The Order of the Garter Was Inspired By Arthurian Legend
2019's Order of the Garter took place on June 17, and was attended by members of the royal family such as the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William.
Founded in 1348 by King Edward III, the Order of the Garter is said to be inspired by King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Queen Elizabeth currently serves as the Sovereign of the Garter, and is responsible for appointing new Knights to the Order.
The Order of the Garter Service takes place annually, with members of the royal family dressing up in ceremonial robes for the prestigious event.
But what exactly is the Order of the Garter, and who is allowed to be involved in the celebration?
The Order of the Garter is inspired by King Arthur.
Per the royal family's website, The Order of the Garter is "a group of honourable knights," described as "the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain." It was created in 1348 by King Edward III, who was fascinated with the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
According to Windsor Castle's College of St. George, it was in 1344 that Edward "promised to renew King Arthur’s celebrated fraternity of knights, the Round Table, with its complement of 300 men." Plans changed, and when the king founded the College of St. George at Windsor Castle, he was able to start a smaller group of 26 knights, which has continued to this day.
It's steeped in tradition.
While the Knights in the Order used to be strictly chosen from the aristocracy, this is apparently no longer the case. Instead, Queen Elizabeth, as Sovereign of the Garter, is responsible for appointing Knights to the Order, who are "chosen from a variety of backgrounds, in recognition for their public service."
As for where the incredible group got its name, The Order of the Garter was named "after the symbol of the garter worn by its members," per the College of St. George. It even has its own motto, per the royal family's website: "Honi soit qui mal y pense," which means, "Shame on him who thinks this evil."
Each knight also displays several things in St. George's Chapel, including a banner of arms, a helmet, a crest, a sword, and an enameled stall plate.
What happens on Garter Day?
The annual Garter Day celebration always takes place at Windsor Castle, with the official service being held in St. George's Chapel. The yearly event is when Queen Elizabeth makes any new appointments, "by investing any Companions with the Order's insignia in the Throne Room of the Castle," per the royal family's website.
Per the royal family's website, "The annual iconic Garter Day procession, where The Queen and the Knights process in grand velvet robes, glistening insignia, and plumed hats, is one of the most traditional ceremonies in the Queen's calendar."
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Jun 17, 2019 at 4:20am PDT
While the Order of the Garter was previously just a small group, it is now tradition for the Sovereign of the Garter to install supernumerary, or stranger, Knights of the Garter. This year, she bestowed that honor upon King Felipe VI of Spain and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.
Not all members of the royal family take part.
While Prince William was appointed as a Knight of the Garter in 2008, per The Telegraph, Prince Harry is not yet a member. So while Kate Middleton supported her husband at this year's event, Meghan Markle was not present in 2019.
As Marlene Koenig, a British and European royalty expert, told BAZAAR.com in 2018, "The Duke of Sussex is not a Knight of the Garter and will probably not be invested until his father is King." She continued, "The Duchess of Sussex has never attended and will probably not attend until Harry is named."
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