The Order of the Garter will bring pomp, ceremony and royalty to Windsor

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.