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Ladies of the Garter

Although the Statutes of the Order of the Garter at the time made no provision for female members, there are many cases on record between 1376 and 1495 where Garter robes were ordered for various ladies. In most cases these were daughters or wives of Knights, and often both. It was not possible for them to be Knights: rather their role was to encourage the Knights in tournaments and to reward their success.

It would appear that Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, was the last Lady of the Order until the 20th century. Henry VIII and his successors as Sovereign, though they included five Queens, abandoned the custom which had no mandate in the Statutes.

When, upon his accession to the throne, Edward VII made Queen Alexandra a Lady of the Garter, he developed and expanded the medieval concept by allotting her a stall in St George's Chapel where her crown and banner were displayed. Garter King-of-Arms, Sir Albert Woods, pointed out that this was not in accordance with the Statutes of the Order. However, the Sovereign's wish was carried out. Authority for the action lay in the first of Henry VIII's revised Statutes, that "to the Sovereign ..... shall appertain the ..... interpretation, reformation and disposition of all causes concerning and touching anything of obscurity or doubt, contained in the Statutes of the Most Noble Order". The Register of the Order, 1 Edward VIII (1901/2) notes: The Secretary of State for the Home Department signified to the Chancellor of this Most Noble Order that His Majesty the King, as Sovereign of the Order, had been graciously been pleased to command that a Special Statute be issued for conferring upon Her Majesty the Queen the title and dignity of a Lady of this Most Noble Order and fully authorising Her Majesty to wear the Insignia thereof. The Sovereign's pleasure was duly announced in the London Gazette of Tuesday 12 February, 1901.

Since 1901 there have been 11 Ladies of the Garter:

1. Queen Alexandra

declared a Lady of the Order by special statute 12 Feb 1901; d. 20 Nov 1925

2. Queen Mary

declared a Lady of the Order by special statute 3 Jun 1910; d. 24 Mar 1953

3. Queen Elizabeth

declared a Lady of the Order by special statute 14 Dec 1936; d. 30 Mar 2002

4. Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands

declared a Lady of the Order by special statute 24 Sep 1944; d. 28 Nov 1962

5. Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, later Queen Elizabeth II

declared a Lady of the Order by special statute 11 Nov 1947

6. Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands

declared a Lady of the Order by special statute 25 Mar 1958; d. 20 Mar 2004

7. Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark

declared a Lady of the Order by special statute 16 May 1979; installed 16 Jun 1980

8. Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands

declared a Lady of the Order by special statute 21 Jun 1989; installed 18 Jun 1990

9. Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, The Princess Royal

declared a Lady of the Order by special statute 23 April 1994; installed 13 Jun 1994

10. Princess Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel GCVO, The Hon Lady Ogilvy

declared a Lady of the Order by special statute 23 Apr 2003; installed 16 Jun 2003

11. Queen Camilla GCVO

declared a Lady of the Order by special statute 23 Apr 2022; installed .... 2022

The Ladies of the Garter should not be confused with the Lady Companions, the first of whom was Lavinia, Duchess of Norfolk, in 1990, the second Baroness Thatcher in 1995, and the third Mary, Lady Soames in 2005.

Last updated 11 Sep 2022

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