The Most Honorable Order of the Bath is the British knighthood PDF.
George I founded the Most Honorable Order of the Bath on 18 May 1725.The medieval ceremony for appointing a knight involved bathing as a symbol of purification.The knights were called the "Knights of the Bath".George I put the Knights of the Bath into a military order.He did not revive the Order of the Bath since it had never previously existed as an Order, in the sense of a body of knights who were governed by a set of statutes.It was 7 and 8.
The Order has three classes of members, including the Great Master and Queen Elizabeth II.
They are either members of the Civil or the Military Division.The order had a single class, Knight Companion, which no longer exists.Senior military officers or senior civil servants are the recipients of the Order.Commonwealth citizens who aren't subjects of the Queen or foreign nationals can be made Honorary Members.[15]
The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick is the most senior of the British Orders of Chivalry.[16]
Knighthood was often granted in the Middle Ages.The knight was instructed in the duties of knighthood after taking a bath during which he was symbolic of spiritual purification.He was put to sleep.He wore a special robe and was led to the chapel where he spent the night.After making a confession and attending Mass, he retired to his bed and slept until the sun came up.He was made a knight after being struck on the neck with either a hand or a sword by two senior knights who fastened a belt around his waist.knighthood was created by striking or touching the knight-to-be on the shoulder with a sword, as is still done today, and it was this accolade which was the essential act in creating a knight.Full ceremonies were used for men from more prominent families in the early medieval period.[17]
The Knights of the Bath were created during the reign of Henry IV and were limited to royal occasions such as weddings and investitures.The simpler form of ceremony continued to be used for Knights Bachelor.The last time the Knights of the Bath were created was in 1661 when Charles II was crowned.[21]
The motto Tria juncta in uno (Latin for "Three joined in one") was used by the Knights of the Bath from at least 1625 until the reign of James I.Both of these were adopted by the Order of the Bath and are still worn by Civil Division members.Their symbolism is not clear.The 'three joined in one' may be a reference to the kingdoms of England, Scotland and either France or Ireland, which were held by English and British monarchs.The three crowns in the badge correspond to this.The motto refers to the Holy Trinity.Nicolas quotes a source who claims that the motto prior to James I was Tria numina juncta in uno (three powers/gods joined in one), but from the reign of James, it was dropped.[25]
The Order of the Bath was founded by John Anstis, Garter King of Arms.A recent holder of the office of Garter wrote about Anstis's motives.
The trouble and opposition Anstis met with in establishing himself as Garter so embittered him against the heralds that when he succeeded, he made it his prime object to aggrandise himself.It is clear that he set out to make himself indispensable to the Earl Marshall, who was not hard, their political principles being congruous and their friendship already established, but also to Sir Robert Walpole and the Whig ministry, which can by no means have been easy.Anstis's next move was probably to reestablish the Order of the Bath and ingratiating him with the powerful Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole.[28]
The modern honours system in which hundreds, if not thousands, of people each year receive honours on the basis of deserving accomplishments was not used in the early 18th century.The only honours available at that time were hereditary peerages and baronetcies, knighthoods and the Order of the Garter, which were awarded in small numbers.The political environment was different from today.
The power of the Sovereign was still exercised in the 18th century.The Court was the center of politics.The King's choice was limited because he had to choose Ministers who could command a majority in Parliament.The leader of the administration had to command the King's approval.A strong following in Parliament depended on being able to supply places, pensions, and other marks of Royal favour to the government's supporters.[28]
The new Order for Walpole was seen as a way for him to strengthen his political position.Most of the 36 new recipients were peers and MPs who would provide him with useful connections.Anstis was commissioned by George I to draft statutes for the Order of the Bath.The colour of the riband and mantle and the ceremony for creating a knight were adopted by him.The Order of the Garter, of which he was an officer, was the basis for the rest.The Order was founded by letters patent under the Great Seal dated 18 May 1725, and the statutes were issued the following week.[32]
The Order consisted of a Prince of the blood Royal as Principal Knight, a Great Master, and thirty-five Knights Companion.Seven officers were attached to the order.They were to be sinecures at the disposal of the Great Master and were supported by fees from the knights.Only a few military officers were among the initial appointments, despite the fact that the Bath was a military Order.Some may be classified in more than one category.
The majority of the new Knights Companions were knighted by the King on 27 May 1725.Although the statutes set out the full medieval ceremony which was to be used for creating knights, this was not performed, as the original statutes contained a provision that allowed the Great Master to give Knights Companion from these requirements.The Installation, which was performed in the Order's Chapel, the Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey, was the exception to the rule.This precedent was followed until 1812, after which the Installation was also dispensed with, until its revival in the twentieth century.The ceremonies were part of the Statutes until 1847.[39]
The initial appointments to the Order were mostly political, but naval, military or diplomatic achievements became more important as the years went on.Britain was involved in conflicts over this period.The Peninsular War resulted in so many deserving candidates for the Bath that a statute was issued allowing the appointment of Extra Knights in time of war, who were to be additional to the numerical limits imposed by the statutes, and whose number was not subject to any restrictions.An earlier statute added a military note to the Order.For a period not exceeding 42 days in any year, each knight was required to supply and support four men-at-arms.Four trumpeters and eight officers were to be appointed by the Great Master for this company.The statute was never used.36
After the end of the Peninsular War, the Prince Regent expanded the order to include officers who had the opportunity to signal themselves by service.[12]
The Order now had three classes: Knights Grand Cross, Knights Commander, and Companions.Knight Grand Cross was limited to 72 members and twelve could be appointed for civil or diplomatic services.The military members had to be of the rank of Major-General or Rear Admiral.The Knights Commander was limited to 180, and only foreign nationals with British commission could be appointed.They needed to be of the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel or Post-Captain.The number of Companions was not specified, but they had to have received a medal or been mentioned in despatches since the start of the war.A list of 500 names was published.There were two more officers appointed, an officer of arms attendant on the Knights Commanders and Companions, and a secretary.It was [13].
All references to an exclusively military order were eliminated by Queen Victoria in 1847.The Military and Civil Divisions of the Order were established as a result of removing the word'military' from the full name.The opportunity to regularise the expansion of the Order was taken.The 1847 statutes abolished the medieval ritual, but they did introduce a formal Investiture ceremony, which was attended by the officers and as many GCBs as possible.[47]
In 1850, a special statute allowed the appointment of Knight Commander and Companion in the Military Division of the Army and Navy, as well as those serving with the East India Company.48
The costs associated with the Order were the main reason for the changes to the Statutes.Prior to this date, the policy was for the insignia to be returned on the death of the holder; the exception was foreigners who had been awarded honorary membership.Ordinary members had only embroidered stars, whereas foreigners were provided with stars made of silver and diamonds.The decision was made to award silver stars only to members who return the collar.The officers of the Order for members who had been appointed for the services in the recent war were paid the fees by the Crown.The salary was the same as the average value and the fees were abolished.The offices of Genealogist and Messenger were abolished.[49]
The first Installation ceremony of the more junior Order of St Michael and St George was held a few years earlier, after George V's accession to the throne.The Installation ceremony took place in the Henry VII Chapel on July 22, 1913.
The chapel had to be adjusted prior to the 1913 Installation to accommodate the larger number of members.A surplus remained after an appeal was made to the members of the order.The committee formed from the officers to administer the 'Bath Chapel Fund' has come to consider other matters than just financial ones.[54]
The 41 additional statutes which had been issued since the 1859 revision were consolidated in the 1925 revision of the Order's statutes.[55]
In 1971 women were admitted to the Order.The first woman to be admitted to the order was Jean Nunn.Princess Alice was the first woman to reach the highest rank, Dame Grand Cross.Princess Alice was a descendant of the Order's first Great Master and her husband also held that office.Sally Davies was the second Dame Grand Cross.
The Order of the Bath has a British monarch.All appointments to the Order are made on the advice of the Government.
As the Principal Knight Companion, he was a Prince of the Blood Royal.The Great Master's position was joined to this one in the statutes of 1847.The Great Master and Principal Knight is either a descendant of George I or some other exalted personage, and the holder of the office is responsible for enforcing the statutes.[2]
Only citizens of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries of which the Queen is the monarch can be regular members.Appointees are usually officers of the armed forces or senior civil servants.It was [13].
By their personal services to the crown or the performance of public duties have merited royal favour, members of the Civil Division must be appointed.The minimum rank of the individual is how appointments to the Military Division are restricted.GCBs hold the rank of admiral, general in the British Army or Royal Marines, or air chief marshal.The rank of vice admiral, lieutenant general in the Army or Marines, or air marshal must be held by KCBs.CBs are usually of the rank of rear admiral, major general in the Army, Royal Navy or Royal Marines, or air vice marshal, and in addition must have been Mentioned in Despatches for distinction in a command position.Non-line officers.Engineers, medics can only be appointed for meritorious service during the war.72
Commonwealth citizens are not subjects of the Queen.Queen Elizabeth II has established a custom of giving an GCB to visiting heads of state, for example Gustav Heinemann and Josip Broz Tito in 1972, Ronald Reagan in 1989 and Lech Wasa in 1991.During the First World War, foreign generals such as Ferdinand Foch and Joseph Joffre were appointed to the Order.On the advice of the Foreign Secretary, the Queen stripped Robert Mugabe of his honour on June 25, 2008, as a mark of revulsion at the abuse of human rights and disregard for the democratic process.[84]
There are numerical limits in each class.The statutes allow the Sovereign to go beyond the limits in times of war or exceptional circumstances.[86]
The office is held by the Dean.The Bath King of Arms is not a member of the college of arms.The Gentleman of the Black Rod does not perform any duties in the House of Lords, unlike the Order's Usher who does.
The original seven officers were to receive fees from the Knights Companion on appointment and annually thereafter.Messenger's office was abolished in the 19th century.The office of Genealogist was revived in 1913 after being abolished at the same time.The offices of Registrar and Secretary were merged in 1859, despite the fact that the positions had been held concurrently for the previous century.The Officer of Arms and a Secretary for the Knights Commander and Companions were abolished in 1847.The office of the deputy secretary was created in 1925.
Some of the officers held heraldic office.The office of Blanc Coursier Herald of Arms was attached to that of the Genealogist, the Gentleman Usher, and the Bath King's Arms with heraldic jurisdiction over Wales.The Order of the Bath and the heraldic offices were given greater security by Anstis because the Great Master wanted them to be held at his pleasure.[98]
The costumes that members of the Order wear on important occasions vary by rank.
The Knights and Dames Grand Cross are the only ones who wear the mantle.There is a representation of the star on the left side.There are two large tassels on the mantle.[97]
The hat worn by the Knights and Dames Grand Cross is made of black velvet and has feathers on it.[98]
The Knights and Dames Grand Cross collar is made of gold and weighs more than 900 grams.There are depictions of nine imperial crowns and eight sets of flowers connected by seventeen silver knots.[97]
The star is only used by the Knights and Dames Grand Cross.It is pinned to the left breast by rank and division.
The military Knights and Dames Commander has a Maltese Cross on top of an eight-pointed silver star.The crowns are surrounded by a red ring with the motto of the Order in gold letters.There is a scroll above the circle with the words "I serve" written in gold letters.Stylised versions of this are known as Bath stars and are used to indicate British Army officer ranks and police ranks.
The star for civil Knights and Dames Grand Cross has an eight-pointed silver star, without the Maltese cross, on it.The design of each is the same as that of the military stars, except that the words Ich dien are not included.[97]
The design, size and manner of wearing the badges varies by rank and division.The Companion's badge is larger than the Knight and Dame Grand Cross' because it is suspended on a ribbon.The badges of the Knights and Dames Grand Cross are passed from the right shoulder to the left hip.Knights Commander and male Companions wear a ribbon around their neck with their badges.Dames Commander and female Companions wear a bow on the left side.
There is a gold Maltese Cross of eight points on the military badges.Each angle of the cross has a small figure of a lion decorated with a gold ball.There is a rose, a thistle, and a shamrock on the reverse side of the cross.Both emblems are surrounded by a red circular ring bearing the motto of the Order, which is in turn flanked by two laurel branches, above a scroll with the words Ich dien in gold letters.[97]
On the reverse side of the civil badge is a sceptre with the Order's motto on it, as well as a rose, a thistle, and a shamrock.[97]
The Order's collar can be worn over military uniform or eveningwear on certain days.The badges are suspended from the collar on formal occasions.[97]
Upon the death of their owners, the Knights and Dames Grand Cross are returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood.All other insignia can be retained by their owners.[97]
The Henry VII Lady Chapel is the Chapel of the Order.Every four years, an installation ceremony, presided over by the Great Master, and a religious service are held in the Chapel.The Prince of Wales presided over the last service in the Order's 293rd year on Thursday, 24 May.
Only the most senior Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed in the Chapel.A stall made vacant by the death of a military Knight Grand Cross is offered to the next most senior military GCB.The Marshal of the Air Force Lord Craig was created a Knight Grand Cross in 1984 but was not installed until 2006.[21]
The occupant's devices are displayed above each stall.The top of the knight's stall is decorated with a mantling and his crest.English heraldic law does not allow women other than monarchs to have helms or crests; instead, the coronet appropriate to the Dame's rank is used.100
The heraldic banner of the knight or dame is hung above the crest or coronet.A piece of brass is affixed to the back of the stall to display the occupant's name, arms and date of admission into the Order.
After the death of a Knight, the banner, helm, mantling and crest are taken down.The stalls in the chapel are festooned with a colourful record of the Order's Knights and now Dames, but the stall plates are not removed.
When the grade of Knight Commander was established, they were required to have a banner and stall plate in the chapel.The 1847 statutes allow all three classes to request the erection of a plate in the chapel bearing the member's name, date of nomination, but this was never implemented due to lack of space.[101]
The Order of the Bath assigns its members positions according to precedence.The wives of male members also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander.Individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not their mothers or wives.See the order of precedence in England and Wales.
The forenames of the Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander are "Sir" and "Dame", respectively.There is no equivalent privilege for husbands of Dames.When the names of the former are written out in their fullest forms, such forms are not used by peers and princes.Foreign members and clergymen are not entitled to the title of "Sir" unless they become Commonwealth citizens.
The post-nominal "GCB" is used by the Knights and Dames Grand Cross.[106]
Dames Grand Cross are allowed to receive heraldic supporters.They can encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet, which is a red circle with the motto, either outside or on the collar.
Knights and Dames Commander and Companions are not allowed to have a collar around their arms.The badges are suspended from the collar.The circlet may be encompassed by members of the Military division with the inscription "two laurel branches issuant from an escrol azure inscribed Ich dien".
The Order of the Bath and their children can get married in London.[108]
Membership in the Order can be revoked.The grounds for fleeing from battle under the 1725 statutes were heresy, high treason, or cowardice.The Knights Companion could be degraded at the next meeting.The duty of the Gentleman Usher was to "pluck down the escocheon".With all the usual marks of infamy, spurn the knight out of the chapel.[109]
Two people were degraded for political reasons, one in 1813 and the other in 1816.Coote died a few years after he was degraded.[115]
A member of the Order who is convicted of treason, cowardice, felony, or any notorious crime, and who does not submit to trial in a reasonable time, will be degraded from the order.The power to restore such members was held by the Sovereign.[109]
The entry in the register can be erased if an order is signed by the Sovereign and sealed with the seal of the Order.There is a chance that the cancellation may be reversed.[ 112]
King George V stripped Mussolini of his GCB after he declared war on the UK.[113]
William Pottinger, a senior civil servant, lost both his status of CB and Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1975 when he was jailed for corruptly receiving gifts from the architect.[ 114]
The day before his execution, Queen Elizabeth II stripped of his GCB status.The President of Zimbabwe was stripped of his GCB status by the Queen on the advice of the Foreign Secretary as a mark of revulsion at the abuse of human rights and disregard for the democratic process in Zimbabwe.[115]