Who Is in the Order of the Garter?
In 1348, King Edward III, inspired by the tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, decided to found his own order of chivalry. He created the Most Noble Order of the Garter (often just called the Order of the Garter), and it has existed ever since.
Membership in the Order of the Garter is limited to the sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and 24 companions (Knights and Ladies). The appointments are at the sole discretion of the sovereign, and the 24 number does not include Supernumerary Knights and Ladies—members of the British royal family and foreign royals. Every year, the Order of the Garter gathers at Windsor Castle for Garter Day for a procession in their traditional robes and hats. Here, meet the current members of the Order of the Garter:
King Charles
Appointed: 1958
King Charles was appointed to the Order by his mother Queen Elizabeth in 1958, but he became sovereign in 2022. He's pictured here in 1968, when he officially joined the ranks of the Order.
In Photos: King Charles Through the Years
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
Appointed: 1985
The Duke of Kent, a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary, is one of the Royal Knights of the Order of the Garter.
The Duke of Kent's Life in Photos
Princess Anne
Appointed: 1994 (pictured)
Princess Anne is a Royal Knight of the Order, not a Royal Lady. According to the royal family's website, "The Princess Royal requested to be installed as Royal Knight of the Order, and not a Lady."
In Photos: Princess Anne Throughout Her Life
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Appointed: 1997
The Duke of Gloucester, another grandson of King George V and Queen Mary, joined the Order in 1997. His wife, Birgitte, will be installed in 2024.
Princess Alexandra
Appointed: 2003
Like Princess Anne, Princess Alexandra (also known as the Honourable Lady Ogilvy) is also a Royal Knight of the Order.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Appointed: 2006
In 2006, Queen Elizabeth appointed her two younger sons—Prince Andrew and Prince Edward (see below)—to the Order. In 2022 and 2023, Andrew missed the Garter Day procession.
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
Appointed: 2006
Queen Elizabeth's youngest, Prince Edward, joined the Order in 2006. Edward's wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, typically watches the Garter Day festivities alongside Kate Middleton.
In Photos: Prince Edward Through the Years
Prince William
Appointed: 2008
In 2008, Queen Elizabeth appointed her grandson to the Order of the Garter, and William became the 1,000th Knight in the Register—a notable honor.
In Photos: William Through the Years
Queen Camilla
Appointed: 2022
One of Queen Elizabeth's last appointments was to appoint her daughter-in-law, Camilla, to the Order. Camilla's appointment was significant at the time, as those who marry into the royal family are rarely included in the Order, unless they are the spouse of the monarch.
See Camilla's Installment Here
Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester
Appointed: 2024
This April, King Charles announced he would be appointing the Duchess of Gloucester to the Order, a major honor.
No photos of the Duchess in regalia yet; she will walk in her first procession this year.
Queen Margrethe of Denmark
Appointed: 1979
When she became Queen of Denmark in 1979, Queen Margrethe became a Stranger Lady Companion of the Order—the title for foreign monarchs. She abdicated earlier this year in favor of her son, King Frederik, but is still a member of the Order. (It's likely King Frederik will join in the coming years.)
Queen Margrethe's Life in Photos
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Appointed: 1983
The King of Sweden joined in 1983 as a Stranger Knight. In this photo, he walks in the Garter Day procession alongside Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, in 1985.
King Carl XVI Gustaf's Life in Photos
King Juan Carlos I of Spain
Appointed: 1988
Like other foreign monarchs, King Juan Carlos I was appointed as a Stranger Knight. He remains a member of the Order, even though he abdicated in 2014. He's pictured here in 1989, during his investment.
Read More: the Rise and Fall of Spain's Juan Carlos I
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
Appointed: 1989
Queen Beatrix, who abdicated in 2013 in favor of her son King Willem-Alexander, joined the Order in 1989. She's now known as Princess Beatrix, but is still a Stranger Lady of the Order of the Garter.
A Guide to Abdication in the 21st Century
Emperor Akihito of Japan
Appointed: 1998
Emperor Akihito of Japan was appointed in 1998, eight years after he ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne, but, to our knowledge, has never attended a Garter Day. He abdicated in 2019 in favor of his son, Emperor Naruhito.
Emperor Emeritus Akihito's Life in Photos
King Harald V of Norway
Appointed: 2001
King Harald V joined the Order in 2001; he's pictured here in 2002 walking in Windsor alongside Princess Anne.
King Harald V's Life in Photos
King Felipe VI of Spain
Appointed: 2017
Three years after he became King of Spain, King Felipe VI was appointed to the Order of the Garter. He was officially invested in 2019, and his wife, Queen Letizia, was by his side.
More Photos From the 2019 Ceremony
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
Appointed: 2018
Like King Felipe, King Willem-Alexander was invested in 2019. He's the most recent foreign royal appointee on the list.
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn
Appointed: 1999
The Duke of Abercorn served as Queen Elizabeth's Lord Steward of the Household; he is also a first cousin of Princess Diana's father, John Spencer. Hamilton has been the Chancellor of the Order of the Garter since 2012.
(Portrait by Allan Warren, 1990)
Robin Butler, Baron Butler of Brockwell
Appointed: 2003
Robin Butler, a retired British civil servant (he was Private Secretary to multiple Prime Ministers) and former head of the University, College, Oxford, was made a Knight Companion in the Order of the Garter in April 2003.
John Major
Appointed: 2005
Queen Elizabeth appointed John Major, a former Prime Minister, to the Order in 2005.
John Major's Relationship with the British Royal Family
In Photos: Queen Elizabeth and John Major
Richard Luce, Baron Luce
Appointed: 2008
Luce, the former Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth, was made a Knight in 2008. "I’m especially proud to have served the Queen as Lord Chamberlain," he said in an interview. "The most powerful inspiration to me is that she kept to the commitment — made in her broadcast in South Africa on her 21st birthday — to serve her people and the Commonwealth for the rest of her life. And how!"
Thomas Dunne
Appointed: 2008
Dunne is the former Lord Lieutenant of Hereford and Worcester, and Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire.
Pictured is the star, collar, and badge of the Order.
Nick Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers
Appointed: 2011
Phillips, also known as the Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, was previously the Lord Chief Justice, and also the inaugural President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. He retired from the courts in 2012.
Graham Eric Stirrup, Baron Stirrup
Appointed: 2013
Stirrup, better known as Jock Stirrup, is a former senior Royal Air Force commander. He served as the Chief of the Defence Staff from 2006 until 2010, and is now a member of the House of Lords.
Baroness Elizabeth Manningham-Buller
Appointed: 2014
Manningham-Buller is a retired British intelligence officer who served as Director-General of MI5 until her retirement in 2007. She's now a member of the House of Lords.
Mervyn King, Baron King of Lothbury
Appointed: 2014
King served as the Governor of the Bank of England for a decade (from 2003 to 2013). He's now an economics professor at the London School of Economics.
Charles Kay-Shuttleworth, 5th Baron Shuttleworth
Appointed: 2016
Kay-Shuttleworth was the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire from 1997 to last year. (He's pictured here in 2009.)
Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough
Appointed: 2018
Brooke is a Northern Irish peer who sits in the House of Lords; he succeeded his father as Viscount Brookeborough in 1987.
Lady Mary Fagan
Appointed: 2018
Lady Fagan served as Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire from 1994 to 2014.
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury
Appointed: 2019
Gascoyne-Cecil was Leader of the House of the Lords in the 90s. He lives in Hatfield House, as is currently Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire.
Lady Mary Peters
Appointed: 2019
Lady Peters is perhaps best known for her Olympic achievement: she won gold in the pentathlon in the 1972 Olympics. After, she started the Mary Peters Trust to support Northern Irish athletes.
Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos
Appointed: 2022
Baroness Amos is a former government minister, UN under-secretary general, former British High Commissioner to Australia, currently is the head of University College, Oxford. She became the first person of color appointed as a Companion to the Garter in its history.
Tony Blair
Appointed: 2022
Queen Elizabeth appointed Tony Blair, a former Prime Minister, in her last set of appointments to the Order.
Prime Minister Tony Blair's Relationship With the Royals
Catherine Ashton, Baroness Ashton of Upholland
Appointed: 2023
Ashton was one of King Charles's first appointments; she is a former Labour Government Minister and European Union diplomat.
Chris Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes
Appointed: 2023
Patten was the second of King Charles's first appointments to the Order; he is best known as the last British governor of Hong Kong, serving from 1992 to 1997.
The True Story of Charles's 1997 Visit to Hong Kong
Air Chief Marshal Lord Stuart Peach
Appointed: 2024
Peach, the former Chief of the Defence Staff and former Chair of the NATO Military Committee, joins the Order of the Garter this year.
Ajay Kakkar, Baron Kakkar
Appointed: 2024
Kakkar, a surgeon and professor, was appointed a Life Peer in 2010.
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Appointed: 2024
British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber joins the Order this year. He's best known for works such as The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cats, and Jesus Christ Superstar.
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