The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is the highest honour awarded by the Sovereign in Scotland, second only to The Order of the Garter. Established by His Majesty King James II of England and VII of Scotland in 1687, he firmly believed he was simply reviving an ancient companionship of knights.
However, only a year after he ‘revived’ the order, the triumphant invasion of William of Orange drove the King into exile. Without its champion, the order gradually stopped being used. It wasn’t until 1703 that Her Majesty Queen Anne breathed new life into the order, reviving it along the lines of the Order of the Garter. Three hundred years on, and the order remains very much alive.
The order’s chapel is in St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, where a special service is usually held each year. This is a perfect opportunity to see the Knights in their full regalia. They wear a mantle of dark green silk velvet lined with white silk taffeta, with a silver and gold hand embroidered badge on the left breast. In the badge’s centre sits the order’s emblem, the thistle, circled by the motto, “Nemo me impune lacessit”, or ”No one provokes me with impunity”. The mantle also has a blue velvet hood attached to the right shoulder and is fastened with green and gold embroidered cordons. The order’s gold enamelled collar is attached to the mantle with white silk satin shoulder bows.
Ede and Ravenscroft has created these mantles ever since the firm was established in 1689. It’s testament to the quality of the material and craftsmanship that many of today’s mantles are as much as 100 years old.
