Orders may, again, be grouped according as they are (I) PRIME ORDERS OF CHRISTENDOM, conferred upon an exclusive class only. Here belong, or belonged, the well-known orders of the Garter (England), Golden Fleece (Austria and Spain), Annunziata (Italy), Black Eagle (Prussia), St. Andrew (Russia), Elephant (Denmark) and Seraphim (Sweden). Of these the first three only, which are usually held to rank inter se in the order given, are historically identified with chivalry. (2) FAMILY ORDERS, bestowed upon members of the royal or princely class, or upon humbler individuals according to classes, in respect of "per sonal" services rendered to the family. In this category are such orders as the Royal Victorian and the Hohenzollern (Prussia). (3) ORDERS OF MERIT, whether military, civil or joint orders. Such have, as a rule, at least three, oftener five classes, and here belong such as the Order of the Bath (British) and the Legion of Honour (France). There are also certain orders, such as the recently instituted Order of Merit (British), which have but one class.
Of the great military and religious orders were the Teutonic Order and the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (Johanniter Orden, Malteser Orden), for the history of which and the present state see TEUTONIC ORDER and ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM, KNIGHTS OF THE ORDER OF.
The "most ancient" Order of the Thistle was founded by James II. in 1687, and dedicated to St. Andrew. It consisted of the sovereign and eight knights companions, and fell into abeyance at the Revolution of 1688. In '1703 it was revived by Queen Anne, when it was ordained to consist of the sovereign and 12 knights companions, the number being increased to 16 by statute in 1827. The officers of the order are the dean, the secretary, Lyon King of Arms and the gentleman usher of the Green Rod. The chapel, in St. Giles's, Edinburgh, was begun in 19°9. The collar is formed of thistles, alternating with sprigs of rue, and the motto is Nemo me impune lacessit.
The "most illustrious" Order of St. Patrick was instituted by George III. in 1788, to consist of the sovereign, the lord lieutenant of Ireland as grand master and 15 knights companions, enlarged to 22 in 1833. The king of arms is Ulster King of Arms; Black Rod the usher. The chapel is in St. Patrick's cathedral, Dublin. The collar is formed of alternate roses with red and white leaves, and gold harps linked by gold knots ; the badge is suspended from a harp surmounted by an imperial jewelled crown. The motto is Quis separabit? The "most honourable" Order of the Bath was established by George I. in 1725, to consist of the sovereign, a grand master and
36 knights companions. This was a pretended revival of an order supposed to have been created by Henry IV. at his coronation in 1399. But, as has been shown in the preceding section, no such order existed. Knights of the Bath, although they were allowed precedence before knights bachelors, were merely knights bache lors who were knighted with more elaborate ceremonies than others and on certain great occasions. In 1815 the order was instituted, in three classes, "to commemorate the auspicious termination of the long and arduous contest in which the empire has been engaged"; and in 1847 the civil knights commanders and companions were added. Exclusive of the sovereign, royal princes and distinguished foreigners, the order is limited to 55 military and 27 civil knights grand cross, 145 military and io8 civil knights commanders, and 705 military and 298 civil companions. The officers of the order are the dean (the dean of Westminster), Bath King of Arms, the registrar and the usher of the Scarlet Rod. The "most distinguished" Order of St. Michael and St. George was founded by the prince regent, afterwards George IV., in 1818, in commemoration of the British protectorate of the Ionian islands, "for natives of the Ionian islands and of the island of Malta and its dependencies, and for such other subjects of his majesty as may hold high and confidential situations in the Mediterranean." By statute of 1832 the lord high commissioner of the Ionian islands was to be the grand master. After the repu diation of the British protectorate of the Ionian islands, the order was placed on a new basis, and by letters patent of 1868 and 1877 it was extended and provided for such of "the natural born subjects of the Crown of the United Kingdom as may have held or shall hold high and confidential offices within her majesty's colonial possessions, and in reward for services rendered to the crown in relation to the foreign affairs of the empire!' The chapel of the order, in St. Paul's cathedral, was dedicated in 1906. The star of the knights grand cross is a seven-rayed star of silver with a small ray of gold between each, in the centre is a red St. George's cross bearing a medallion of St. Michael encountering Satan, sur rounded by a blue fillet with the motto Auspicium melioris nevi. The Order of St. Michael and St. George ranks between the "most exalted" Order of the Star of India and the "most eminent" Order of the Indian Empire, of both of which the viceroy of India for the time being is ex officio grand master. Of these the first was instituted in 1861 and enlarged in 1876, 1897 and 1903, in three classes, knights grand commanders, knights commanders and com panions, and the second was established (for "companions" only) in 1878 and enlarged in 1887, 1892, 1897 and 1903, also in the same three classes, in commemoration of Queen Victoria's assump tion of the style and title of empress of India. The collar of the Star of India is composed of alternate links of the lotus flower, red and white roses and palm branches enamelled on gold, with an imperial crown in the centre; that of the Indian Empire is composed of elephants, peacocks and Indian roses.