The Most Noble Order of the Garter is a British order of chivalry. It is the world's oldest national order of knighthood in continuous existence and the pinnacle of the British honours system (after the Victoria Cross and George Cross). Its membership is extremely limited, consisting of the Sovereign, the Prince of Wales—both being members ex officio and gaining membership upon acceding to one of the titles if not already held—and not more than 24 full members known as Companions. Male members are known as Knights Companion, whilst female members are known as Ladies Companion. The Order can also include supernumerary members (members of the British Royal Family and foreign monarchs), known as "Royal" and "Stranger" Knights and Ladies (Companion), respectively. The Sovereign alone grants membership to the Order, meaning that ministerial advice is not sought.

Sovereign

NameYear of appointmentPresent ageBanner
The King (ex officio)1958 as The Prince of Wales; Sovereign since 202275

Royal knights and ladies (companion)

NameYear of appointmentPresent ageBannerNotes
The Duke of Kent KG GCMG GCVO CD ADC198588
The Princess Royal KG KT GCVO GCStJ QSO GCL CMM CD ADC199473
[1]
The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO GCStJ SSI199779
Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy KG GCVO CD200387
[1]
The Duke of York KG GCVO CD200663
The Duke of Edinburgh KG GCVO CD ADC2006 as The Earl of Wessex; The Duke of Edinburgh since 202359
The Prince of Wales KG KT PC ADC (ex officio)2008 as Prince William of Wales; The Prince of Wales since 202241
1000th Knight of the Garter
The Queen LG LT GCVO ONZ CSM CD PCJanuary 2022 as The Duchess of Cornwall; The Queen since September 202276

Stranger knights and ladies companion

NameYear of appointmentPresent ageBannerNotes
Denmark Queen Margrethe II of Denmark LG1979 as Queen; abdicated 202483
recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain
Sweden The King of Sweden KG198377
recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain
Spain King Juan Carlos I of Spain KG1988 as King; abdicated 201486
recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain
Netherlands Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands LG GCVO1989 as Queen; abdicated 201385
recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain
Japan Emperor Akihito of Japan KG GCVO1998 as Emperor; abdicated 201990
Norway The King of Norway KG GCVO200186
recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain
Spain The King of Spain KG GCVO201755
[2]
Netherlands The King of the Netherlands KG201856

Knights and ladies companion

Member number[N 1]NameKnown forYear of appointmentPresent ageBanner
1-(986)The Duke of Abercorn KGFormer Lord Steward and former Lord-Lieutenant of Tyrone199989
2-(992)The Lord Butler of Brockwell KG GCB CVO PCFormer Cabinet Secretary and former Head of the Home Civil Service200386
3-(994)Sir John Major KG CHFormer Prime Minister200580
4-(999)The Lord Luce KG GCVO PC DLFormer Lord Chamberlain and former Governor of Gibraltar200887
5-(1001)Sir Thomas Dunne KG KCVO JPFormer Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire and former Lord-Lieutenant of Worcestershire200890
6-(1002)The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers KG PC KCFormer Lord Chief Justice and former President of the Supreme Court201185
7-(1004)Marshal of the Royal Air Force The Lord Stirrup KG GCB AFCFormer Chief of the Defence Staff201374
8-(1005)The Baroness Manningham-Buller LG DCBFormer Director General of the Security Service201475
9-(1006)The Lord King of Lothbury KG GBE DL FBAFormer Governor of the Bank of England201475
10-(1007)The Lord Shuttleworth KG KCVOFormer Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire201675
11-(1010)The Viscount Brookeborough KG KStJLord in Waiting to The King and Lord-Lieutenant of Fermanagh201871
12-(1011)Lady Mary Fagan LG DCVO JPFormer Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire201884
13-(1013)The Marquess of Salisbury KG KCVO PC DLDeputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire and former Leader of the House of Lords201977
14-(1014)Lady Mary Peters LG CH DBEOlympic gold medallist and former Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast201984
15-(1015)The Baroness Amos LG CH PC Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, former Leader of the House of Lords and former Secretary of State for International Development202269
16-(1016)Sir Tony Blair KG Former Prime Minister202270
17-(1017)The Baroness Ashton of Upholland LG GCMG PC Former High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and former Leader of the House of Lords202367
18-(1018)The Lord Patten of Barnes KG CH PC Final Governor of Hong Kong, former Chairman of the BBC Trust, and Chancellor of the University of Oxford202379
19Vacant [N 2]   
20Vacant [N 3]   
21Vacant [N 4]   
22Vacant [N 5]   
23Vacant [N 6]   
24Vacant [N 7]   

Officers

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The number shown in brackets is the individual's place in the wider order of appointment since the Order's inception.
  2. ↑ Vacant following the death of Sir Timothy Colman on 9 September 2021.
  3. ↑ Vacant following the death of The Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover on 14 January 2022.
  4. ↑ Vacant following the death of The Lord Inge on 20 July 2022.
  5. ↑ Vacant following the death of The Lord Boyce on 6 November 2022.
  6. ↑ Vacant following the death of Sir David Brewer on 28 May 2023.
  7. ↑ Vacant following the death of The Lord Morris of Aberavon on 5 June 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 Addressing the Royal Family - Debrett's at the Wayback Machine (archived 17 February 2017)
  2. ↑ ""Every terrorist attack is an attack on every one of us": King of Spain pays tribute to Britain after Manchester and London atrocities - Mirror Online". Mirror.co.uk. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "The Register of the Order of the Garter". The Companion – magazine for the College of St George. No. 21. The Dean and Canons of Windsor. 13 June 2015. p. 12. Retrieved 23 April 2021 – via issuu.com.
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