The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-23
TODAY IN HISTORY
establishment of the Order Of the Garter
SATURDAY, APRIL q, 1910.

Today is the anniversary oi the estab-
| lishment Of the Order of the Garter. the
| highest order OF chiyalry in Great Brit
ain, Ii was instituted by King Edward
| III. and though not the most ancient Is
| one OF the most famous Of the chivalrous
| orders OF Europe The original number
| OF the Knights OF the Garter was twenty
| i've. the sovereign himself making the
:wenty-siXth,
| The story usually given as 10 the origin
| Of the order goes that the Countess OF
Salisbury let fall her garter while dane
| ing with the king, and that the king
| stopped quickly 10 pick II up. This oc-
casioned some indicate jokes, which
caused the countess 10 withdraw. The
| King exclaimed angrily, 'Iloni soit qui
| NAL Y pense" (Shame TO him who evil
thinksl, and added that he would make
| this blue ribbon so glorious that all the
courtiers would desire IT,
The New International Encyclopedia
| is authority for the statement that this
story has absolutely no foundation I'm
| formed the plan for the order In 1874
and instituted IL on April %. l349. II
was founded in honor OF the Holy Trinity.
the Virgin Mary, Saint Edward the Con-
fessor and st. George. but the last
who had become the tutclary saint OF
England. wns considered It's special pa
tron, and for that reason IL has borne
the title OF The Order OF st. George
as well as OF The Garter"
The emblem of the order Is n dark
blue ribbon edged with gold. bearing
ters. 1t is worn on the left leg below tho
knee. An authority credits the found
ing OF the order for the purpose OF at
tracing 10 the kings party such soldiers
OF fortune as might be likely to aid i'm
asserting the claim which he was then
making to the crown of France. and in
tended as an imitation OF King Arthur's
Round Table, The officers OF the order
are the prelate. the chancellor. the reg
ister the garter king Of arms. and the
usher Of tho black rod.
BY a statute passed on the 18th Of
January. lS05 the order Is to consist Of
the sovereign and twenty-five knights
companions. together with such lineal de-
sccndants OF George III as may be elect
cd. always excepting the Prince Of Wales.
who Is constituent part OF the orig
insl institution.
There are six other orders of knight
hood In Great Britain. the Thistle. St
Patrick. the Bath. the Star OF India. ST
Michael and St George and the Indian
Empire.
Regarding the incident OF Lady Sails.
bury losing her garter. Sir Harris Nichols
points out: Nothing is more likely than
accidentally have dropped her garter.
that the circumstance should have
caused n smile I'm the bystandcrs and
that on its being taken up by Edward ne
courtiors by so happy and chivairous an
exclamation. placing the garter at the !
same time on his own knee. as Dishon-
ored be he who thinks III OF IT. Such n |
occurring at a time OF gem |
ersl festivity. when devices, notices and |
conceits Of all kinds were adopted as |
or badges OF the habits worn |
at tousts and tournaments. would nat |
urally have been commemorated as other |
royal expressions seem to have been by
It's conversion into n device and motto |
for the dresses at an approaching has
ulude."