THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH From mediæval times to the Coronation of King Its baldacchino which incorporates the painting of Charles II it was customary in England to confer the Virgin and Child by Bartolomeo Vivarini, a with great ceremony a ‘Degree of Knighthood’ contemporary of Torregiano, was presented by which , from its preparatory rite , came to be the Viscount Lee of Fareham GCB . On 3 rd July 1935 described as ‘The Knighthood of the Bath’. the Chapel was re-opened with a service during This Knighthood was not an ‘Order’ having its which existing vacancies were filled by the own Chapel, Statutes, Seal, and Officers—like the installation of several Knights. Order of the Garter—but simply a ‘Degree of Knighthood’, greatly esteemed , owing to the During the war of 1939–45, to prevent damage by distinction of the persons on whom it was enemy action, certain parts of the woodwork of conferred and the solemnity of the ceremonies the stalls, together with the banners, were connected with the creation of such. removed from the Chapel, and it was not until King George I, by Letters Patent dated 18 th May 1947 that the Chapel was restored and re-opened 1725, created a Military Order of Knighthood to be to the public. known as ‘The Order of the Bath’. Statutes of subsequent date laid down the ordinances to be Ladies were admitted to all classes and to both observed within the Order. The installation of divisions of the Order, with effect from 1 st January Knights was provided for, and the attendant 1971; Her Royal Highness Princess Alice, Duchess ceremonies (each with allegorical significance) of Gloucester, being the first Dame Grand Cross. included that of a bath. th From 1725 an invaluable record of stall-holding On 10 June 1974 the former Great Master of the members of the Order has been built up through Order, His Royal Highness The Duke of the armorial stall-plates in the Chapel of the Order Gloucester, died. On 28 th May 1975 a service was in Westminster Abbey. held to mark the 250 th anniversary of the On 2 nd January 1815 the Order was enlarged by establishment of the Order of the Bath. On that The Prince Regent and, instead of one class of occasion the newly appointed Great Master of the Knights, three were formed: Knights Grand Cross, Order, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Knights Commander, and Companions. At the was installed by The Sovereign. same time provision was made for the admission of a small number of distinguished civilians to the Immediately after the installation in 1994 the highest class. Chapel was closed to the public, filled with On 14 th April 1847 Queen Victoria ordained that scaffolding, and underwent the most extensive certain changes should be made in the constitution examination, conservation, and restoration of the Order ‘With a view to the altered state and (inside and out) in nearly 500 years. The Officers circumstances of Society’. Included in the changes of the Order were present in October 1995 at a was the addition to the Civil Division of Knights great Thanksgiving Service for the completion of Commander and of Companions. the Abbey’s restoration programme, at which The In 1913 King George V commanded that the Sovereign unveiled a new west window in the ceremony of installation, omitted for almost a Chapel. By means of heraldic arms, ciphers, and century, should be carried out, and on 22 nd July initials—featuring the insignia of the Order as part 1913 a service was held at which forty-six senior Knights Grand Cross were installed. There the of the arms of The Sovereign, and The Great erection of banners, mantlings, and stall plates Master—the window both records the trustees, also resumed. donors, collegiate officers, and craftsmen involved in the restoration, and celebrates its completion. Installation services followed in 1920, 1924, and 1928. However, between 1932 and 1935 , the During the present ceremony certain Knights Chapel of the Order was closed so that repairs Grand Cross will be installed to fill those vacancies might be carried out following damage to the which have occurred since 2014. New banners and fabric caused by vibration. During that period a new Altar was erected —a reproduction of crests replace those of deceased Knights Grand Torregiano’s 1526 Altar, parts of which were Cross, whose stall plates, however, remain in their incorporated in the new one. stalls in perpetuity. Printed by Barnard & Westwood Ltd, 23 Pakenham Street, London WC1X 0LB By Appointment to HM The Queen, Printers and Bookbinders & HRH The Prince of Wales, Printers Printers to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster