The History of the Most Noble Order of the Garter

by Elias Ashmole

Greater Respect is conferr’d upon foreign Princes, who receive their Election here, than abroad; because the Sovereign most usually performs the Investiture himself; as was solemniz’d upon Philip, King of Castile, when the Sovereign took the Garter from the King at Arms, and fixed it on his Leg, and Prince Henry fasten’d the Buckle.

Queen Elizabeth her self buckled the Garter about the Leg of John Casimier, Count Palatine of the Rhine, and hung about his Neck a Gold Chain with the George at it. And the like Honour did King James I. confer upon the Duke of Holstein, in the 3d Year of his Reign.

Sometimes it happens, tho’ very rarely, for the Sovereign, out of his special Grace and Favour, to condescend to Honour a Knight-Subject this way; tho’, when Queen Elizabeth was pleased to adorn the Lord Burleigh with the Garter, the Annals record it to be done as it were by the by. The same Favours she bestow’d, tho’ at different times, upon Henry, Earl of Sussex, and the Earl of Shrewsbury. King James I. invested Henry, Earl of Northampton, with the principal Ensigns of the Order, as a Person worthy of so great an Honour: And the Blessed Martyr placed both the Garter and the George, with his own Hands, upon King Charles II.

Sometimes the Sovereign hath but performed part of the Investiture, and laid his Commands on the senior Knight to do the rest. Thus, Anno 13 Henry VIII. the Sovereign reached out the Garter to the Marquis of Dorset, and commanded him to buckle it about the Leg of the Earl of Devonshire; which, whilst he was about, the Duke of Norfolk gave him his Assistance, and the Sovereign put on the Gold Chain. At the Investiture of Christian, Duke of Brunswick, Anno 22 Jac. I. the Sovereign put about his Neck the Blue Ribband, whereat hung the Effigies of St. George; and the Earls, who introduc’d him to the Sovereign’s Presence, buckled on the Garter. Thus did the Sovereign to William, Earl of Northampton, Anno 4 Car. I. and the Earl of Pembroke fasten’d the Garter about his left Leg.

This Order of Investiture began to be inverted Anno 22 Jac. I. the George and the Ribband being first put on, and the Garter last. And so was it performed when the Prince of Denmark, Dukes of Monmouth, Cambridge, and Albemarle, received their Investiture in the Reign of King Charles II. The Garter, as it was the first, so is the principal and most worthy Ensign of the Order; and, in the Practice of all former Times, had always the Preference given to it. The Investiture with these two Ensigns, hath generally been performed by the two senior Knights, at the Command of the Sovereign; but always in his Presence, the Chapter sitting; but if absent, then by his Lieutenant. For, in 31 Eliz. the Lord Buckhurst being elected at Whitehall, and coming to Court wholly ignorant of the Affair, and after the Sovereign was risen, (yet leaving the Chapter sitting) her Lieutenant invested him both with the Garter and George. After the Solemnity is compleated, the elect Knight renders most humble Thanks to the Sovereign, and with due Respects salutes the Knights-Companions, who re-salute the elect Knight, and joyfully receive him into their Society. If two or more elect Knights receive this Investiture at one time, as soon as the Senior is invested, and his humble Thanks presented, he moves downwards towards the Chapter-House Door, and there stands till the next Junior Knight is invested; and if there be more, so on until the Chapter break up.

§ 4. Where a Knight-Subject, at the time of his Election, is far distant from Court, or beyond Sea, and the Sovereign determines to send him the Two principal Ensigns of the Order, the Charge of this Employ does of right belong to the Garter. For the Proof of which there are divers Precedents.

The Letters heretofore sent from the Sovereign, along with the Ensigns of the Order, to the elect Knights, have, for the most part, been drawn after the Form of those that certify the Election, and differs only in the last Clause, which requires the elect Knight to repair to the Sovereign: The difference lay not in the Body, but in the Direction of the Letter, which was always worded according to the Quality of the Person to whom it was sent. As to a Knight-Batchelor, the Direction was, To our trusty and well-beloved; and to an Earl, Right trusty, and right well-beloved Cousin; to a Duke, Right trusty, and right entirely beloved Cousin, &c.

The Forms of those Letters, sent upon like Occasions to Knights-Subjects, when King Charles II. was beyond Sea, were penn’d after another Model, and contained other additional particular Clauses; as, 1. Power to wear the Star of Silver about St. George’s Cross; 2. The Great Collar of the Order; and, 3. To style themselves Knights, and Companions of the Order of the Garter, in as ample a Manner, as if they had been installed at Windsor; with an Assurance of receiving the whole Habit there, when the Sovereign was restored to the Possession thereof.

And it appears from some of these Letters, that by reason Sir Edward Walker, Garter, was otherwise employ’d in the Service of the Sovereign, when they were transmitted, the Sovereign pitch’d upon other Persons, to carry both the Letters and Ensigns of the Order, and yet continued the Garter in the Rights of his Office. However, Sir Edward esteeming this devolving his Employment on others, as an Invasion on the Rights of his Office; and having a just regard for the Interest of his Successors, no less than his own, humbly petitioned King Charles II. for Redress, and obtained his gracious Reference thereupon, to several Knights of the Order, to examine the Matter, and to give in their Report, what they found, and what they thought proper to be effected therein; and upon whose Report the Sovereign did him full Right by his gracious Declaration. For the Dukes of Buckingham and Hamilton, and the Marquis of Newcastle, to whom this Affair was referr’d, gave in their Report to the King at Breda, May 27. 1650.

We, George, Duke of Buckingham, William, Duke of Hamilton, and William, Marquis of Newcastle, Knights of the most noble Order of the Garter, having read and consider’d the within written Petition, do find the Allegations therein mentioned to agree with the Statutes and ancient Practices of the said Order; and that Garter King of Arms, and his Deputies, ought to bear all Letters-Patents appertaining to the Brethren of the said Order, and all Elections to the Knights elect. And we do therefore make this Report to your Majesty, to the end you may be pleased to mantain the Petitioner in his just Rights; and that no Example lately made may be brought in Precedent against him, or his Successors in the said Office.