The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-24
KING EDWARDS ORDERS.
Origin, Romance and Etiquette of tho
Various Decorations.

From the Strand Magazine
When King Edward goes abroad
amongst his subjects on occasions of GER
emony. the least observant eve will note
some details of the insignia he wears.
Everyone Is aware that the emblems of
an order Of knighthood are not restricted
to one portion of the royal person; they
may be worn on the right or left Shout
der across the bosom, on the left breast.
around the neck, or suspended at the
hip. 1t is probable that the broad blue
ribbon of the Garter is familiar to all,
but that 1t is equally possible to wear
the badge Of the Garter round the neck.
on the left shoulder, on the breast, or
encircling the left leg may not be gem
orally known
1t has been said that the desire to pos
sess honorary distinctions has shown it.
self in various shapes from very remote
times, and to be able to wear them on
the person as evidence of some particular
qualification In the Individual has been
an object of human ambition almost from
time immemorial. The sovereign natural
ly leads the way; he IS the first man in
the state; he is himself the fountain of
honor But with the accumulation of hon.
orable decorations at all the courts of
Europe 1t grew impossible for one indiyid-
ual to wear all the chains, ribbons, med
ais and crosses of which King Edward
is the recipient. Consequently selection
only can be worn, and this selection ia
| governed by his majesty's predictions
and the nature of the occasion. Thus.
at purely British function, the dis
play of the insignia of British decora-
lions is naturally the rule.
| But first of all let us see what the
insignia Of an order generally consists
Of In the case of the order of the great
est distinction, the Garter. they consist
first of habit. collar, badge. star and
the garter. In what is called full
chapter of the order, of the complete
habit and insignia his majesty would
wear the collar, from which is suspended
the George" "a gold and enarneled rep
resentation of the st, George and the
Dragon), together with the star (worn
| on the left breasD. This full chapter of
the habit is worn only on certain days,
known as collar days" On ordinary &C.
casions-a levee or a fourt-his majesty
wears the ribbon over the left shoulder
from which is suspended the lesser George
Can oval badge, with a representation OF
st. George and the Dragon, togethe,
with the star. The garter, which IL
worn only with breaches and bears the
motto of the order-"Honi soft Qui ma
| pense"-is worn below the knee on the
left leg.
The badges have grown so numerous 1,
has been found necessary to fasten the
| small ones issued to companions of any
order in a closely-packed row upon tn,
LETT breast. By this means 1t Is possible
for his majesty to wear great man,
orders and decorations. For, In addition
to row Of, say, nine on the breast HI
can carry four stars below, a ribbon sus
pending badge across his breast an
other around his neck another fastene,
to his right shoulder and another I,
his left, making in all II decoration
which King Edward VII can wear a
once, whereas King Edward vi could onl,
have worn three or four.