Queen Elizabeth II (centre) with King Willem-Alexander (left) and Queen Máxima, after the King was invested as a Supernumerary Knight of the Garter, ahead of the Order of the Garter Service at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on June 17, in Windsor, England. (WPA Pool/Getty Images - Steve Parsons photo)
WINDSOR/THE HAGUE--The traditional Order of the Garter ceremony has taken place at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. The Queen invested King Felipe of Spain and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands as Supernumerary Knights ahead of the service.
There were big crowds to watch the procession to the Chapel ahead of the service and to see the royal guests, including the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge alongside Queen Máxima of the Netherlands and Queen Letizia of Spain, following the ancient ceremony. The honour is personally bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II without consulting ministers.
King Willem-Alexander joins his mother, Princess Beatrix, who was appointed to the order in 1989. Other supernumerary members include King Juan Carlos I of Spain, King Harald V of Norway and Emperor Emeritus Akihito of Japan.
Hundreds of spectators turned out to see the procession through the grounds of Windsor Castle in their ceremonial blue velvet robes and black velvet hats with white plumes.
The Order of the Garter is the senior and oldest British Order of Chivalry, founded by King Edward III in 1348. The Garter ceremonial dates from 1948, when formal installation was revived by King George VI for the first time since 1805.
The number of companions is limited to 24, although supernumerary members do not count towards this total.
Queen Elizabeth is sovereign of the order and a number of other British royals are additional knights, including Princes Philip, Charles and William.
Recipients of the honour are chosen because they have held public office, contributed to national life or served the Queen in a personal capacity.
Garter knights can be “degraded” if they take up arms against the sovereign – Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria, were both stripped of the honour in 1915, following the outbreak of World War I.
