Royal Anecdotes nominates Prince William for Garter
There is a lot of chatter around over who will become the 1000th Knight of the Garter, the most prestigious Order in the realm.
The Queen in Garter robes
The Queen is expected to announce the name on St. George’s Day, April 23. Among the possible candidates are Tony Blair and Lord Guthrie, the former Chief of the Defence Staff.
However, Tony Blair is not a unifying candidate, and there are those who would bring up their lunches if he made it.
Wikipedia describes the Garter like this, “The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry, or Knighthood, originating in medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients in any of the Commonwealth realms; it is the pinnacle of the honours system in the United Kingdom. Membership in the order is limited to the Sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and no more than twenty-four members, or Companions; the Order also comprises Supernumerary Knights and ladies (e.g., members of the British Royal Family and foreign Monarchs).”
An intriguing suggestion is that Prince William would be an easy choice for Her Majesty this time. Why not? At least it will keep Blair off the Most Noble list.
Royal Anecdotes humbly nominates Prince William to Her Majesty as the 1000th Knight of the Garter. I’m sure our readers will be equally staunch in their support.
I would nominate Prince Harry. He fought bravely in Iraq, and he “wanted” to be there with his men. So many people just get sent to Iraq who do not want to be there. My younger cousin was in Fallujah, so I have seen the pictures and know the horror of having a loved one in the service. God blessed Her Majesty with more than one grandson.
By Jacque on April 3rd, 2008 at 1:31 pm
It’d be highly rude for Blair not to receive some peerage as is customary for ex-PMs. The only way to keep him out of Garters is to make him a Knight of the Thistle.
By ClassyCanuck on April 3rd, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Classy, Blair is entitled to a barony, but has not claimed it yet. Personally, I would rather he sat on a thistle than got the Knighthood.
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 2:38 pm
LOL, John!
I have nothing against Prince William becoming the 1000 Knight of the Garter; however, Prince Harry has just returned from war where his performance for Crown and Country was exemplary. I suppose Her Majesty could not award this prestigious honor to Harry before William.
By Arthur on April 3rd, 2008 at 2:48 pm
No, Arthur, William will be Prince of Wales at some stage, so would automatically get it then. But an early entrance would save the usual consideration of unworthy candidates.
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 3:00 pm
forgive me for not knowing alot about this…if william will authomatically get it when he become POW, then why not give it to harry - he’s certainly earned it with this military service…
thoughts
By coni on April 3rd, 2008 at 3:10 pm
He’s far too young, Coni, and a few weeks service doesn’t match the former Chief of the Defence Staff, who’s also in the running.
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I’m sure the Queen will never put herself in the position of being accused of nepotism. The 1000th Knight will most likely be a boring politician.
By Arthur on April 3rd, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I would love to see Prince William become the 1000 Knight of the Garter, but I doubt that this will happen. He will, as John says, become a KG when he becomes Prince of Wales, and in some ways, Prince William is also a bit young right now for this Knighthood. I realize Tony Blair is not the popular choice, but he should receive the Garter for his service to Britain during dangerous and extremely trying times. Fair is fair, and heaven only knows, the Queen is both judicious and fair. I would be loathe to see the Garter become a popularity contest. It is in the Sovereign’s gift and there I hope it will remain, at least while Queen Elizabeth II is on the throne. The winds of change that drive public opinion blow fickle and switch directions frequently. Thank God Queen Elizabeth II is no weathercock.
By Gigi on April 3rd, 2008 at 3:50 pm
You always set my mind wondering, John. At first, I thought Prince William might be too young to receive the Garter before a less desireable politician. However, when you mentioned that William will automtically receive the Garter when he becomes Prince of Wales, I realized Prince Charles was only 21 when he became Prince of Wales. William is 26, so there is precedence for someone receiving the Garter at such a young age. On that basis, I think it would be a wonderful honor to make Prince William the 1000th Knight and Queen Elizabeth could do so in her lifetime. I second Prince William’s nomination.
By Arthur on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Gigi, you don’t realize how much Blair is hated over here for a variety of policies, plus gross dishonesty — not just the Iraq war.
In my view he’s not worthy of the Garter. The Queen may agree as I think she will still remember when Blair tried to hijack her mother’s funeral and then sought to undermine the Queen’s representative in Parliament, Black rod, when he refused to allow the Blair hijack.
HM has a long memory and I’ll bet that Blair doesn’t get it — at least not this time.
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Arthur, thank you. You are the first to support our nomination.
Now we await the outcome on William Shakespeare’s birthday.
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
John, if Prince William does get the nod, there can be no doubt that someone at the Palace is reading Royal Anecdotes. I don’t know if I can withstand the anticipation.
By Arthur on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
We’re on tenterhooks here too, Arthur. To get the nod of the Sovereign is better than a “By Royal Appointment” plaque over the door.
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:26 pm
knew blair wasnt popular but had no idea the how unpopular/disliked he really is….whats this about him hijacking the queen mothers funeral??!!!
By coni on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Yes, I want to hear about that also, John. I clearly remember the Queen Mother’s funeral, but nothing about Blair hijacking it. What on earth happened?
By Gigi on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Coni, he and his grubby wife wanted to do a walkabout down Whitehall on the day of her funeral. He also wanted a bigger role than politicians traditionally get at Royal occasions. He reminds me of the Emperor Bokassa of the Central African Republic who dressed like Napoleon and spent his people’s money on grand buildings to glorify himself.
Okay, a bit over the top, but you get the picture.
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Arthur, regarding Charles getting the Garter at age 21, in my mind it set a dangerous precedent. Charles was too young to get the Garter then, too immature and too self-absorbed. Prince William is neither immature nor self-absorbed, but the Garter is a Knighthood steeped in religious tradition, purification and self-abnegation. Especially for a Prince who will be King, he must be old enough to full appreciate and espouse the deeper meaning of the Order of the Garter. That is the issue on which I based my comments.
By Gigi on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Gigi, we are the Anyone-But-Blair campaign, and if William doesn’t get it, we’ll accept any worthy candidate. I suppose old Guthrie would do, especially as he stood up in the Lords to attack Gordon Brown for not equipping our troops in Iraq.
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:39 pm
walkabout at a funeral! geez are they full of themselves…! perhaps it is a bit early for william or harry to get the honor and should go to someone more seasoned…not that i know much about it…hows the new PM doing?
By coni on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I admit, I am absolutely stunned about Blair and his wife thinking it was appropriate to do a PR gig on the day of the Queen Mother’s funeral. That is not only tasteless, it beats all known records for standing, sitting or leaping gall! I do believe that this alone may disqualify Blair for the Garter. That is a demonstration of shocking lack of compassion and respect for the memory of the Queen Mother and the grief of the Queen! How in the world did Tony Blair rise to such a lofty station in life without observing proper attention to Death Rites? I am really having a problem recovering from this.
I do salute Guthrie for his chastising Gordon Brown regarding the shocking and even sordid neglect and abuse of the troops in Iraq. If Guthrie is not the choice of the Queen for the Garter, I will support Prince William as the Garter Knight candidate, because the Queen is, in this instance, the best judge of whether Prince William is old and wise enough to espouse the sacred precepts of the Garter Knighthood.
By Gigi on April 3rd, 2008 at 4:59 pm
And all the other former Chiefs of Staff stood up too to complain, Gigi. It was the best attack from British forces since El Alamein.
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 5:04 pm
so do we know the list of nominees? how does this work? sorry to sound so lame …
By coni on April 3rd, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Gigi, I believe Tony and Cherie Blair are political devotees of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Need I say more?
By Arthur on April 3rd, 2008 at 5:08 pm
LOL! Splendid! I do wish we had a video of it, I could do with something uplifting just now!
By Gigi on April 3rd, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Coni, it seems most are local worthies. Only Guthrie, blair and Wills have been mentioned as frontrunners.
Arthur, devotees of Bill and Hill sums it up perfectly. All four were lawyers too, so they had the patois of deception off to a tee.
By John on April 3rd, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Prince Charles has been a Knight of the Garter since 1958. As was mentioned before it is automatic with Prince of Wales and it was in 1958 that he was created Prince of Wales. His investiture was in 1969, but that is a separate thing from getting the title.
Prince William or Prince Harry could be named to the Garter by the Queen without counting against the 24-member limit. Princess Anne, the Duke of York, and the Earl of Wessex do not count against the 24-limit, for example. They are among the supernumerary knights and I don’t belie there is a limit to that number.
By Janet on April 3rd, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I’m in conflict, on the one hand I can see that it would be nice for William to be made the 1000th Garter irrespective of the fact that he will be made one in due course. I have a thing for numbers and it would be nice for a future King to be the 1000th garter on the other hand I don’t think he has done anything personally to deserve the distinction yet.
As for Blair I don’t have the strong views that John holds though I greatly dispise the way he engaged in war in Iraq. I didn’t know about the proposed walkabout at the Queen Mothers funeral and I must say I am quite shocked, I can’t even begin to understand or rationalise where he was coming from.
Could someone like Stephen Hawkings get the Order of the Garter or is it normally political?
By Eliza on April 3rd, 2008 at 7:39 pm
John,
I am a lawyer sans the “patois of deception.” I can take whatever you can dish out but PLEASE do not pick on poor Hillary. Don’t you know that she had to wear a flack jacket and helmet to run under the bullets on her way to the Chappaqua Safeway for a quart of milk? You should also remember that she brokered peace in Ireland. I thought you were more up on your world events!!! tsk tsk.
By Mary on April 3rd, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Arthur I am also a devotee of Bill & Hilary Clinton… I like the Clintons a lot actually. And although I think Bush screwed up Royally during his reign thank god for the American system of two terms and you are out. I think the British system would fair a lot better if the same rules were in place. I think prime ministers reign for far too long over in Britain and the power goes to their heads and thats when the bad decisions/delusions of grandeur being.
By Jackie Mccoy on April 3rd, 2008 at 9:35 pm
I am definitely not a fan of either of the Clintons. I like and admire the American system, which seems right for our country, but am also a fan of the British system, from which ours derived, and which seems well-suited to Britain. Systems of government should be tailored to suit the people of each individual nation. What works best in one land may not work well in another.
By Gigi on April 3rd, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Mary, let’s not forget that Hillary Clinton was named in honor of Sir Edmund Hillary who, in 1953, became was the first mountain climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The only problem with Mrs. Clinton’s assertion is that she was born in 1947, six years before Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest. I suppose a lot of children born in 1947 were named after an unknown New Zeland bee keeper.
By Arthur on April 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
my problem with the clintons is not only their sense of entitlement but also their recollection of events….
By coni on April 3rd, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Wow there are a lot of non Clinton fans on this website. Indeed Coni that is my problem with Bush who seemed to have had a spot of bother with whether or not there were weapons of mass destruction before he sent over thousands of troops to be killed and we still have made no progress….. I have friends and family out there now and I just pray they make it back in one piece. If I had the choice between recollection problems about a landing under a spray of bullets and being the idiot who sent sons & or daughter out to war based on half truths I think I stick with the former.
Sorry to rant but politics is a touchy subject for everyone & upsets me a lot given that family and friends are out there for no good reason.
By Jackie Mccoy on April 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 pm
jackie..
for the record…i’m not a bush fan…dont get me started on that guy…
By coni on April 3rd, 2008 at 11:34 pm
I don’t see why Willie can’t be named a garter knight. Charles was 9 when he was named POW besides If Harry can’t get it for service to his country it may as well be Willie. Oh and HM was made a knight at 21 on the eve of her wedding along with PP though she had the precedence of being named first. Oh and for all you American Clinton haters Obama is just as bad his recollection that his parents met at the Selma March which happened 4 years after his birth or his father coming here on the largese of the Kennedy family the Kennedy family gave to the African exchange program a year after Obamas father came here. So lets be fair all Politicians gild the lily so to speak.
By Trudie on April 4th, 2008 at 2:04 am
Agreed, Trudie, and that is something the Bush haters should realize, as well. There is too much negativity and cynicism, entirely too many destructive tendencies in the American public. It astounds me that anyone wants to run for any office these days, given the rabid hatred and determination to skewer the candidate that characterizes the American voting populace.
By Gigi on April 4th, 2008 at 3:10 am
Mary, I take your nicely judged irony.
I shouldn’t have mentioned politics here, but I guess in election year there’s not much you can do to avoid it.
In terms of Presidents, I rather liked Ronald Reagan who always had a nice turn of phrase about things, like, “A recession is when your neighbour loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours.”
By John on April 4th, 2008 at 9:08 am
As for who should get the Garter vacancy, we’ll know in 19 days.
I hope by now Her Majesty’s Private Secretary will have drawn her attention to Royal Anecdotes’s petition in favour of Prince William.
By John on April 4th, 2008 at 9:12 am
I agree with you, John. I adored President Reagan. He was the perfect example of leadership and his positive attitude and faith in the American people braced all of us through difficult times and inspired us to do better.
By Gigi on April 4th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Coni thanks that makes me feel a lot better!
Trudie you are correct also. I don’t think that there is a politician out there who hasn’t either out right lied, told a little white lie or had a memory recollection problem at one time or another. It’s all part of the game……. Politics is a little like Religion one of those subjects which are always bound to cause arguments as people have such strong views.
By Jackie Mccoy on April 4th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
True, Jackie, politics is a touchy subject you can’t avoid sometimes. That reminds me of the right-wing American politician who claimed he never turned left in his car.
“How do you get where you want to go?” he was asked.
“I just accept where I end up,” he said. He had a very poor voting record in Congress, by all accounts.
Personally, I don’t believe that story.
By John on April 4th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
John, you are hilarious!
By Gigi on April 4th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Rumour in Australia is that our former Prime Minister, John Howard, will be rewarded with the KG for his help in preserving Australia as a monarchy.
Every former British PM has received the Garter, no matter what. The Queen is a constitutional monarch, and sooner or later will follow form and give Tony Blair the KG, regardless of Her personal feelings towards him.
By Troy on April 8th, 2008 at 2:36 am
That’s a terrific idea, Troy. John Howard is liked and admired over here.
I doubt Kevin Rudd would be too pleased, although he admitted on Sunday that he’s put the republic on the back burner. Maybe he’s going for a KG too.
By John on April 8th, 2008 at 10:25 am
[...] readers will know that Royal Anecdotes “nominated” Prince William for the vacancy, not just on his merit, but because, apart from Australia’s John Howard, some [...]
By Royal Anecdotes » Prince William Knight of the Garter on April 23rd, 2008 at 9:07 am