O II D 
marking in an efpecial manner his gracious fenfe of the 
valour, perfeverance, and devotion, manifefted by the 
officers of his majelly’s forces by fea and land; and 
whereas his R. H. has thought it fit, by virtue of the 
royal prerogative, and of the powers referved to the fove- 
reign in the ftatutes of the faid Molt Honourable Mili¬ 
tary Order of the Bath, to advance the fplendour and ex¬ 
tend the limits of the faid order, to the end that thofe 
officers who have had the opportunities of fignalizing 
themfelves by eminent fervices during the late war, may 
lhare in the honours of the faid order, and that their 
names may be delivered down to remote pofterity, accom¬ 
panied by the marks of diftindtion which they have fo 
nobly earned : the Prince Regent therefore, adting in 
the name and on the behalf of his Majefty, hath been gra- 
cioufly pleafed to ordain as follows: 
The Molt Honourable Military Order of the Bath lhall 
from this time forward be compofed of Three Clalles, 
differing in their ranks and degrees of dignity. 
I. The Firft Clafs of the faid Order lhall confilt of 
Knights Grand Crojfcs; which defignation lhall be fubfti- 
tuted henceforward for that of Knights Companions; and 
from the date hereof the prefent Knights Companions 
and Extra-Knights of the faid Order lhall, in all adts, 
proceedings, and pleadings, be ftyled Knights Grand 
Crofles of the Moll Honourable Military Order of the 
Bath. 
The number of the Knights Grand Crofles lhall not, at 
any time, or upon any account whatever, exceed feventy- 
two, exclufive of the Sovereign ; whereof there may be a 
number not exceeding twelve fo nominated and ap¬ 
pointed, in confideration of eminent fervices rendered 
to the Hate by Britifli fubjedts in civil and diplomatic 
employments. 
The faid Knights Grand Crofles lhall be fubjedt to the 
fame rules and ordinances, and have, hold, and enjoy, 
all and lingular the rights, privileges, immunities, and 
advantages, which the Knights Companions of the faid 
Order have hitherto held and enjoyed, by virtue of the 
ftatutes, excepting as far as may be altered or affedled by 
the prefent decree. 
It lhall be lawful for all the prefent Knights Grand 
Crofles, from and after the date hereof, to wear, upon the 
left fide of their upper-veftment, the liar or enfign of the 
faid order, although fuch Knights Grand Crofles may not 
have been inHailed; and henceforward the faid ftar or 
enfign lhall be worn by each and every Knight Grand 
Crofs immediately after his being fo nominated and ap¬ 
pointed ; provided that it lhall not be lawful for any 
Knight Grand Crofs to wear the collar of the faid order, 
until he lhall have been formally inftalled, according to 
the ftatutes, or unlefs a difpenfation has been granted for 
the non-obfervance of the ceremonial of inllallation. 
In order to diftinguilh more particularly thofe ofiicers 
of his Majefty’s forces, by fea and land, upon whom the 
Firft Clafs of the faid order hath already been, or may 
hereafter be, conferred, in confideration of efpecial mili¬ 
tary fervice, fuch officers lhall henceforth bear upon the 
enfign and ftar, and likewife upon the badge of the order, 
the addition of a wreath of lauj’el encircling the motto, 
and Bluing from an efcrol infcribed Ich Dien. This dif- 
tindlion being of a military nature, it is not to be borne 
by the knights upon whom the order lhall have been, or 
may hereafter be, conferred for civil fervices. 
The dignity of a Knight Grand Crofs lhall henceforth 
upon no account be conferred upon any officer in his 
majefty’s fervice who lhall not have attained the rank 
of major-general in the army, or rear-admiral in the navy, 
except as to the Twelve Knights Grand Crofles who may 
be nominated and appointed for civil fervices. 
His Royal Highnefs the Prince Regent is further 
pleafed to ordain and declare, that the Princes of the 
Blood Royal holding commiflions as General Officers in 
his Majefty’s Army, or as Flag Officers in the Royal Navy, 
now and hereafter, may be nominated and appointed 
E R. 715 
Knights Grand Crofles of the Moll Honourable Military 
Order of the Bath, and lhall not be included in the num¬ 
ber of 72, to which the firft Clafs of the Order is limited 
by a former article of the prefent inftrument. 
II. The Second Clafs of the Moll Honourable Military 
Order of the Bath lhall be compofed of Knights Com¬ 
manders, who lhall have and enjoy ; in all future folemni- 
ties and proceedings, place and precedence before all 
Knights Bachelors of the United Kingdom ; and lhall 
enjoy all and lingular the rights, privileges, and im¬ 
munities, enjoyed by the faid Knights Bachelors. 
Upon the firft inftitution of the Knights Commanders, 
the number lhall not exceed one hundred and eighty, 
exclufive of foreign officers bolding Britifli commiflions, 
of whom a number, not exceeding ten, may be admitted 
into the Second Clafs as honorary Knights Commanders. 
But, in the event of adlions of fignal diftindtion, or of 
future wars, the number may be increafed by the ap¬ 
pointment of Officers who lhall be eligible according to 
the regulations and reftridlions now eltablifhed. 
No perfon lhall be eligible as a Knight Commander of 
the Bath, who does not adtually hold, at the time of his 
nomination, a commiflion in his majefty’s army or navy ; 
fuch commiflion not being below the rank of Lieutenant- 
colonel in the Army, or of Poll-Captain in the Navy. 
The Knights Commanders lhall, from the publication 
of the prefent inftrument, be entitled feveraily to alfume 
the dillindlive appellation of Knighthood, and lhall bear 
the badge and enfign affigned as the diftindlions of the 
Second Clafs of the Order, on their being duly invefted 
with the fame; that is to fay, each Knight Commander 
lhall wear the appropriate badge or cognizance pendant 
by a red ribband round the neck; and for further honour 
and diftindtion he lhall wear the appropriate ftar, embroi¬ 
dered on the left fide of his upper veftment. There lhall 
alfo be affixed in the cathedral church of St. Peter, Weft- 
minfter, efcutcheons and banners of the arms of each 
Knight Commander, under which the name and title of 
fuch Knight Commander, with the date of his nomination, 
lhall be infcribed. The Knights Commanders lhall not 
be entitled to bear fupporters, but they lhall be permitted 
to encircle their arms with the red ribband and badge 
appropriate to the fecond clafs of the Order of the Bath. 
And, for the greater honour of this clafs, no officer of his 
majefty’s army or navy lhall be nominated hereafter to the 
dignity of a Knight Grand Crofs, who lhall not have 
been appointed previoully a Knight Commander of the 
faid moll honourable Order. 
III. The Third Clafs of the Moll Honourable Military 
Order of the Bath lhall be compofed of officers holding 
commiflions in his majefty’s fervice by fea or land, who 
lhall be ftyled Companions of the faid order. They lhall 
not be entitled to the appellation, ftyle, precedence, or 
privilege, of Knights Bachelors, but they lhall take place 
and-precedence of all Efquires of the United Kingdom 
of Great Britain and Ireland. 
No Officer lhall be nominated a Companion of the faid 
Moll Honourable Order, unlefs he lhall have received, or 
lhall hereafter receive, a medal, or other badge of honour ; 
or fhall have been efpecially mentioned by name in dif- 
patches publilhed in the London Gazette, as having dif- 
tinguilhed himfelf by his valour and condudt in adtion 
againft his majefty’s enemies, fince the commencement of 
the war in. 1803 5 or lhall hereafter be named in difpatches 
publilhed in the London Gazette, as having diftinguilhed 
himfelf. 
The Companions of the faid Order lhall wear the badge 
affigned to the Third Clafs, pendant by a narrow red 
ribband to the button-hole. And his R. H. the Prince 
Regent hath been pleafed to ordain and enjoin, that the 
find Knights Commanders, and the faid Companions, 
lhall refpedlively be governed by the rules and regula¬ 
tions which his R. H. in the name and on the behalf of 
his Majefty, hath been gracioufiy pleafed to make, ordain, 
and enjoin, for them; and by fuch other rules and ordi¬ 
nances 
