Orders of Knighthood
Although Knights Bachelor take precedence after Knights of an Order, they belong to the most ancient title of honour known in Britain. Knights Bachelor and Knights of Orders are accorded the prefix 'Sir'. Except for the use of Knight in legal documents, there are no post nominal letters for Knights Bachelor.
When orders ceased to be fraternities and became more and more marks of favor and a means of recognizing meritorious services to the Crown and country, the term "orders" became loosely applied to the insignia and decorations themselves. Thus "orders," irrespective of the title or other specific designation they confer, fall in Great Britain generally into three main categories, according as the recipients are made "knights grand cross," "knights commander," or "companions."
In the early 20th Century in some orders the classes are more numerous, as in the Royal Victorian, for instance, which had five, numerous foreign orders a like number, some six, while the Chinese "Dragon" boasted no less than eleven degrees. Generally speaking, the insignia of the "knights grand cross" consist of a star worn on the left breast and a badge, usually some form either of the cross paffe or of the Maltese cross, worn suspended from a ribbon over the shoulder or, in certain cases, on days of high ceremonial from a collar. The "commanders" wear the badge from a ribbon round the neck, and the star on the breast; the "companions" had no star and wear the badge from a narrow ribbon at the button-hole.
Orders may be grouped according as they are (i) Prime Orders Of Christendom, conferred upon an exclusive class only. Here belong, inter alia, the well-known orders of the Garter (England), Golden Fleece (Austria and Spain), Annunziata (Italy), Black Eagle (Prussia), St Andrew (Russia), Elephant (Denmark) and Seraphim (Sweden). Of these the first three only, which are usually held to rank inter se in the order given, are historically identified with chivalry. (2) Family Orders, bestowed upon members of the royal or princely class, or upon humbler individuals according to classes, in respect of "personal" services rendered to the family. To this category belong such orders as the Royal Victorian and the Hohcnzollern (Prussia). (3) Orders Of Merit, whether military, civil or joint orders. Such have, as a rule, at least three, oftener five classes, and here belong such as the Order of the Bath (British), Red Eagle (Prussia), Legion of Honour (France). There are also certain orders, such as the Order of Merit (British), and the Pour le Merite (Prussia), which had but one class, all members being on an equality of rank within the order.
Since 1856 the number of British Orders and decorations has very greatly increased. At that date there were only the Garter, the Thistle, St. Patrick, the Bath, and the Michael and George, and only the last two of these was open to ordinary persons not of the nobility. By the early 20th Century there were upwards of twenty Orders and decorations open to those who do good and valiant service for the Empire in peace and war. As is only natural, opinions are divided on the subject. Several millions of His Majesty's subjects who have not received one of these insignia of honour decry the whole system, and say it is debasing to wear decorations for doing one's duty. Several millions more hope, given the opportunity, to earn one of them; whilst the few thousands who have received them feel, in a greater or less degree, a certain warm sense of gratification in that their King and country have discovered what fine fellows they are.
In the Great War, appointments to the orders of the Bath, St. Michael and St. George, the Indian Empire, and the Star of India, which had long been essentially service orders, were made in all classes on an enlarged scale, corresponding to the wide extension which State service, both military and civil, assumed. The same applies to the Distinguished Service Order. During the war itself two new orders were founded, that of the Companions of Honour, and that of the British Empire.
The increase in the number of Orders and decorations was mainly due to the great extension of the Empire, the wars both great and small that have been waged during the past seventy years, and the impossibility of rewarding the greatly increased numbers of those whom the King delighteth to honour with practically only one Order open for a restricted distribution, the Order of the Bath. After so great a war as the Great War, wherein many millions of men of British blood were engaged, naturally all the now existing Orders are full to overflowing with members and supernumerary members, but as the river runs low after the heavy rains are over, so will the flow of honours decrease to the small stream which in peace time can alone keep up their value.
By the early 21st Century, the United Kingdom had seven orders of knighthood - the Garter, the Thistle, the Bath, St Michael and St George, the Royal Victorian Order and the Order of the British Empire [other orders, such as the Order of St Patrick, Order of the Star of India, the Order of the Indian Empire having lapsed]. Further honors are the Order of the Companions of Honour, Distinguished Service Order and Imperial Service Order.While the first is undoubtedly the oldest as well as the most illustrious anywhere existing, a fictitious antiquity has been claimed and is even still frequently conceded to the second and fourth, although the third, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth appear to be as contentedly as they are unquestionably recent. It is certain that the "most noble" Order of the Garter at least was instituted in the middle of the 14th century, when English chivalry was outwardly brightest and the court most magnificent. But in what particular year this event occurred is and has been the subject of much difference of opinion. All the original records of the order until after 1416 have perished, and consequently the question depends for its settlement not on direct testimony but on inference from circumstances.
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