Editing Order of the Bath (section)

==History==
===Knights of the Bath===
[[File:Mildmay Fane in oils.jpg|thumb|[[Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland]], KB, with sash, {{Circa|1630}}]]
In the [[Middle Ages]], a [[knighthood]] was often conferred with elaborate ceremonies. These usually involved the knight-to-be taking a bath (possibly symbolic of spiritual [[Ritual purification|purification]]),<ref name=Risk-p6>Risk, ''History of the Order of the Bath'', p. 6.</ref> during which he was instructed in the duties of knighthood by more senior knights. He was then put to bed to dry. Clothed in a special robe, he was led with music to the chapel where he spent the night in a [[vigil]]. At dawn, he made [[Confession (religion)|confession]] and attended [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]], then retired to his bed to sleep until it was fully daylight. He was then brought before the King, who after instructing two senior knights to buckle the [[spur]]s to the knight-elect's heels, fastened a belt around his waist, then struck him on the neck (with either a hand or a [[sword]]), thus making him a knight.<ref>''The Manner of making Knights after the custom of England in time of peace and at the Coronation, that is Knights of the Bath'', quoted in Perkins, pp. 5–14.</ref> It was this [[accolade]] which was the essential act in creating a knight, and a simpler ceremony developed, conferring knighthood merely by striking or touching the knight-to-be on the shoulder with a sword,<ref>According to Anstis (''Observations'', p. 73) such knights were sometimes known as ''Knights of the Sword'' or ''Knights of the Carpet''</ref> or 'dubbing' him, as is still done today. In the early [[medieval]] period, the difference seems to have been that the full ceremonies were used for men from more prominent families.<ref name=Risk-p6/>

From the [[Coronation of the British monarch|coronation]] of [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]] in 1399, the full ceremonies were restricted to major royal occasions, such as coronations, investitures of the [[Prince of Wales]] or [[royal duke]]s, and royal weddings,<ref>Anstis, p. 66.</ref> and the knights so created became known as ''Knights of the Bath''.<ref name=Risk-p6/> [[Knight Bachelor|Knights Bachelor]] continued to be created with the simpler form of ceremony. The last occasion on which Knights of the Bath were created was the coronation of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] in 1661.<ref name=Royal-focus>{{Cite web|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page5296.asp|title=Order of the Bath feature article|website=Royal.gov.uk|access-date=9 September 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929220811/http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page5296.asp|archive-date=29 September 2006}}</ref>

From at least 1625,<ref>Risk, p. 114.</ref> and possibly from the reign of [[James VI and I|James I]], Knights of the Bath were using the [[motto]] ''Tria juncta in uno'' ([[Latin]] for 'Three joined in one'), and wearing as a badge three crowns within a plain gold oval.<ref>Nicolas, ''History of the orders of knighthood of the British empire'', p. 38–39.</ref> These were both subsequently adopted by the Order of the Bath; a similar design of badge is still worn by members of the Civil Division. Their symbolism however is not entirely clear. The 'three joined in one' may be a reference to the kingdoms of [[Kingdom of England|England]], [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]], and either [[Kingdom of France|France]] or [[Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland]], which were held (or [[English claims to the French throne|claimed in the case of France]]) by English and, later, British monarchs. This would correspond to the three crowns in the badge.<ref>The later usage by the Order of the Bath does not make things any clearer. The presence of the [[rose]], [[thistle]], and [[shamrock]] (symbols of England, Scotland, and Ireland, respectively) in the Collar supports the above claim. The shamrocks however were not added until the 19th century, probably as a result of a suggestion of Sir [[Joseph Banks]], who in his proposal observed that the presence of the shamrock would "greatly augment the meaning of the motto" (Risk, p 115). A further explanation for the crowns is provided in the 1725 statutes of the Order. The [[coat of arms]] which was to appear on the Order's seal (''Azure three imperial crowns Or'', that is, three gold imperial crowns on a blue background) was described as being anciently attributed to [[King Arthur]].</ref> Another explanation of the motto is that it refers to the [[Holy Trinity]].<ref name=Royal-Honours/> Nicolas quotes a source (although he is sceptical of it) who claims that prior to James I the motto was ''Tria numina juncta in uno'' (three powers/gods joined in one), but from the reign of James I, the word ''numina'' was dropped, and the motto understood to mean ''Tria [regna] juncta in uno'' (three kingdoms joined in one).<ref>Nicolas, p 38, quoting Bishop Kennet ''Register and Chronicle Ecclesiastical and Civil from the Restoration of King Charles II faithfully taken from the manuscripts of the Lord Bishop of Peterborough'', (1728) p. 410.</ref>

===Foundation of the order===
The prime mover in the establishment of the Order of the Bath was [[John Anstis]], [[Garter Principal King of Arms|Garter King of Arms]], England's highest [[heraldry|heraldic]] officer. Sir [[Anthony Wagner]], a more recent holder of the office of Garter King of Arms (1961–1978),<ref>{{cite web| last= Thomas Jr| first= Robert McG|title= Obituaries: Sir Anthony Wagner, 86, Dies; Medievalist and Senior Herald |url= http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/20/obituaries/sir-anthony-wagner-86-dies-medievalist-and-senior-herald.html| archive-url= https://archive.today/20130630021844/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/20/obituaries/sir-anthony-wagner-86-dies-medievalist-and-senior-herald.html | date= 20 May 1995| archive-date= 30 June 2013| access-date= 17 March 2025| work= [[The New York Times]] }}</ref> wrote of Anstis's motivations:
<blockquote>
It was Martin Leake's<ref>Garter King of Arms from 1754 to 1773, and an [[officer of arms]] for some 25 years before that</ref> opinion that the trouble and opposition Anstis met with in establishing himself as Garter so embittered him against the [[herald]]s that when at last in 1718 he succeeded, he made it his prime object to aggrandise himself and his office at their expense. It is clear at least that he set out to make himself indispensable to the [[Earl Marshal]], which was not hard, their political principles being congruous and their friendship already established, but also to Sir [[Robert Walpole]] and the [[British Whig Party|Whig]] ministry, which can by no means have been easy, considering his known attachment to the [[James Francis Edward Stuart|Pretender]] and the circumstances under which he came into office. ... The main object of Anstis's next move, the revival or institution of the Order of the Bath was probably that which it in fact secured, of ingratiating him with the all-powerful [[Prime Minister of Great Britain|Prime Minister]] Sir Robert Walpole.<ref>Wagner, pp. 348, 357.</ref></blockquote>
[[File:Robertwalpole.jpg|thumb|Sir [[Robert Walpole]], who as [[Prime Minister of Great Britain|Prime Minister]] used the Order for political patronage|alt=]]
The use of honours in the early eighteenth century differed considerably from the modern [[British honours system|honours system]], in which hundreds, if not thousands, of people each year receive honours on the basis of deserving accomplishments. The only honours available at that time were hereditary (not life) [[peerage]]s and [[baronet]]cies, [[knighthoods]], and the Order of the Garter (or the [[Order of the Thistle]] for Scots), none of which were awarded in large numbers (the Garter and the Thistle are limited to twenty-four and sixteen living members respectively). The political environment was also significantly different from today:
<blockquote>
The Sovereign still exercised a power to be reckoned with in the eighteenth century. The Court remained the centre of the political world. The King was limited in that he had to choose Ministers who could command a majority in [[Parliament of Great Britain|Parliament]], but the choice remained his. The leader of an administration still had to command the King's personal confidence and approval. A strong following in Parliament depended on being able to supply places, pensions, and other marks of Royal favour to the government's supporters.<ref>Risk, p. 2.</ref></blockquote>
[[File:Mosnier, George Rodney.jpg|thumb|[[Admiral (Royal Navy)|Admiral]] [[George Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney|Lord Rodney]] (appointed a Knight Companion in 1780) wearing the riband and star of the Order.|alt=]]
The attraction of the new Order for Walpole was that it would provide a source of such favours to strengthen his political position. He made sure that most of the 36 new honorees were [[Peerages in the United Kingdom|peers]] and MPs who would provide him with useful connections.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hanham|first=Andrew|date=2016|title=The Politics of Chivalry: Sir Robert Walpole, the Duke of Montagu and the Order of the Bath|publisher=Parliamentary History|volume=35|issue=3 |pages=262–297}}</ref><ref>In the words of his son, [[Horace Walpole]], "The Revival of the Order of the Bath was a measure of Sir Robert Walpole, and was an artful bank of favours in lieu of places. He meant to stave off the demand for Garters, and intended that the Red [i.e. the Order of the Bath] should be a step to the Blue [the [[Order of the Garter]]]; and accordingly took one of the former for himself." Horace Walpole, ''Reminiscences'' (1788)</ref> George I having agreed to Walpole's proposal, Anstis was commissioned to draft statutes for the Order of the Bath. As noted above, he adopted the motto and badge used by the Knights of the Bath, as well as the colour of the [[riband]] and [[Mantle (clothing)|mantle]], and the ceremony for creating a knight. The rest of the statutes were mostly based on those of the Order of the Garter, of which he was an officer (as Garter King of Arms).<ref>Nicolas, p. 237–238, footnote.</ref> The Order was founded by [[letters patent]] under the [[Great Seal of the Realm|Great Seal]] dated {{Start date and age|1725|05|18|df=y}}, and the statutes issued the following week.<ref>Risk, p. 4.</ref><ref>''Statutes'' 1725.</ref>

The Order initially consisted of the Sovereign, a Prince of the blood Royal as Principal Knight, a Great Master, and thirty-five Knights Companion.<ref>''Statutes'' 1725, article 2.</ref> Seven officers (see below) were attached to the Order. These provided yet another opportunity for political patronage, as they were to be [[sinecure]]s at the disposal of the Great Master, supported by fees from the knights. Despite the fact that the Bath was represented as a military Order, only a few military officers were among the initial appointments (see [[List of knights companion of the Order of the Bath]]). They may be broken down into categories as follows (some are classified in more than one category):<ref>Risk, p. 15, 16.</ref>
* Members of the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]]: 14
* The [[Royal Household]] or sinecures: 11
* Diplomats: 4
* The Walpole family, including the Prime Minister: 3
* Naval and Army officers: 3
* Irish peers: 2
* Country gentlemen with Court appointments: 2
[[File:George Callaghan - Project Gutenberg eText 18334.jpg|thumb|[[Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet]] Sir [[George Callaghan]] wearing the insignia of a military Companion of the Order.|alt=]]
The majority of the new Knights Companions were knighted by the King, and invested with their ribands and badges on 27 May 1725.<ref name=Risk-p16>Risk, p. 16.</ref> Although the statutes set out the full medieval ceremony which was to be used for creating knights, this was not performed, and indeed, was possibly never intended to be, as the original statutes contained a provision<ref>''Statutes'' 1725, article 6, the same article which state "[the Great Master shall] take especial care that ... the antient Rituals belonging to this Knighthood be observed with the greatest Exactness"</ref> allowing the Great Master to dispense Knights Companion from these requirements. The original knights were dispensed from all the medieval ceremonies with the exception of the Installation, which was performed in the Order's Chapel, the [[Henry VII Lady Chapel|Henry VII Chapel]] in [[Westminster Abbey]], on 17 June. This precedent was followed until 1812, after which the Installation was also dispensed with, until its revival in the twentieth century.<ref>No Installation had been held between 1812 and the [[coronation of George IV]] in 1821, by which time the number of knights exceeded the number of stalls in the chapel. To allow the knights to wear their collars at the coronation (which they could not do until installed), they were dispensed from the Installation, and this precedent was subsequently followed. (Risk, p. 43).</ref> The ceremonies however remained part of the Statutes until 1847.<ref>Risk, p. 10.</ref>

Although the initial appointments to the Order were largely political, from the 1770s, appointments to the Order were increasingly made for [[Royal Navy|naval]], [[British Army|military]], or [[His Majesty's Diplomatic Service|diplomatic]] achievements. This is partly due to the conflicts Britain was engaged in over this period.<ref name=Royal-focus/><ref>Risk, p. 20.</ref> The [[Peninsular War]] resulted in so many deserving candidates for the Bath, that a statute was issued allowing the appointment of ''Extra Knights'' in time of war, who were to be additional to the numerical limits imposed by the statutes, and whose number was not subject to any restrictions.<ref>Statute dated 8 May 1812, quoted in ''Statutes'' 1847.</ref> Another statute, this one issued some 80&nbsp;years earlier, had also added a military note to the Order. Each knight was required, under certain circumstances, to supply and support four [[men-at-arms]] for a period not exceeding 42&nbsp;days in any year, to serve in any part of Great Britain.<ref>Statute dated 20 April 1727, quoted in ''Statutes'' 1847.</ref> This company was to be captained by the Great Master, who had to supply four [[trumpeter]]s, and was also to appoint eight officers for this body. However, the statute was never invoked.<ref name=Risk-p16/>

===Restructuring in 1815===
In January 1815, after the end of the [[Peninsular War]], the Prince Regent (later [[George IV]]) expanded the Order of the Bath<blockquote>to the end that those Officers who have had the opportunities of signalising themselves by eminent services during the late war may share in the honours of the said Order, and that their names may be delivered down to remote posterity, accompanied by the marks of distinction which they have so nobly earned.<ref name=Statutes-1815/></blockquote>

The Order was now to consist of three classes: Knights Grand Cross, Knights Commander, and Companions. At the same time, the large and small [[Naval Gold Medal]]s were suspended, while the bearers became Knights Commander and Companions, respectively. The existing Knights Companion (of which there were 60)<ref>''The Times'', 10 January 1815, p. 3.</ref> became Knight Grand Cross; this class was limited to 72&nbsp;members, of which twelve could be appointed for civil or diplomatic services. The military members had to be of the rank of at least [[major-general]] or [[rear admiral]]. The Knights Commander were limited to 180, exclusive of foreign nationals holding British commissions, up to ten of whom could be appointed as honorary Knights Commander. They had to be of the rank of [[Lieutenant colonel|lieutenant-colonel]] or [[post-captain]]. The number of Companions was not specified, but they had to have received a [[medal]] or been [[mentioned in despatches]] since the start of the war in 1803. A list of about 500 names was subsequently published.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=17061|pages=1877–1882|date=16 September 1815}}</ref> Two further officers were appointed, an 'Officer of arms attendant on the Knights Commanders and Companions', and a 'Secretary appertaining to the Knights Commanders and Companions'.<ref name=Statutes-1815/> The large increase in numbers caused some complaints that such an expansion would reduce the prestige of the Order.<ref name=Royal-Honours/>

===Victorian era===
[[File:Admiral Alexander Milne (1808-1896), by Walter William Ouless.jpg|thumb|Sir [[Sir Alexander Milne, 1st Baronet|Alexander Milne]] (1808–1896) was concurrently KCB (civil division) and GCB (military division); he is pictured wearing both sets of insignia.|alt=]]
In 1847, [[Queen Victoria]] issued new statutes eliminating all references to an exclusively military Order. As well as removing the word 'Military' from the full name of the Order, this opened up the grades of Knight Commander and Companion to civil appointments, and the Military and Civil Divisions of the Order were established. New numerical limits were imposed, and the opportunity also taken to regularise the 1815 expansion of the Order.<ref>Letters Patent dated 14 April 1847.</ref><ref>The document by which the Prince Regent modified the structure of the Order in 1815 was a Warrant under the [[Royal sign-manual]]. This is of lesser authority than [[Letters Patent]] under the Great Seal, by which the Order and its Statutes were originally established. It had been questioned on a number of occasions whether the Statutes of the Order could be modified by anything less than such Letters Patent. The 1847 Letters Patent retroactively confirmed the validity of the 1815 document and the subsequent appointments to the Order</ref> The 1847 statutes also abolished all the medieval ritual, but they did introduce a formal [[Investiture]] ceremony, conducted by the Sovereign wearing the Mantle and insignia of the Order, attended by the Officers and as many GCBs as possible, in their Mantles.<ref>Risk, p. 61.</ref>

In 1850, a special statute authorised appointments of Knight Commander and Companion, in the Military Division, to [[Commissariat#British Army|Commissariat]] and [[Military medicine|Medical officers]] serving with the [[Royal Army Medical Corps|Army]] and [[Royal Navy Medical Service|Navy]], including those serving with the [[Indian Medical Service|East India Company]].<ref>''Special statute 1850''. {{London Gazette|issue=21127|page=2242|date=16 August 1850}}</ref>

In 1859, a further edition of the Statutes was issued; the changes related mainly to the costs{{Explain|reason=costs by the State or by the receivings?|date=September 2022}} associated with the Order. Prior to this date, it had been the policy that the insignia (which were provided by the Crown) were to be returned on the death of the holder; the exception had been foreigners who had been awarded honorary membership. In addition, foreigners had usually been provided with stars made of silver and diamonds, whereas ordinary members had only [[Embroidery|embroidered]] stars. The decision was made to award silver stars to all members, and only require the return of the [[Collar (order)|Collar]]. The Crown had also been paying the fees due to the officers of the Order for members who had been appointed for the services in the recent war. The fees were abolished, and replaced with a salary of approximately the same average value. The offices of Genealogist and Messenger were abolished, and those of Registrar and Secretary combined.<ref name=Risk-p70>Risk, p. 70.</ref>

===Contemporary era===
[[File:Sir Richard Johns.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Air chief marshal|Air Chief Marshal]] Sir [[Richard Johns]] in his service dress uniform, wearing the star, riband, and badge of a military Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.|alt=]]
In 1910, after his accession to the throne, [[George V]] ordered the revival of the Installation ceremony,<ref name=Royal-focus/> perhaps prompted by the first Installation ceremony of the more junior [[Order of St Michael and St George]], held a few years earlier,<ref>Risk, p. 89.</ref> and the building of a new chapel for the Order of the Thistle in 1911.<ref>Perkins, p. 122.</ref> The Installation ceremony took place on 22 July 1913 in the [[Henry VII Chapel]],<ref>Risk, p. 92.</ref><ref>Perkins, pp. 124–131.</ref> and Installations have been held at regular intervals since.

Prior to the 1913 Installation, it was necessary to adapt the chapel to accommodate the larger number of members. An appeal was made to the members of the Order, and following the Installation a surplus remained. A Committee was formed from the Officers to administer the 'Bath Chapel Fund', and over time this committee has come to consider other matters than purely financial ones.<ref>Risk, pp. 95–96.</ref>

Another revision of the statutes of the Order was undertaken in 1925, to consolidate the 41 additional statutes which had been issued since the 1859 revision.<ref>16 in Queen Victoria's reign, 6 in [[Edward VII]]'s and 19 in George V's. (Risk, p. 97)</ref>

Women were admitted to the Order in 1971.<ref name=Royal-focus/> In the 1971 [[New Year Honours]], [[Jean Nunn]] became the first woman admitted to the order.<ref>{{Cite ODNB|last=Allen|first=Philip|author-link=Philip Allen, Baron Allen of Abbeydale|date=2004|title=Nunn, Jean Josephine (1916–1982)|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/66883|access-date=16 May 2014|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/66883}}</ref> In 1975, [[Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester]], an aunt of [[Elizabeth II]], became the first<!--see category--> woman to reach the highest rank, Dame Grand Cross.<ref name=Royal-focus/> Princess Alice (née Douglas-Montagu-Scott) was a direct descendant of the Order's first Great Master,<ref>Risk, p. 102.</ref> and her husband, who had died the previous year, had also held that office. The second Dame Grand Cross, [[Sally Davies (doctor)|Sally Davies]], was appointed in the [[2020 New Year Honours]].<ref name=LondonGazette-62866>{{London Gazette|issue=62866|supp=y|page=N3|date=28 December 2019}}</ref><ref name=NYHL2020>{{Cite web|title=New Year Honours list 2020 – Awards for NY2020|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/856352/New_Year_Honours_List_2020.pdf|website=GOV.UK|publisher=[[HM Government]]|access-date=30 August 2023}}</ref>