The Most Noble Order of the Garter :: Essays Papers

The Most Noble Order of the Garter History Of Orders: The secular orders of chivalry that came about in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries were fundamentally based on the idea of religious expression, social valor, and virtue. These institutions, â€Å"recycled some of the trappings of the original orders of chivalry, but with the aim to create a close knit and devoted circle of noblemen around the person of the sovereign† (Saintry). An order is an award or symbol of great authority and mark, â€Å"The most striking among them (Orders) were those founded by great princes and distinguished by their lavish ceremonial and their ornate dress regulations. The oldest of these princely orders seems to be the Order of the Band, founded by Alfonso XI of Castile in about 1348† (Keen). However, King Edward III, founded the Order of the Garter in 1348 setting a new standard for the future of these great orders. It is within these orders that the very essence or aura can be understood within the realm of chi valry. These orders were descendants from the age of feudalism. Even today the Order of the Garter is still practiced in Great Britain today. Every year at Windsor Castle the ceremony of the Garter takes place. This celebration is performed in the shadow of the famed St. George's tower where a procession takes the present 24 knights into St. George's Chapel (the shrine to the Garter). History of the Garter: The Order of the Garter, founded by King Edward III, is the premier Order of Great Britain. This order is comprised of twenty-six Knights who surrender themselves onto the mercy of their order. It is believed that the Order of the Garter is modeled after King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table and Edward does nothing to dispel that rumor! King Edward III is the epitome of the Order of the Garter and some even believed that Edward was King Arthur reincarnate. This fueled his idea for the Order, which embodied the idea of chivalry and everything that went with it, (i.e. largesse, honor, and nobility). It is rumored that at a celebration King Edward was dancing with the glamorous Countess of Salsbury when her garter slipped off. Immediately Edward picked it up, slipped it on his leg and said, â€Å"Honi soit qui mal y pense† or â€Å"Shame or dishonor on him who thinks evil on it.