CHRONICLE. 



37Q 



>pvhich had istrongly excited the 

 public atteutioJi for several days, 

 and vas enhanced in interest and 

 Value by the peculiar care be- 

 stowed upon it by our most gra- 

 cious sovereign, took place this day. 

 Thelast installation of knights of the 

 garter v,as on the 25th July, 1771 ; 

 but the vacancies by death in the 

 order have continued to be filled up 

 as before. Upon the occasion of 

 the union with Ireland, his ma- 

 jesty, on the thirty-first Ja- 

 nuary, ISOl, issued his royal pro- 

 clamation, investing the k.ni<^hts 

 elect with all the rights, privileges, 

 &c. of the order, as fully, and to all 

 intents and purposes the same, as if 

 they had been actually ins'tallcd. — 

 The instantaneous cHect of this mea- 

 sure was, that the knights elect, 

 who had before only the privileges 

 of wearing the blue ribbon, the 

 George, and the garter, now as- 

 sumed the star. The royal dukes 

 elect, however, must be excepted 

 from this restriction. They have 

 had always the privilege of wearing 

 the star, along with the other in- 

 signia of the order, from the time of 

 their election. . The knights, who 

 thus became comi)!etely invested 

 ■without actual installation, by rea- 

 son of the royal proclamation in 

 1801, were the dukes of Clarence, 

 Kent, Cumberland, Sussex, Cam- 

 bridge, Prince William of Gloucesterj 

 Richmond, Devonshire, Buccleugli, 

 Portland, and Northumberland ; 

 marquisses Buckingham, Lansdown, 

 Cornwallis, and Salisbury ; earls 

 Chatham, Carlisle, Westmoreland, 

 Spencer, and Camden. 'I'he knights 

 elected since 1801, and consequents 

 ly, (from not enjoy inn the benefit 

 of the proclamation) not having had 

 flic honour oC wearing all the ]t\'^\i^- 

 nia i»f the ordfr. are the dukcb of 



Beaufort and Rutland, marquis of 

 Abercorn, earls of Winchelseaj 

 Hardwicke, Chesterfield, and Pem- 

 broke. All these knights were in- 

 stalled this day ; and it is a curious 

 fact, the number, which is 26, is 

 not only greater than at any instal- 

 lation of the order which ever yet 

 toolc place, even than that of the 

 original institution, but that it a- 

 mounts to precisely the number of 

 the order upon its original founda- 

 tion, by his majesty king Edward 

 the Third, in January 1350, who 

 ordained that it should consist of 

 the sovereign and twenty-five 

 knights companions. Thus, at a 

 distance of 430 years, has his pre- 

 sent majesty an opportunity' of pro- 

 ducing this august ceremonj', with 

 its original number of knights, and 

 all the additional splendour which 

 the improved state of society, in 

 arts, in wealth, and luxury, could 

 command. Besides the knights c- 

 lect, and this day installed, the or- 

 der contains five knights previously 

 installed, viz. the prince of \Vales 

 and duke of York, the duke of 

 Gloucester, the duke of Marlbo- 

 rough, and the duke of Grafton, in 

 all thirty-three. His majesty liar- 

 ing, in 1786, ordained, that the or- 

 der should consist in future of the 

 sovereign and twenty-five knights 

 companions, exclusive of the sous of 

 the reigning sovereign, who now, to 

 the pride of their royal parents, and 

 of their country, are seven in num* 

 ber. This short sketch may be ne- 

 cessary to give an idea of the gran- 

 deur and antiquity of the order, 

 which is now brought forward by 

 his majesty in a style of unprece- 

 dented splendour and magnificence. 

 No ceremony can be, from the na* 

 ture-of the institution, and the cir- 

 cun»stances of its foundiition, so 



well 



