Thomas Beauchamp, 3rd Earl of Warwick, Marshal of England (1314-1369)
- Jean de Grailly, Captal de Buch (d.1377)
- Ralph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford (1301-1372)
- William de Montacute, 2nd Earl of Salisbury (1328-1397)
- Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March (1328-1360)
- Sir John de Lisle, later 1st Lord Lisle de Rougemont
- Sir Bartholmew Burghersh
- Sir John Beauchamp, later 1st Lord Beauchamp de Warwick
- John Mohun, 2nd Lord Mohun
- Sir Hugh Courtenay
- Sir Thomas Holland, afterwards 1st Earl of Kent
- Sir John Grey
- Sir Richard Fitz-Simon
- Sir Miles Stapleton
- Sir Thomas Wale
- Sir Hugh Wrottesley
- Sir Male Loryng
- Sir John Chandos
- Sir James Audley
- Sir Otho Holland
- Sir Henry Earn
- Sir Sanchet d'Abrichecourt
- Sir Walter Paveley
