Orders of Chivalry
Knights in shining armour, tales of high valour, gallantry and loyalty… the orders of chivalry are rich in imagery and tradition. Originally created to award loyalty and service, the early orders also had a more practical edge.
In the days when the sovereign was the nation’s sole ruler, winning and keeping the loyalty of subjects was essential to political survival. Kings and queens recognised the value of rewarding their supporters’ loyalty and gallantry in battle, as a way to ensure support in the future. The form these rewards took changed over the centuries. In medieval times, monarchs would bestow gifts of land or money. Sometimes they even conferred a title as a mark of distinction.
But as the decades drew on, material gifts were eventually replaced with awards of knighthood. Knights would receive a chain of honour, or collar, which they would wear as testament to their loyalty to the king or queen. It is these awards that form the basis of today’s orders of chivalry.
There are six British orders of chivalry. In order of seniority (starting with the most senior) these are:
The Most Noble Order of the Garter
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath
The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George
The Royal Victorian Order
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Traditionally, only military figures and members of the aristocracy could hope to be appointed to an order. But in the 19th century, changes were afoot and the orders system received a major overhaul. For the first time, rank and position were no longer pre-requisites to becoming a Knight. And as a modern form of government emerged, the Sovereign began to confer honours on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
The orders of chivalry continue to hold fast to their traditional values, while evolving with the times. For example, in 1987, Her Majesty the Queen decided that women should be eligible for the Order of the Garter.
Each order has its own insignia, motto and mantle that combine to make an impressive costume. With the same spirit of tradition and progressiveness as the orders themselves, Ede and Ravenscroft has made the mantles for all of the nation’s orders of chivalry since 1689 and continues to do so today.
