The Garter
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An English order of chivalry with a history stretching back to mediæval times; today it is the world's oldest national order of knighthood in continuous existence and the pinnacle of the British honours system. Its membership is extremely limited, consisting of the Sovereign and not more than twenty-five full members, or Companions. Male members are known as Knights Companion, whilst female members are known as Ladies Companion (not Dames, as in most other British chivalric orders). The Order can also include certain extra members (members of the British Royal Family and foreign monarchs), known as "Supernumerary" Knights and Ladies. The Sovereign alone grants membership to the Order; by convention the Prime Minister does not tender binding advice as to appointments, as he or she does for most other orders. Thus, membership of the order is regarded as being the Sovereign's gift. Except for the grants of supernumerary membership, awards are only made for those with an exceptional record of service to the United Kingdom.
As the name suggests, the Order's primary emblem is a garter bearing the motto Honi soit qui mal y pense (Old French for, "shame upon him who thinks evil of it") in gold letters. The Garter is an actual accessory worn by the members of the Order during ceremonial occasions. It is also depicted on several insignia, including British coins.
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The Order was founded in 1348 by King Edward III as "a society, fellowship and college of knights." Various dates ranging from 1344 to 1351 have also been proposed. The wardrobe account of the king first shows Garter habits issued in the autumn of 1348. Regardless, the Order was probably not constituted before 1346; the original statutes required that each member already be a knight (described currently as "knight bachelor") and several initial members of the Order were knighted then.
Various legends have been described to explain the origin of the Order. The most popular legend involves the Countess of Salisbury, Joan of Kent. Latest evidence tends to establish also that the original story about the garter is true. The garter was dropped at a court ball by the Countess of Salisbury, a lady afterwards more famous in history as Joan, the fair maid of Kent, first English princess of Wales, wife of the Black Prince and Mother of King Richard II.
The story begins in 1337 when King Edward III held historic Feast of the Heron in the Great Hall of Westminster Palace and vowed to conquer France. In support of the king, a fire-eating but courtly young Lancashire squire named Thomas Holand vowed to use only one eye till he had performed some deed of arms on French soil. Accordingly he put on an eye cover of white silk, deeply impressing his chosen lady, the fair maid of Kent. This he wore for nine years or more.
Two years later, the English court was settled in Flanders with Edward carrying abortive raids into neighboring French provinces. Thomas Holland persuaded Joan to marry him and to keep all but the few witnesses of the ceremony out of the secret.
A year or so later he went off to Prussia in search of military fame. In his absence Joan's relatives, including her mother and the King, forced her into formal marriage with William Montague, future Earl of Salisbury and special favorite of King Edward. On his return Holland found he could do nothing to get Joan back but by an odd twist of fortune the king made him steward of William's and Joan's household.
While the expeditionary force was engaged in the long siege of Paris, Joan of Kent was summoned by the King to join him and Queen Philippa at their camp before Calais and on her arrival gave a magnificent feast in her honour . Edward was "smitten with the sparkle of fine love" for the glorious young Countess of Salisbury.
By the middle of August, 1347, the English were inside Calais and at some celebration of this final triumph Joan was dancing with or near the king when one of her garters, to her great embarrassment, fell to the floor. The king stopped, picked up the blue ribbon, and bound it round his own knee. Rash onlookers ventured insinuating jests to which Edward gave back the just rebuke "Honi soit qui mal y pense," (Evil be to him who evil thinks). The garter, he declared, should soon be most highly honoured; and within six months he and his 12 companion knights, one of whom was Salisbury, were wearing at the victory tournaments in England garters of blue silk embroidered with the motto.
Meanwhile Thomas Holland, unable to bear the loss of the lady who was to become the most celebrated in the world of chivalry, appealed to the pope to annul Joan's marriage to Salisbury and restore her to him. While victory tournaments were being held Edward and Salisbury were told of Holland's sudden action. Joan declared she would support Holland and Salisbury retorted by putting her under lock and key. She was still Salisbury's prisoner April 23rd 1348, the first Saint George's day which was also Garter Day, but May 3, the pope ordered her release. In a papal court Nov. 13, 1349, Holland won back Joan from Salisbury. He died as her husband and the Earl of Kent in 1360. Joan survived him to become first wife and then widow of the Black Prince and Mother of King Richard II.
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