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 BannerKing Charles III 1958
Royal Knights and Ladies (Companion)
Name Year of appointment Present age Banner NotesPrince Edward, Duke of Kent1985 Anne, Princess Royal1994Royal Knight CompanionPrince Richard, Duke of Gloucester1997Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy2003Royal Knight CompanionPrince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh2006William, Prince of Wales 2008;1000th Knight of the GarterQueen Camilla2022Royal LadyBirgitte, Duchess of Gloucester2024Royal Lady Companion
Stranger Knights and Ladies Companion
Name Year of appointment Present age Banner NotesMargrethe II, former queen of Denmark1979Also recipient of the Royal Victorian ChainCarl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden1983Also recipient of the Royal Victorian Chainand Honorary Admiral in the Royal NavyJuan Carlos I, former king of Spain1988Also recipient of the Royal Victorian ChainPrincess Beatrix of the Netherlands1989Also recipient of the Royal Victorian Chainand Honorary Dame Grand Cross of theRoyal Victorian OrderAkihito, Emperor Emeritus of Japan1998Also Honorary Knight Grand Crossof the Royal Victorian OrderFelipe VI, King of Spain2017Also Honorary Knight Grand Crossof the Royal Victorian OrderWillem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands2018Naruhito, Emperor of Japan2024
Knights and Ladies Companion
Member number Name Year of appointment Present age Banner Known for 1-(986) James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn 1999 Lord Steward andLord Lieutenant of Tyrone 2-(992) Robin Butler, Baron Butler of Brockwell 2003 Cabinet Secretary andHead of the Home Civil Service 3-(994) Sir John Major 2005 Prime Minister 4-(999) Richard Luce, Baron Luce 2008 Lord Chamberlain andGovernor of Gibraltar 5-(1002) Nick Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers 2011 Lord Chief Justice andPresident of the Supreme Court 6-(1004) Marshal of the Royal Air Force Jock Stirrup, Baron Stirrup 2013 Chief of the Defence Staff 7-(1005) Eliza Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller 2014 Director General of the Security Service 8-(1006) Mervyn King, Baron King of Lothbury Governor of the Bank of England 9-(1007) Charles Kay-Shuttleworth, 5th Baron Shuttleworth 2016 Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire 10-(1010) Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough 2018 Lord in Waiting to the monarch andLord Lieutenant of Fermanagh 11-(1011) Lady Mary Fagan Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire 12-(1013) Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury 2019 Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshireand Leader of the House of Lords 13-(1014) Lady Mary Peters Olympic gold medallist andLord Lieutenant of Belfast 14-(1015) Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos 2022 United NationsUnder-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairsand Emergency Relief Coordinator,Leader of the House of Lords andSecretary of State for International Development 15-(1016) Sir Tony Blair Prime Minister 16-(1017) Catherine Ashton, Baroness Ashton of Upholland 2023 High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairsand Security Policyand Leader of the House of Lords 17-(1018) Chris Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes Governor of Hong Kong, Chairman of the BBC Trust,and Chancellor of the University of Oxford 18-(1019)Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach, Baron Peach 2024 Chief of the Defence Staff andChair of the NATO Military Committee 19-(1020) Ajay Kakkar, Baron Kakkar Chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission andChairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission 20-(1021) Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber Composer and impresarioof musical theatre 21-(1023) Peter Hennessy, Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield 2026 Historian and academic 22-(1024) Gus O'Donnell, Baron O'Donnell Cabinet Secretary andHead of the Home Civil Service 23-(1025) Ian Burnett, Baron Burnett of Maldon Lord Chief Justice of England and Walesand Deputy Lieutenant of Essex 24 Vacant Vacant following the death of Sir Thomas Dunne on 6 January 2025.
Officers Prelate: Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Winchester (ex officio, 2023) Chancellor: Eliza Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller (2024) Register: Christopher Cocksworth, Dean of Windsor (ex officio, 2023) King of Arms: James Peill, Garter Principal King of Arms (ex officio, 2026) Secretary: Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Segrave (2024) Usher: Lieutenant General Ed Davis , Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod (ex officio, 2025)
Armorial Coats of arms of current Knights and Ladies of the Garter Sovereign Arms of Charles III
Royal Knights and Ladies (Companion) Arms of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent Arms of Anne, Princess Royal Arms of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester Arms of Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy Arms of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh Arms of William, Prince of Wales Arms of Queen Camilla Arms of Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester
Stranger Knights and Ladies Companion Arms of Margrethe II, former queen of Denmark Arms of Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden Arms of Juan Carlos I, former king of Spain Arms of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands Arms of Akihito, former emperor of Japan Arms of Felipe VI, King of Spain Arms of Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands Arms of Naruhito, Emperor of Japan
Knights and Ladies Companion Arms of James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn Arms of Robin Butler, Baron Butler of Brockwell Arms of Sir John Major Arms of Richard Luce, Baron Luce Arms of Nick Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers Arms of Jock Stirrup, Baron Stirrup Arms of Eliza Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller Arms of Mervyn King, Baron King of Lothbury Arms of Charles Kay-Shuttleworth, 5th Baron Shuttleworth Arms of Lady Mary Fagan Arms of Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough Arms of Lady Mary Peters Arms of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury Arms of Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos Arms of Sir Tony Blair Arms of Catherine Ashton, Baroness Ashton of Upholland Arms of Chris Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes Arms of Stuart Peach, Baron Peach Arms of Ajay Kakkar, Baron Kakkar Arms of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber Arms of Peter Hennessy, Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield Arms of Gus O'Donnell, Baron O'Donnell Arms of Ian Burnett, Baron Burnett of Maldon Vacant
See also List of knights and ladies of the Garter (a list of all the members of the Order since its inception)
Notes
References