Prince William's tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales

Prince William has incorporated a touching tribute to his late mother in his newly unveiled crest to mark his inauguration into the world's oldest order of chivalry.

The Prince, who last month became the 1,000th Knight of the Garter, has included a small red escallop or sea shell in the centre of the design.

It is a poignant touch to honour the memory of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales who died in 1997.

Since the end of the 16th century the scallop has been the symbol of the Spencer family coat of arms and it was also used by the Princess.

The decision to recognise his mother is a break with tradition as it is highly unusual for members of the Royal Family to include maternal symbols in their heraldic emblems.

The scallop was included at the insistence of the Prince, 26, who took a keen interest in the design.

The crest will now be mounted above his seat at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle where the Prince was formally appointed to the elite order by the Queen in a ceremony last month. .

It was carved in lime wood as has been the tradition since the Order was established by Edward III in 1348.

In medieval times they were worn on top of knight’s helmets in battle and lime wood was used because it was light, strong and durable. There are several layers of 24 carat gold leaf and they are designed to last 1,000 years.

Membership of the Order of the Garter is traditionally given to those who have held public office, have contributed to national life or who have served the Queen personally. The Prince has become one of the order’s Royal Knight Companions, which recognises his seniority within the royal family.

The origins of the Order of the Garter, whose symbol is a blue garter worn below the knee, will probably never be known for certain because the earliest records of it were destroyed by fire.

Ian Brennan, the sculptor from Hampshire who worked on the design for four weeks, said: “It is a really nice gesture that Prince William has acknowledged his late mother in the design. It is also fairly unusual in royal circles.

”It is made of lime wood, as is the tradition, and there are several layers of 24 carat gold leaf. They are designed to last 1,000 years. Each crest is unique to each member of the Order of the Garter.”

The three scallop shells on the Spencer family Coat of Arms are in white but Prince William’s is in red to make it stand out on the white band around the lion’s neck.

Peter Gwynn-Jones, garter principal King of Arms at the College of Arms, said: “It is a welcome innovation to incorporate maternal symbols into the Royal Family’s arms and it is something that Prince William and his family wanted to do.

“In the fullness of time, Prince William’s Arms will change as the Prince of Wales’ shall, but a precedent has been set here that others in the Royal Family may well follow.”

The Order consists of the Queen who is Sovereign of the Order, Prince Charles who automatically became a member when he became the Prince of Wales in 1958, and 24 Knights Companions.

The Duke of Edinburgh joined the Order in 1947 on his marriage to then Princess Elizabeth, the Princess Royal in 1994 and the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex in 2006 to mark the Queen’s 80th birthday. Other members include Baroness Thatcher.


Source: telegraph.co.uk

Plumed Prince William becomes a knight

WINDSOR, England (AFP) - Wearing an ostrich-plumed hat and velvet robes, Prince William was on Monday made a Royal Knight of the Garter in a ceremony full of regal pomp.

The prince, second in line to the throne, was formally appointed to the most senior order of British chivalry at Saint George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, west of London.

William, who turns 26 on Saturday, was watched by his girlfriend Kate Middleton, 26, and brother Prince Harry, 23.

The Most Noble Order of the Garter is the oldest order of chivalry in the world, established in 1348 by the queen's ancestor king Edward III.

William is now a Royal Knight Companion and the 1,000th Knight of the Garter.

Wearing their distinctive white ostrich plumes, blue velvet robes and black velvet hats, the knights and ladies were watched by about 7,000 members of the public as they walked from the castle to the chapel for the church service.

Queen Elizabeth II, William's paternal grandmother, formally installed the prince as a Royal Knight.

She officially presented her grandson with the regalia, including a blue garter, sash, robe or mantle and star during an investiture in the Throne Room at Windsor Castle.

The order has a maximum of 24 non-royal members, personally chosen by the sovereign, who is also a member. It is awarded for outstanding public service and achievement.

The queen's children, Princes Charles, Andrew and Edward and Princess Anne are among the royal members of the order.

Former prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major are members.

Prince William To Be Made Knight Of Garter

To mark St George's Day, the Queen has made her senior grandson, Prince William, the 1,000th Knight of the Garter in the 660th anniversary of Britain's oldest order of chivalry, which was founded in 1348 by King Edward III.

William will be invested by his grandmother at a private ceremony soon, after which he will be able to wear the well-known blue sash across his left shoulder and the silver star with the red cross of St George on his chest, as monarchs, royalty and many famous Englishmen have done for centuries.

On June 16, at Windsor Castle, he will be invested with a blue velvet garter around the left leg, below the knee, with the motto, in gold letters, "Honi soit qui mal y pense", which translates as "Shame to those who think evil of it".

Afterwards he will process through the castle wearing dark blue robes, a Tudor hat and ostrich feathers to St George's Chapel to be 'installed' under heraldic banners, helmets and the brass plates of knights that date back to the foundation.

He has been created a Royal Knight, which means that he does not constitute one of the limited number of 26 Knights, or Ladies, Companion that make up the core of the Order.

The statutes limited membership to the English monarch, the Prince of Wales and 24 other Knights Companion.

This is why William's father became a Knight of the Garter at the tender age of nine, because this is when the Queen made him Prince of Wales - and the Garter comes with the job.

One day, when he becomes king, William will be head of the order, or Sovereign.

The first Knight of the Garter was the Black Prince, who was Edward III's eldest son.

The Black Prince led English troops successfully against the French during the opening campaigns of the Hundred Years War, which was about King Edward's claim to the French throne.

For this reason, the colour of the order is blue, which was the royal livery of the kings of France.

In the strict order of knights, William appears as 999. However, historians compiling this list have overlooked the founder, Edward III, who was the uncounted knight, making William the 1000th.

Lord Luce and Sir Thomas Dunne have also been nominated today.

Recent famous knights include Sir Winston Churchill, Lord Montgomery and, more recently Baroness Thatcher.

The Queen opened the order to women in 1987.

By Sky News SkyNews - Wednesday, April 23 12:55 am

Prince William and Kate Middleton aggressively pursued in their car by the paparazzi

The Prince was left concerned by the threatening behaviour, his spokesman Paddy Harverson, said.

The couple, who have rekindled their relationship after splitting up earlier this year, were leaving London's Boujis nightclub in the early hours of Friday morning.

Mr Harverson said: "Prince William was concerned by the threatening behaviour of the paparazzi. Having already been photographed leaving the club, he and Kate Middleton were then pursued in his car by photographers on motorcycles, in vehicles and on foot.

"The aggressive pursuit was potentially dangerous and worrying for them. It seems incomprehensible, particularly at this time, that this behaviour is still going on."

The incident happened in a week which saw the start of the inquest into the death of the Prince's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, whose car crashed in Paris in 1997 as she was being followed by photographers.