Garter Day Ceremony

Next Monday, 17 June 2013, sees this year's Garter Day Ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Garter Day, 1948

Given that the order was founded by Edward III in 1348, the ceremony is oddly modern: it dates only to 1948.  That was the date in which George VI re-instituted the formal investiture ceremony, which had been in abeyance since 1805, marking the order's 600th anniversary.  At that investiture, which took place on 23 April, St George's Day, six new members, including the current Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, were invested as companions of the order.

At the same time, the order was reinstated as the personal gift of the monarch - it had previously been an appointment made on the advice of ministers.

The ceremony now customarily takes place in June - for some reason the first day of Royal Ascot Week (presumably on the basis that most members would therefore be within traveling distance of Windsor!).

As we have seen, new members are named on St George's Day - this year there only being one, Lord Stirrup.  The Queen formally invests new companions of the order with the insignia in the Throne Room of Windsor Castle.  The insignia are proffered by the Garter King of Arms, the Usher of the Order (better known as Black Rod) and the Secretary of the Order.  The admonitions addressed to the new companions are in turn read by the prelate (always the Bishop of Winchester) and chancellor (currently the Duke of Abercorn) of the order.  These admonitions and oaths date back at least as far as Henry VIII's time, probably even further.  Two senior knights will assist in the vesting of the new knight.

Afterwards the Queen entertains the members and officers of the order, with their spouses, at a lunch in the Waterloo Chamber.  A group photo will be taken.

After lunch the Knights process on foot to a service in St. George's Chapel, wearing their blue velvet mantels, and black velvet hats with white plumes.  The processional route is through the Upper, Middle and Lower Wards of the castle to St. George's Chapel. The procession is led by the Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle and the Military Knights of Windsor.

Crests and Banners of the KGs - the kiwi with the
ice axe is that of Sir Edmund Hiliary

In St George's a religious service is held and the companion is literally installed - assigned a stall in the choir of the chapel.  This stall is identified by a heraldic display: a sword below a helm topped with a crest, and above, a banner emblazoned with the companion's arms.  For more information on these devices, take at look at the website of Ian G Brennan, woodcarver to the Royal Household who creates them.   A brass stall plate is attached to the back of the stall displaying its member's name, arms and date of installation. On a member's death, these symbols are removed - the Military Knights of Windsor carry the banner of the deceased member and offer it to the Dean of Windsor, who places it on the altar.  The stall plates, however, are not removed; rather, they remain permanently affixed somewhere about the stall, so the stalls of the chapel provide a sense of continuity.

A Knight of the Garter in full fig

After the service, the members of the order return to the Upper Ward by carriage, presumably for tea and buns.

Garter insignia, temp Charles I

Prince Phillip and the Order of New Zealand

The Queen presents the Duke of Edinburgh with New Zealand's  highest
honour, the Order of New Zealand in the presence of Sir Lockwood Smith,
High Commissioner for New Zealand, at Buckingham Palace

In case anyone needed to know why I haven't done a Royals in Medals post for the Duke of Edinburgh, here's an answer - his already complex rack just keeps on growing!

Only five weeks on from receiving Canadian honours, Prince Phillip was today invested with the insignia of the Order of New Zealand by the Queen, as sovereign of the order.  To be fair though, this award (as an additional member) was one of four made in the Jubilee Honours List last year.

Sadly, the official photos didn't include one of the insignia.  Let me meet that need...

The Order of New Zealand was established on Waitangi Day 1987 "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity,” and was based on the Order of Merit. 

The insignia (manufactured by Spink & Son) is the same for all grades of membership: an oval medallion in gold and coloured enamels, bearing in the centre the design of the shield of the New Zealand Coat of Arms within a Kowhaiwhai rafter pattern. It was were designed by Phillip O’Shea, New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary to The Queen, who has done several nice pieces of work for the New Zealand honours system.

A man's badge is worn from a neck ribbon.  A woman's badge is worn on a ribbon bow on her left shoulder.  The ribbon is red ochre (kôkôwai) with a narrow white stripe towards either edge.  Kôkôwai has also been used in the ribbons of  NZ Order of Merit and The Queen’s Service Order and Medal. This colour has a spiritual significance for Maori. The badge must be returned to the Crown on the death of the holder or on the holder ceasing to be a member of the Order; it is then passed to another appointee to the order. 

Ordinary membership of the order is limited to 20 members.  Additional members can be appointed on special occasions (this happened in 1990 for the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi, in 2002 for the Golden Jubilee, in 2007 for the 20th anniversary of the institution of the order and last year for the Diamond Jubilee). Honorary membership includes citizens of nations of which the Queen is not Head of State.




After this investiture and a garden party, the Duke has been admitted to hospital for 'an exploratory operation following abdominal investigations'. He is expected to stay in hospital for up to two weeks.  Naturally, at his age, any admission to hospital (let alone an operation) is a cause for concern.

Vacancy in the Order of the Thistle

Sir (William) Garth Morrison KT, CBE, DL

Sir (William) Garth Morrison KT, CBE died today.

A former Chief Scout and Lord Lieutenant for East Lothian, he was appointed a Knight of the Thistle in 2007. 

This death means there's a vacancy in the maximum roster of 16 members.

I'll blog further when obits are published.  It might even prompt a full blog on the order.

A Nice Day Out

Just a little of what I saw yesterday

Service in Egypt...

Yesterday, I did that most dangerous of things - meeting up with an on-line acquaintance!  Like many people, I've done this before and ended up having a dreadful time, running out of things to say after the first five minutes and finding out that we have very little in common.  Fortunately, that didn't happen this time.  It didn't hurt that we had a very meal in a country restaurant...

The guy in question is a fellow medal collector, who I've corresponded with for a couple of years but never met, despite only living about 15 miles away.  We'd spoken about it, we've dug diaries out and pencilled dates in, but we've never actually got around to it.  This week we finally got there.

We made the obligatory "isn't the market getting expensive!" comments, though Bill (not his real name) are one different ends of the funding-spectrum of our hobby.  Medal collectors will know what I'm talking about when I say that his solution is to move to the cheaper field of buying nurses medals...  

Despite that, we had a really good chat about things, helped by the fact that we have many interests in common in addition to medals.  It was one of the most pleasant days I've had for a long time.
  
Some eye-candy...

You know your in for a treat when your in the box-room of someone's house going through odd frames and you hear "and this is another GBE group..."

An earl who served as a deck-hand in the naval reserve

Comptroller to the Duke of Connaught

Assistant Personal Secretary to George VI and Elizabeth II

And even something for us naval types...

I got to handle the badge of a Companion of the Order of Indian Empire for the first time.  I was surprised to find how light it was - they are hollow.  Being made of 24ct gold and enamels, it's not surprising that they're so often damaged.  Despite that, I'm confirmed in my belief that the higher grades of the Order of the British Empire are more attractive.  We both agreed however, that nothing could touch the Order of the Star of India, designed by Prince Albert (who the tiara lovers among us know had a very good eye).  Even Bill doesn't have a KSCI!

CBE Badge

CIE Badge

CSI Badge

A New Knight of the Garter

 

Today is St George's Day, the celebration of the patron of the Order of the Garter, and the day on which new companions of the order are traditionally named.

Admission to the order is a rare honour.  In addition to the Queen and Prince of Wales (who are ex officio members) there are only 24 Knight (or Lady) Companions.  Other, supernumerary members, may be made up of the members of the royal family and overseas members.  Appointments are in the personal gift of the Queen, who in this acts without the advice of her ministers go (this privilege was restored to the Crown in 1946 - I will go into the whys and whyfores when I blog on the history of the order).

There had been three vacancies in the membership (one them caused by Lady Thatcher's death last week), but today one of them was filled by the appointment of Lord Stirrup.  He will be instituted in June on Garter Day, the annual gathering of knights at Windsor Castle.  The new knight will take his oaths and be vested in his insignia in the throne room before the companions process in their velvet mantles and plumed hats to a service in St George's Chapel.

The annual Garter Day parade

The membership of the order is currently as follows:-

Knights and Ladies Companion

1. Lord Carrington KG, GCMG, CH, MC  (1985)
2. The Duke of Wellington KG, LVO, OBE, MC (1990)
3. Field Marshal Lord Bramall KG, GCB, OBE, MC (1990)
4. The Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover KG (1992)
5. The Lord Ashburton KG, KCVO (1994)
6. The Lord Kingsdown KG (1994)
7. Sir Ninian Stephen KG, AK, GCMG, GCVO, KBE (1994)
8. Sir Timothy Colman KG (1996)
9. The Duke of Abercorn KG(1999)
10. Sir William Gladstone Bt, KG (1999)
11. Field Marshal Lord Inge KG, GCB (2001)
12. Sir Antony Acland KG, GCMG, GCVO (2001)
13. The Duke of Westminster KG, CB, CVO, OBE, TD, CD (2003)
14. Lord Butler of Brockwell KG, GCB, CVO (2003)
15. Lord Morris of Aberavon KG  (2003)
16. Lady Soames LG, DBE (2005)
17. Sir John Major KG, CH (2005)
18. The Lord Luce KG, GCVO  (2008)
19. Sir Thomas Dunne KG, KCVO (2008)
20. Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers KG (2011)
21. Admiral Lord Boyce KG, GCB, OBE  (2011)
22. Air Chief Marshal Lord Stirrup KG, GCB, AFC (2013)
23. Vacant
24. Vacant

Royal Knights and Ladies

1. The Duke of Edinburgh (1947) 
2. The Duke of Kent (1985)
3. The Princess Royal (1994)
4. The Duke of Gloucester (1996)
5. Princess Alexandra, Lady Ogilvy (2003)
6. The Duke of York (2006)
7. The Earl of Wessex (2006)
8. The Duke of Cambridge (2008)

Stranger Knights and Ladies

1. Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (1972)
2. The Queen of Denmark (1979)
3. The King of Sweden (1983)
4. The King of Spain (1988)
5. The Queen of the Netherlands (1989)
6. The Emperor of Japan (1998)
7. The King of Norway (2001)

Lord Stirrup will join a distinguished group

Lord Stirrup (right)

Lord Stirrup was Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of Britain's armed forces, from 2006 to 2010.

He was born Graham Eric Stirrup on 4 Dec 1949 and is known as 'Jock'.  He was commissioned into the RAF in July 1970 and, on secondment to the Sultan of Oman's Air Force, flew as a fighter pilot during the Dhofar War.

In 1983 he was awarded the Air Force Cross for his coolness and skill in landing his aircraft with one engine on fire following a bird strike.  He was station commander of RAF Marham in Norfolk during the 1991 Gulf War.  He became Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in 1998.  In 2001 he commanded Operation Veritas, the UK Force's operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan.  He was promoted to Air Chief Marshal in Aug 2003 and appointed Chief of the Air Staff.  Three years later he was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff.  During his tenure, he supervised UK operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.   Following criticism of the Ministry of Defence for poor planning and problems in procurement and supply and the election of a new government, Stirrup was replaced earlier than planned.  He was granted a life peerage and entered the House of Lords as a cross-bencher.

A New Index

The eagle-eyed among you will see that there is a new entry on the list of indexes to the right of the page.  

This a a link to a page British Orders of Knighthood.  This page will serve as an index and link page to blogs I shall make on British orders.  The links will become live once the posts are made - so far we have the following:-

The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India

The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire










The Imperial Order of the Crown of India

The Royal Family Orders










Royal Order of Victoria and Albert

The Order of the Star of India

Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India, wearing the Grand Master's mantle, collar and star of the order

The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India was the senior of the three orders of chivalry, now obsolescent, instituted to mark service to the British Raj in the Indian sub-continent.

Raja Sir Tanjore Madhava Rao, KCSI

Shortly after the transfer of government from the Honorable East India Company to the British Crown in 1858, Queen Victoria wrote to Lord Canning, the first Viceroy, suggesting that an order of chivalry might be a means of making a link between the monarch and the country:-

The Statutes might be similar to those of the Garter, the Thistle & the St Patrick. The number of its members to be few, perhaps 20 or 24 … The members to be invested by the Viceroy in person & thus do personal homage to him … The day for the investiture to be the anniversary of the Assumption of the Gov of India by the Crown of England.

By the beginning of 1860 Prince Albert was drafting statutes, drawing up lists of possible members and working on the design of insignia.  The Order was established in June 1861, with the first investitures held - in India and at Windsor - on 1 November 1861.

The Queen, being desirous of affording to the Princes, Chiefs and People of the Indian Empire, a public and signal testimony of Her regard, by the Institution of an Order of knighthood, whereby Her resolution to take upon Herself the Government of the Territories in India may be commemorated, and by which Her Majesty may be enabled to reward conspicuous merit and loyalty, has been graciously pleased, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to institute, erect, constitute, and create, an Order of Knighthood, to be known by, and have for ever hereafter, the name, style, and designation, of 'The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India'

Sir Umaid Singh Bahadur,
GCSI, GCIE, KCVO, Maharaja of Jodhpur

The order originally had one class of members - Knights Commanders (KSI) - but in 1866 was reconstituted in three classes  - Knights Grand Commanders (GCSI), Knights Commanders (KCSI) and Companions (CSI).  The original KSIs were created GCSIs.  The title 'Knight Grand Commander' was chosen in preference to the usual 'Knight Grand Cross' to avoid embarrassment to non-Christian recipients.

As structured in 1866, the order consisted of the sovereign, the Grand Master (the Viceroy and Governor-General of India), 36 GCSIs (18 British and 18 Indian), 85 KCSIs and 170 CSIs. GCSIs were drawn from ruling princes and the top tier of the British administration.  KCSIs and CSI were included members of the Indian Civil Service and army who had given at least 30 years' service.

Women were eligible to be members of the order if they were the princely rulers - the Begum of Bhopal was a founder member in 1861. The statutes were specially amended to permit the admission of Queen Mary as a Knight Grand Commander in 1911.

The order lapsed in 1948, following the independence of India and Pakistan.  The the last surviving member of the order, the Maharaja of Alwar, died in 2009.

Insignia

The insignia was exceptionally splendid.  The last GCSI set, made in 1947, cost £3,500 to produce.

Knights Grand Commanders

Sash, badge and star insignia of a GCSI

A GCSI's insignia consisted of a gold collar and badge, a mantle of light blue satin with a representation of the star on the left and tied with a white silk cord with blue and silver tassles.

The mantle was only worn on special state occasions - in ordinary full dress uniform, a GCSI wore the star on the left breast and the badge on the left hip from a broad sash of light blue edged in white. 

The collar consisted of alternating figures of lotuses, red and white roses and palm branches, with an imperial crown in the centre.  Queen Victoria's collar can be seen here.

The badge was a central onyx cameo of a youthful Victoria set within an openwork and ornamental oval border of gold bearing the motto of the order ‘Heaven’s Light Our Guide’, surmounted by, and pendant from, a five-pointed star with large gold suspension loop, the whole badge being lavishly set with diamonds. 

The breast star had a central five-pointed star of silver set with diamonds and set upon a gold and enameled ribbon bearing the motto of the order in silver and also set with diamonds,

Knights Commanders

Knight Commander's insignia

KCSIs wore a badge round the neck and a star on the left breast.

These were similar to those of GCSIs, but smaller and less lavishly decorated.

Companions

Companion's breast badge

Companions originally wore a breast badge, but from 1917 these were worn at the neck.

The Order of the Crown of India

Alexandria, Princess of Wales
she wears the insignia of a CI and Lady of the Order of Victoria and Albert

At the same time as the establishment of the Order of the Indian Empire, a third Indian order was established, this was the Imperial Order of the Crown of India.  It too was established by letters patent of 31 December 1877, following the adoption by Queen Victoria of the title 'Empress of India' in 1876.

Princess Thyra of Denmark

This order was

to be enjoyed by the Princesses of Our Royal House and the Wives or other female relatives of Indian Princes and others to be by Us selected, upon whom We shall from time to time think fit

These other persons were generally the vicereine and wives of the Governors of Madras, Bombay and Bengal, the Principal Secretary of State for India and the Commander-in-Chief in India.  Women who were ruling members of Indian princely houses were eligible for membership of the Orders of the Star of India and the Indian Empire.

There was one class of membership: Companions (CI).

The insignia was a badge consisting of the royal and imperial monogram VRI in diamonds, turquoises and pearls, surrounded by an oval frame and surmounted by a jewelled imperial crown.

The order went into abeyance on the granting of independence to India and Pakistan.  The last companions appointed were the then Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret on 12 July 1947.  The Queen is the last surviving member of the order.

The last surviving Companion of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India

Order of the Indian Empire

Lord Northcote, Viceroy, wearing the collar of the order

The Order of the India Empire was the second of the orders of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria to mark meritorious service in India,  in order of precedence after the Order of the Star of India.  It was established by letters patent of 31 December 1877, following the adoption by Victoria of the title 'Empress of India' in 1876.

The Maharaja of Dhrangadhra-Halvad,
the last surviving member of the order

It originally consisted one class of membership - Companions - with the Sovereign and the Viceroy as Grand Master.  Members of the Council of the Governor-General were ex officio members.  In 1886 the order was expanded by the addition of Knights Commanders up to a maximum of 50 in number.  In 1887 it was reorganised into three classes: up to 25 Knights Grand Commanders (GCIEs), up to 50 Knights Commanders (KCIEs) and an unlimited number of Companions (CIEs).  As with the Order of the Star of India, the title 'Knight Grand Commander' was chosen rather than 'Knights Grand Cross so as not to offend the non-Christians member of the order.  The Governors of Madras, Bombay and Bengal were ex officio appointed GCIEs.

The order lapsed in 1947, following the independence of India and Pakistan.  The the last surviving member of the order, the Maharaja of Dhrangadhra-Halvad a KCIE, died in 2010.

Knight Grand Commander (GCIE)

The Maharao of Sirohi wearing the
mantle, collar and star of a GCIE

A GCIE's insignia consisted of a collar badge and a mantle of imperial purple or dark blue satin with a representation of the star on the left and tied with a white silk cord with gold tassles.

The mantle was only worn on special state occasions - in ordinary full dress uniform, a GCSI wore the star on the left breast and the badge on the left hip from a broad sash.

The collar was a silver-gilt chain composed of elephants, lotus flowers, peacocks in their pride and Indian roses with, in the centre the Imperial Crown.

The badge was a gold five-petalled rose, enamelled crimson and with a green barb between each petal.

In the centre is an effigy of Queen Victoria in gold, surrounded by a purple ribbon originally inscribed VICTORIA IMPERATRIX, but from 1901 IMPERATRICIS AUSPICIIS ('under the auspices of the Empress).  The letters I N D I A were inscribed on the petals of the first type,
but not on the second.

GCIE neck badge

The star was composed of fine silver rays with smaller gold rays between them.; In the centre, within a purple circle bearing the motto of the order and surmounted by the Imperial Crown, is the effigy of Queen Victoria in gold.

GCIE Star

Knights Commander (KCIE)

Sir Charles Augustus Tegart, KCIE, CSI, MVO

KCIEs wore a badge round the neck and a star on the left breast.

These were similar to those of GCIEs, but smaller and less lavishly decorated, the star being entirely of silver.

KCIE Star

Companions (CIE)

CIE breast badge (1st type)

Companions originally wore a breast badge, but from 1917 these were worn at the neck.

As with the insignia of the other classes of the order, these came in two types - with and without the letters I N D I A.

Maj-Gen Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, KCB, CSI, CIE