For years, King Charles III watched his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in a number of sovereign-specific roles. In her later years, he began to fill in as her public duties lessened. Now as monarch, His Majesty is about to take centre stage with one of his new titles, the Sovereign of the Order of the Garter.

The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain. Each year, it’s celebrated with a procession and service on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The annual procession is where The King and Knights process in grand velvet robes, plumed hats, and insignia. This is one of the most traditional ceremonies in the Royal Diary.

The Order includes The King, who is known as the Sovereign of the Garter, and several senior Members of the Royal Family including the Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal, and the Prince of Wales. Joining in are 24 Knights of the Garter. The Knights are picked personally by the Sovereign as a way to recognise their work that has contributed to national life, or the Sovereign on a personal level.

The event begins with the monarch formally investing any new Companions with the Order’s insignia in the Throne Room of the Castle. After a lunch hosted by His Majesty, a procession on foot is made to St George’s Chapel followed by a short service to install any new Companions.

The patron saint of the Order is St George (patron saint of England and soldiers) and if there are any vacancies in the Order, appointments are announced on St George’s Day, 23 April. The service is held at St George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle because it is considered the spiritual home of the Order. Every knight is required to display a banner of his arms in the Chapel along with a helmet, enamelled stallplate, crest, and sword. Those “achievements” are taken down and returned to the Sovereign.

In 2022, in what would be Queen Elizabeth II’s last Order of the Garter, she did not make an appearance at the procession. Although she did appear in an official photo with her son who was Prince of Wales at the time, and the future Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall at a Order of the Garter service. The Duchess was formally invested as Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter during 2022’s service.