File:KCB military badge.JPG
Military Badge of the Order of the Bath

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the ancient ceremony wherein individuals participated in a vigil of fasting, prayer, and bathing on the day before being knighted (the ceremony was discontinued in 1815). Apart from the Sovereign and the Great Master, before 1815 there were a maximum of thirty six Knights of the Bath (K.B.). After 1815 the number of classes and members were increased several times; the Order now includes three classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority:

Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCB)

Knight or Dame Commander (KCB or DCB)

Companion (CB)

The Order's motto is Tria juncta in uno (Latin for "Three joined in one"), a reference to either the union of England, Scotland and Ireland, or to the Holy Trinity. The former is more likely; a recurring symbol of the Order comprises three crowns. Another motto, Ich dien (German for "I serve") is sometimes used, but only by members of the Order who serve in the military.

The Order is the fourth-most senior in the British honours system, after The Most Noble Order of the Garter, The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, and The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick. The last of the aformentioned Orders—which relates to Ireland, no longer a part of the United Kingdom—still exists but is in disuse; no appointments have been made to it since 1934.

Contents

History[edit]

Under a tradition that dates to mediæval times, special knighthoods were conferred on important royal occasions such as coronations. These knighthoods were called Knighthoods of the Bath due to the ritual bathing observed prior to the investiture. The practice became obsolete by the reign of Charles II.

George I revived the practice, instituting the Order of the Bath, upon the advice of his Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole (who wished to control a source of political patronage). The Order originally consisted only of senior military figures. In 1815, civilians were admitted for the first time, and the pre-investiture rituals were abolished. In 1847, the Order was formally divided into parallel Military and Civil Divisions.

Composition[edit]

The British Sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order of the Bath. The next-most senior member of the Order is the Great Master; HRH The Prince of Wales has been the Great Master since 1975. The Sovereign makes all appointments to the Order on the advice of the Government.

Aside from the Sovereign the Order originally included

After the Napoleonic Wars, it was deemed necessary to honour more individuals; therefore, in 1815, the Order (K.B.) was divided into a civil division of one class:

and a new military division three classes:

The civil division was subsequently expanded into three classes in 1847, the same as the military division.

Limits were placed on the number of Knights Grand Cross, Knights Commanders and Companions, but they have been frequently increased; they are now 120, 355 and 1925, respectively. These limits are often disregarded, as the statutes allow in the event of actions that merit a "peculiar honour or reward."

Women were not admitted to the Order until 1971; the first Dame Grand Cross was Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, an aunt of Elizabeth II. Foreigners may be admitted to the Order as honorary members; they do not count towards the limit on the number of members. Two individuals were made Knights Grand Cross shortly after the conclusion of their terms as Presidents of the United States: Ronald Reagan (in 1989) and George H. W. Bush (in 1993). Honorary members may be stripped of their knighthoods; the first to suffer this fate was Nicolae Ceauşescu, the dictator of Romania.

The Order of the Bath has six officers: the Dean, the King of Arms, the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, the Genealogist and the Usher. The office of Dean is held by the Dean of Westminster. The King of Arms, responsible for heraldry, is known as the Bath King of Arms; he is not, however, a member of the College of Arms like many heralds. The Order's Usher is known as the Gentleman Usher of the Scarlet Rod; he does not, unlike his Order of the Garter equivalent (the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod) perform any duties in the House of Lords.

Vestments and accoutrements[edit]

File:Order of the Bath habit.JPG
Knights Grand Cross wear their habits over suits in modern times. During the nineteenth century, as depicted above, they wore them over imitations of seventeenth century dress.

Members of the Order wear elaborate costumes on important occasions (such as its quadrennial investiture ceremonies and coronations), which vary by rank:

At lesser occasions, simpler insignia are used:

On certain "collar days" designated by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the Order's collar over their military uniform or evening wear. When collars are worn (either on collar days or on formal occasions such as coronations), the badge is suspended from the collar.

The collars and badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross are returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood upon the decease of their owners. All other insignia may be retained by their owners.

Chapel[edit]

The Chapel of the Order is Henry VII Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey. Every four years, an installation ceremony, presided over by the Great Master, and a religious service are held in the Chapel; the Sovereign attends every alternate ceremony. The Sovereign and each knight who has been installed is allotted a stall in the choir of the chapel. Since there are a limited number of stalls in the Chapel, only the most senior Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed. By convention, stalls are offered alternately to members of the military and civil divisions. Waits between admission to the Order and installation may be very long; for instance, Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma was created a Knight Grand Cross in 1955, but was installed in 1972.

Above each stall, the occupant's heraldic devices are displayed. Perched on the pinnacle of a knight's stall is his helm, decorated with a mantling and topped by his crest. Under English heraldic law, women other than monarchs do not bear helms or crests; instead, the coronet appropriate to the dame's rank is used.

Above the crest or coronet, the knight's or dame's heraldic banner is hung, emblazoned with his or her coat of arms. At a considerably smaller scale, to the back of the stall is affixed a piece of brass (a "stall plate") displaying its occupant's name, arms and date of admission into the Order.

Upon the death of a Knight, the banner, helm, mantling and crest (or coronet or crown) are taken down. The stall plates, however, are not removed; rather, they remain permanently affixed somewhere about the stall, so that the stalls of the chapel are festooned with a colourful record of the Order's Knights (and now Ladies) throughout history.

Precedence and privileges[edit]

Members of the Order of the Bath are assigned positions in the order of precedence. 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 Commanders; relatives of female members, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not from their mothers or wives. (See order of precedence in England and Wales for the exact positions.)

Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders prefix "Sir," and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commanders prefix "Dame," to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when the names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Furthermore, honorary members and clergymen do not use the accolade of knighthood.

Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal "GCB"; Knights Commanders use "KCB"; Dames Commanders use "DCB"; Companions use "CB."

Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to receive heraldic supporters. They may, furthermore, enircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a red circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of the latter. Knights and Dames Commanders and Companions may display the circlet, but not the collar, around their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet.

See also[edit]

References[edit]