 St Giles' Cathedral |
| Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is Scotland's highest honour, and the 2nd highest over of chilvery in the UK.
Appointments to the Order are entirely the personal gift of Monarch and are not made on the advice of the Prime Minister/ Government. The Order of Thistle has 16 Knights/Ladies, along with any number of Extra Knights (I.e. Royals). Appointments are often announced on St. Andrews Day.
The Order of Thistle was established in 1687. And like most orders, was originally only given to men. Women invested into the Order:
- First Female Consort - Queen Elizabeth (Later the Queen Mum) in 1937.
- First Non-Royal Female - Marion Fraser in 1996
- First Non-Consort/Non-Heir Female Royal - Princess Anne in 2000
The Motto of the Order is Nemo Me Impune Lacessit (No one provokes me with impunity).
Current Royal Knight/Ladies
| Royal | Year | Age | Occasion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Elizabeth II's Reign | |||
| King Charles * (Then Prince Charles) |
1977 | 29 | Ahead of 30th Birthday? |
| Princess Anne | 2000 | 50 | 50th Birthday? |
| Prince William | 2012 | 29 | Ahead of 30th Birthday? |
| King Charles III's Reign | |||
| Queen Camilla | 2023 | 75 | Given on 1st Trooping of King Charles's Reign |
| Prince Edward | 2024 | 60 | 60th Birthday |
| - | - | - | - |
| - | - | - | - |
Notes:
King Charles became Sovereign of the Order upon his Accession. Princess Anne was the first female Royal (beside Monarch/Consort) to be made a Lady of the Order of Garter.
Biennial Service
The Order of Thistle Service is held every two years, during the a Monarch's annual Holyrood Week. The service is held in the Thistle Chapel at St Giles' Cathedral, in Edinburgh Scotland.
The service is usually attended by all of the knight of the Order. We don't normally see spouses or extended members of the royal family attend, except when a royal is invested into the order.
Following the Service there is usually a short reception in the Signet Library, and a lunch at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Insignia
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| derivative work, Artist unknown. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
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