List of current Knights and Ladies of the Garter
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
Name | Year of appointment | Present age | Banner |
---|---|---|---|
The King (ex officio) | 1958 as The Prince of Wales; Sovereign since 2022 | 75 |
Royal knights and ladies (companion)
Name | Year of appointment | Present age | Banner | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Duke of Kent KG GCMG GCVO CD ADC | 1985 | 88 | ||
The Princess Royal KG KT GCVO GCStJ QSO GCL CMM CD ADC | 1994 | 73 | [1] | |
The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO GCStJ SSI | 1997 | 79 | ||
Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy KG GCVO CD | 2003 | 87 | [1] | |
The Duke of York KG GCVO CD | 2006 | 63 | ||
The Duke of Edinburgh KG GCVO CD ADC | 2006 as The Earl of Wessex; The Duke of Edinburgh since 2023 | 59 | ||
The Prince of Wales KG KT PC ADC (ex officio) | 2008 as Prince William of Wales; The Prince of Wales since 2022 | 41 | 1000th Knight of the Garter | |
The Queen LG LT GCVO ONZ CSM CD PC | January 2022 as The Duchess of Cornwall; The Queen since September 2022 | 76 |
Stranger knights and ladies companion
Name | Year of appointment | Present age | Banner | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark LG | 1979 as Queen; abdicated 2024 | 83 | recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain | |
The King of Sweden KG | 1983 | 77 | recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain | |
King Juan Carlos I of Spain KG | 1988 as King; abdicated 2014 | 86 | recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain | |
Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands LG GCVO | 1989 as Queen; abdicated 2013 | 85 | recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain | |
Emperor Akihito of Japan KG GCVO | 1998 as Emperor; abdicated 2019 | 90 | ||
The King of Norway KG GCVO | 2001 | 86 | recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain | |
The King of Spain KG GCVO | 2017 | 55 | [2] | |
The King of the Netherlands KG | 2018 | 56 |
Knights and ladies companion
Officers
- Prelate: Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Winchester (ex officio, 2023)
- Chancellor: The Duke of Abercorn KG (2012)
- Register:[3] Christopher Cocksworth, Dean of Windsor (ex officio, 2023)
- King of Arms: David White OStJ, Garter Principal King of Arms (ex officio, 2021)
- Secretary: Patric Dickinson CVO (2004)
- Usher: Sarah Clarke CVO OBE, Lady Usher of the Black Rod (ex officio, 2018)
See also
- List of knights and ladies of the Garter (a list of all the members of the Order since its inception)
- Banners of the current members of the Garter
- Coats of arms of the current members of the Garter
Notes
- ^ The number shown in brackets is the individual's place in the wider order of appointment since the Order's inception.
- ^ Vacant following the death of Sir Timothy Colman on 9 September 2021.
- ^ Vacant following the death of The Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover on 14 January 2022.
- ^ Vacant following the death of The Lord Inge on 20 July 2022.
- ^ Vacant following the death of The Lord Boyce on 6 November 2022.
- ^ Vacant following the death of Sir David Brewer on 28 May 2023.
- ^ Vacant following the death of The Lord Morris of Aberavon on 5 June 2023.
References
- ^ a b Addressing the Royal Family - Debrett's at the Wayback Machine (archived 17 February 2017)
- ^ ""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.
- ^ "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.