Later today, King Charles III and the Prince of Wales will attend the Service of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath at Westminster Abbey. The Order of the Bath is the fourth most senior British Orders of Chivalry awarded to Foreign Heads of State, senior military officers, and civil servants, which was founded by King George I 300 years ago!
The fourth most senior order of merit in Britain, after the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle, and the extinct Order of St. Patrick, the Most Honourable Order of the Bath was established by King George I in 1725.
The title of the Order comes from the medieval practice of bathing as part of the ritual of purification before being knighted, and the knights so created became known as Knights of the Bath, a practice that continued until 1661.
The Order consists of up to 120 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 295 Knights and Dames Commander, and 1455 Companions, in addition to the Sovereign and the Great Master. Mostly awarded for Military service, and given to foreign heads of state, appointments to the Order of the Bath are made throughout the year, with a service held every four years at the Henry VII Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey.
The Badge is a gold oval with three crowns and the three flowers, roses, thistles, and shamrocks, emanating from a scepter on the reverse, all surrounded by a ring with the order’s motto.
The crimson Sash is worn over the right shoulder, from which the badge is suspended at the left hip.
The Collar is made of gold, features alternating imperial crowns and grouping of flowers (roses, thistles, and shamrocks), connected by seventeen silver knots.
The eight-point silver Star has a central disc featuring three crowns in gold, surrounded by a red band with the order’s motto in gold lettering.
The Mantle, worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of crimson satin lined with white taffeta. On the left side is a representation of the star. The mantle is bound with two large tassels.
The Military Badge is a gold Maltese Cross of eight points, enamelled in white. Each point of the cross is decorated by a small gold ball; each angle has a small figure of a lion. The centre of the cross bears three crowns on the obverse side, and a rose, a thistle and a shamrock, emanating from a sceptre on the reverse side. Both emblems are surrounded by a red circular ring bearing the motto of the Order, which are in turn flanked by two laurel branches, above a scroll bearing the words Ich dien in gold letters
Since 1913, the Installation Ceremony has been held at regular intervals in the Henry VII Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey, which is presided over by the Grand Master of the Order, while the Sovereign attends every other service.
King Charles III
Great Master (1974-2022) Sovereign (2022-)
The Prince of Wales
Great Master (2024-)
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (1975)
The first woman to reach the highest rank, Dame Grand Cross, after women were admitted to the Order in 1971.
While European Sovereigns and the Emperor of Japan receive the Order of the Garter, the late Queen presented the Most Honourable Order of the Bath to all other Foreign Heads of State on State Visits, which include:
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei (1992)
King Abdullah II of Jordan (2001)
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar (2013)
Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar (2024)
King Hassan II of Morocco (1980)
Sultan Qaboos of Oman (1982)
King Hussein of Jordan (1984)
The late Queen also gave the Order of the Bath to the male Consorts of female Sovereigns:
Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (1972)
Prince Henrik of Denmark (2000)
Prince Bertil of Sweden (1956)
