Order of the Garter, Ceremonies and Information 2: 2022 -


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Hopefully KCIII will appoint Emperor Naruhito, King Philippe and Grand Duke Henri to the Order sooner rather than later.
Emperor Naruhito will likely only have to wait one more week until he is made a Knight of the Garter.

King Philippe and Grand Duke Henri will have to wait for a state visit in either direction.
 
With the death of Sir Thomas Dunne KG KCVO on January 6, there is currently 4 vacant positions among the 24-person limit for non-royal Knights and Ladies of the Garter… So there will definitely be new installations this summer…
 
Any thoughts from our British members on whom might be selected for this honor?
 
Former elder statesman/ women are often honoured , there was a block because Blair only received his not long before the late Queen died. We have had that many PM’s in place over the last few years, there are not enough spaces plus few have done enough to be honoured IMO.
I personally have thought that Tim Lawrence might receive an honour , if not the garter maybe something else.
 
Gordon Brown is the "next" PM not to have the Garter, Tony Blair, his predecessor was made a Knight of the Garter in 2022. However, Brown was made a member of the Companions of Honour in 2024 which I think is a bit too soon for him to get the Garter this year. It has also been rumoured for a long time that Brown doesn't want a knighthood and often people who don't want a knighthood are instead offered to be a Companion of Honour as it brings not titles with it but it still relatively exclusive.

If Brown isn't one for getting the Garter it might prove problems for those who have come after him as it would potentially look like the King was favouring one party or former Prime Minister over the other. But the next to come after Brown would be David Cameron, now Lord Cameron after he was elevated to the Lords to serve as Foreign Secretary.

Gus O'Donnell, former Cabinet Secretary (then highest official in the Civil Service) 2005-2011 including the 2010 election which saw the first hung parliament since 1974 is another possible contender maybe.

I suspect thought that Charles will want to pick some people who are more representative of the wide range of backgrounds in the UK rather than just white male politicians and senior civil servants.

I'd love to see Tim get the Garter - and he is "next", if you go by length of time married, after the Duchess of Gloucester got hers last year. However he is not a HRH nor does he technically carry out official duties other than accompanying Anne - his aren't listed individually in the Court Circular.
 
I always thought that Brown would get the Thistle rather than the Garter as he is Scottish (former Aussie PM Menzies was offered the Garter and asked for the Thistle due to his Scottish ancestry and that is what he was given).

I don't think Charles will be in a rush to appoint any new knights if he doesn't feel there are suitable candidates. There is no requirement for the 24 places to be filled so he may not fill any or fill all four or any number in between.

As for 'next' in terms of length of time married surely that would be The Duchess of Kent - married for over 60 years, and even though retired from public life still did stirling work while a working royal. Of course being retired will rule her out as Charles only honours those who work for him and no one else (although I still wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't give the Garter to Harry at some point - simply because Harry is the younger son of a Sovereign and it would be strange for him to not get it).
 
QEII often honoured Lord Chamberlain’s and Lord Steward’s with the Order of the Garter as well, or the Order of the Thistle if they were from Scotland….

KCIII has not made any such appointments so far, despite there having been both candidates and available positions in both orders… So maybe he takes a different view and feels it is enough for them to recive the Royal Victorian Order…

It will be interesting to see if the tradition of appointing former Prime Ministers will be kept or not… Brown left office 15 years ago now and was only recently made a CH so perhaps he asked for that instead as it is no knoghthood and gives no priviligies except a beautiful neck badge… Though Major is also a CH but was made a KG a few years later anyway…

Tim Laurence would be a worthy recipient but he is already knighted as a KCVO so i guess GCVO is the next step for him if he gets promotion by his brother in law…
 
I don't think Charles will be in a rush to appoint any new knights if he doesn't feel there are suitable candidates. There is no requirement for the 24 places to be filled so he may not fill any or fill all four or any number in between.
I concur.

As for 'next' in terms of length of time married surely that would be The Duchess of Kent - married for over 60 years, and even though retired from public life still did stirling work while a working royal. Of course being retired will rule her out as Charles only honours those who work for him and no one else (although I still wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't give the Garter to Harry at some point - simply because Harry is the younger son of a Sovereign and it would be strange for him to not get it).

I do not think either the Duchess of Kent or Tim Lawrence are likely to get the Garter. Whilst Tim is a loyal consort to the Princess Royal, he is not a working member of the BRF, so I do not see him being honoured with a Garter. And whilst the Duchess of Kent served the Crown for many years, she has long been retired. If she had to be offered further honours, it would have happened years ago, IMO.

I think the next recipients of the Garter will be Catherine and Sophie, though it may be a few years away. I would not have made this suggestion but the elevation of the Duchess of Gloucester indicated that the KIng was going to award honours differently to QE2.
 
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