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Knight Bachelor

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Knight Bachelor
Knights Bachelor Insignia
The insignia of a knight bachelor devised in 1926
Awarded by
Monarch of the United Kingdom
Awarded forPublic service
StatusCurrently constituted
SovereignCharles III
Knight PrincipalSir Gary Hickinbottom
Knight Bachelor Ribbon
Ribbon bar of the Knight Bachelor Medal

The title ofKnight Bacheloris the basic rank granted to a man who has beenknightedby the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organisedorders of chivalry;it is a part of theBritish honours system.[1]Knights Bachelor are the most ancient sort of British knight[2](the rank existed during the 13th-century reign ofKing Henry III), but Knights Bachelor rank below knights of chivalric orders. A man who is knighted is formally addressed as "Sir[First Name] [Surname] "or" Sir [First Name] "and his wife as"Lady[Surname] ".

The designation "Bachelor" in this context conveys the concept of "junior in rank".[3]

Criteria[edit]

Knighthood is usually conferred for public service; amongst its recipients are all male judges ofHis Majesty's High Court of Justice in England.It is possible to be a Knight Bachelor and a junior member of an order of chivalry without being a knight of that order; this situation has become rather common, especially among those recognized for achievements in entertainment. For instance, SirMichael Gambon,SirMo Farah,SirDerek Jacobi,SirAnthony Hopkins,SirElton John,SirMichael Caine,SirBilly Connolly,SirBarry Gibband SirIan McKellenareCommanders of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire(CBE); SirPatrick Stewart,SirCliff Richard,SirTom Jonesand SirVan MorrisonareOfficers of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire(OBE); while SirPaul McCartney,Sir Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr), and SirNick FaldoareMembers of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire(MBE). None of them would be entitled to use the honorific "Sir" by virtue of their membership of the order alone, but as they are all also Knights Bachelor, they are entitled to preface their names with that title.

Honorifics and post-nominal letters[edit]

Knights Bachelor may prefix "Sir"to their forenames, and wives of Knights may prefix" Lady "to their surnames.[1][4][5]The award originated in theMiddle Ages.There are nopost-nominal lettersassociated with the honour nor can it be awarded to women. (They are appointedDames Commander of the Order of the British Empireinstead.)[6]

Insignia[edit]

Until 1926, Knights Bachelor had no insignia which they could wear, but in that yearKing George Vissued a warrant authorising the wearing of a badge on all appropriate occasions by Knights Bachelor; this badge is worn on the left side of the coat or outer garment. Measuring2+3⁄8inches (60 mm) in length and1+3⁄8inches (35 mm) in width, it is described inheraldicterms as follows:[7]

Upon an oval medallion ofvermilion,enclosed by a scroll a cross-hilted sword belted and sheathed,pommelupwards, between two spurs,rowelsupwards, the whole set about with the sword belt, all gilt.

In 1974,Queen Elizabeth IIissued a further warrant authorising the wearing on appropriate occasions of a neck badge, slightly smaller, and in miniature. In 1988, a new certificate of authentication, a knight's only personal documentation, was designed by theCollege of Arms.[7]

Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor[edit]

TheImperial Society of Knights Bachelor[8]was founded for the maintenance and consolidation of the Dignity of Knights Bachelor in 1908, and obtained official recognition from the Sovereign in 1912. The Society keeps records of all Knights Bachelor, in their interest.

Equivalence[edit]

There is no female counterpart to Knight Bachelor. The lowest knightly honour that can be conferred upon a woman isDame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire(DBE), which is one rank higher than Knight Bachelor (being the female equivalent of KBE or Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, which is the next male knightly rank above Knight Bachelor).

Only citizens ofCommonwealth realmscan be created Knights Bachelor; people of other nationalities are generally madehonoraryKBEs.[9]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ab"The British Honours System".churchill-society-london.org.uk.Retrieved23 May2017.
  2. ^Neave, F.G.; Turner, Grange (1930).Mozley & Whiteley's Law Dictionary(5th ed.). London: Butterworth & Co. p. 183.
  3. ^ "bachelor".Oxford English Dictionary(Online ed.).Oxford University Press.(Subscription orparticipating institution membershiprequired.)
  4. ^"Form of address".Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor.Retrieved17 April2014.
  5. ^"Knight Bachelor".Forms of address.Debrett's. Archived fromthe originalon 5 April 2014.Retrieved17 April2014.
  6. ^"Orders of Chivalry".British Government. Archived fromthe originalon 19 August 2007.Retrieved30 August2007.
  7. ^abDebrett's Peerage & Baronetage 2019.Debrett's. 2019.ISBN9781999767006.
  8. ^"Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor".Heraldry of the World.Retrieved3 February2021.
  9. ^"Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor".iskb.co.uk.Retrieved23 May2017.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

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