British History 101 Podcast
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British History 101 brings you weekly selections from centuries of British History, ranging from profiles of monarchs, descriptions of battles, explanations of political acts, and some random trivia now and then.
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Mediocre, December 19, 2007
Reviewer: AnneTheMan
Monologue style podcast that jumps back and forth in British History. The scripts as they are read, are available through the British History 101 blog.
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http://www.britishhistory101.com
The Blitz
Author: Michael Anthony
Tue, May 13, 2008
One of the most important defining events in modern British history.
This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at audiblepodcast.com/british101!
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Edward I
Author: Michael Anthony
Tue, Apr 22, 2008
Scottorum Malleus?
Thanks to Audible.com for sponsoring our show!
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Richard II
Author: Michael Anthony
Mon, Apr 07, 2008
Villeins ye be, and villeins ye shall remain!
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George III
Author: Michael Anthony
Sat, Dec 08, 2007
Feeling patriotic after Thanksgiving, Michael Anthony discusses the king on the throne during the War for Independence.
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The Most Honourable Order of the Bath
Author: Michael Anthony
Wed, Nov 21, 2007
To chivalry!
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J.R.R Tolkien Part II
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Nov 09, 2007
The conclusion of our journey through Middle Earth!
Note: Please excuse my error at around the 13:00 mark. I should have said 1973, not 1943. Sorry!
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Episode 23: We're back!
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Nov 02, 2007
With this episode, British History 101 returns in full force!
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BH101 Update
Author: Michael Anthony
Mon, Oct 22, 2007
British History 101 - certainly not gone but perhaps forgotten? An update from Michael Anthony!
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Acts of Union 1707
Author: Michael Anthony
Thu, Jul 19, 2007
What makes the United Kingdom so united? Find out here!
Thanks to Audible.com for sponsoring British History 101!
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The Most Illustrious Order of St. Patrick
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Jul 06, 2007
Tonight we wrap up the three-part series on the three highest chivalric orders!
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The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle
Author: Michael Anthony
Wed, Jun 27, 2007
Hello, this is Michael Anthony, and you’re listening to British History 101.
Tonight, we’re going to continue with what has become a three-part series. I originally had no intention of making the previous episode, this episode, and the next episode the individual parts of a series, but once I began research for this installment I realized it was a logical way to go, and I’ll explain why.
Most British chivalric orders cover the entire kingdom; however, there are three that each pertain to a different constituent country only. Last time, we talked about the The Most Noble Order of the Garter, which covers England; tonight, we will be discussing The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Scotland’s premier order of chivalry, which is second only to the Order of the Garter. Next time, we’ll talk about…well, you’ll have to wait for that one. Best we get on with tonight’s topic.
There are several legends that claim to explain the origins of the Order of the Thistle. I’ll make it clear when we begin discussing distinctly English or British monarchs. One story claims that Achaius, King of the Scots, instituted the order in 787 after winning a battle with the Saxon King Aethelstan of East Anglia. Apparently, Achaius saw the cross of St. Andrew (which, as we know from an earlier episode, is a white cross in the shape of an X on a blue background) in the sky during the battle, and so afterwards dedicated the Order of the Thistle to the saint after the battle. However, this story is a bit hard to believe, as Achaius was long dead by the time Aethelstan was king. The official explanation given by the British government is as follows, and can be found at royalinsight.gov.uk:
“The date of the foundation of the Order is not known, although legend has it that it was founded in 809 when King Achaius made an alliance with the Emperor Charlemagne.” This has a bit more credibility, as traditionally Charlemagne did employ some Scottish bodyguards. The government goes on to say that
“It is possible that the Order may have been founded by James III (1488-1513), who was responsible for changes in Royal symbolism in Scotland, including the adoption of the thistle as the Royal plant badge.” I should also add that James minted coins depicting the thistle, so this lends a bit more credibility to his part of the story.
James V conferred membership to “the Order of the Burr or Thissil” to Francis I of France, allegedly because he was embarrassed that he had no honor to bestow on foreign monarchs. Thus, the legend says that he instituted the Order as we know it today.
The story with the most evidence giving it credibility is that the Order was revived by James VII of Scotland, who was also James II of England. Although he is the key player in this version of the Order’s history, the letters patent that he issued in 1687 point to the Order being founded earlier, as his letters state the intent of “reviving and restoring the Order of the Thistle to its full glory, luster, and magnificency.” Thus, one can’t help but think the Order had already been around for a while when James issued his proclamation. James conferred membership in the Order to Scottish peers who supported his political and religious objectives. One of the rules of the Order established by James said that the Order was “to continue to consist of the Sovereign and twelve Knights-Brethren in allusion to the Blessed Saviour and His Twelve Apostles.” However, James appointed only 8 Knights of the Thistle.
James was deposed in 1688 as part of the Glorious Revolution, and his successors William and Mary appointed no further members of the Order. However, the Order was again revived in 1703 by Queen Anne. Its maximum number of members was increased to 16 in 1827 by King George IV; however, women (aside from reigning queens) were still barred from admission. A special order by George VI in 1937 allowed his wife, Elizabeth, to become a Lady of the Thistle. Women were officially allowed to be admitted to the Order by a 1987 statute of Elizabeth II (on a side note, it was this statute that also allowed women to become Ladies of the Garter). It is possible for there to be more than 16 members of the Order; these are admitted as Extra Knights and are created by special statutes. Members of the royal family and foreign monarchs are admitted in this manner; Prince Albert was the first Extra Knight. King Olav V of Norway was the first foreigner admitted to the Order in over 200 years in 1962. Since 1946, the Order of the Thistle has been the personal gift of the reigning monarch, the same as the Order of the Garter; for quite a long time before that, the sovereign chose members on the advice of the government. It is possible for members of the Order of the Thistle to be given membership in the Order of the Garter; historically, many of those bestowed with this honor have resigned from their knighthood in the Order of the Thistle and remained only in the higher order. While it is possible for Knights and Ladies to have their membership revoked, this has happened only once, to John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar, who participated in the Jacobite rising and was removed in 1715.
It is quite fascinating to see a Knight or Lady of the Thistle in full regalia. A green mantle lined with white taffeta and tied with green and gold tassels is worn over suits or uniforms, with the star of the Order on the left shoulder of the mantle. A black velvet hat plumed with white feathers is also worn, along with a collar made of gold and showing thistles and sprigs of rue over the mantle. A piece known as the St. Andrew is suspended from the collar, and it is a gold-enameled image of St. Andrew holding an X-shaped cross with golden rays emanating from his head. Usually, however, members of the Order wear simpler regalia consisting of a dark green riband, or sash, running from the left shoulder to the right hip. On the sash and over the left breast is pinned the star of the order, consisting of a silver St. Andrew’s saltire, or X-shaped cross as we have previously spoken of, with clusters of rays between the arms. In the middle is a green circle bearing the motto of the Order, “Nemo me impune lacessit”, or “No one harms me with impunity”. Within the circle itself is a thistle on a gold field. As I said before, this elaborate and beautiful star is worn over the left breast, and worn above the stars of any other order the Knight or Lady may belong to (except, of course, the Order of the Garter, as it ranks higher), with a maximum of four stars being worn on the riband at once. The badge of the Order is worn on the riband at the right hip. Upon the death of Knight or Lady of the Thistle, the regalia is returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, and the badge and star are returned personally to the Sovereign by the closest relative of the deceased.
James II originally planned for the Chapel of the Order to be at the Palace of Holyroodhouse; however, the chapel was destroyed by a rioting mob while James was in the process of being booted from the throne. The Order did not have an official chapel until 1911, when one was created for it at St. Giles Cathedral (or High Kirk) in Edinburgh. Each Knight or Lady is given a stall in the Chapel.
Knights of the Order of the Thistle affix Sir before their names and Ladies of the Order affix Lady before theirs. Like the Order of the Garter, wives of Knights may attach Lady to their names, but husbands of Ladies of the Order are given no prefix. They may attach KT or LT to the end of their names in a list of official titles, and these letters appear before all other titles except for baronet (Bt) or baronetess (Btss), Victoria Cross (VC), George Cross (GC), or Knight or Lady of the Garter (KG or LG).
There are currently 15 members of the Order of the Thistle, leaving one vacancy. Aside from these 15 members, there is of course Her Majesty the Queen, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, and Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal.
That wraps up our look at The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle. We’ve got one more order yet to cover, and we’ll look at that next week.
I’d like to mention an upcoming event in the life of British History 101 so it doesn’t catch anyone off-guard. Sometime in the next few weeks, I will be trying an out an ad campaign for this podcast to see if a longer campaign would be a possibility for the show. I assure you that aside from the presence of the ads themselves (and they are few), the show will not change at all. Nothing will be taken away from British History 101 and I promise it will be just as entertaining, informative, and enjoyable as always.
I hope you’ve enjoyed tonight’s show as much as I have. Thanks to Mr. John Hawksley for providing the wonderful theme music for our show. I encourage you to check out more of his work at www.hawksley.net/mp3, H-A-W-K-S-L-E-Y, where you can find a wealth of great music performed by a great artist. I’d also like to thank Magnatune this evening. As you know from previous episodes, Magnatune is an independent online record label that allows its artists to retain full rights to their works. However, I’d like to add from personal experience and correspondence that Magnatune is a really interesting company and they’re wonderful people. They’ve been an enormous help to me and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with them. Please visit Magnatune.com for a great selection of artists that would love to have your business.
As always, a transcript of this and past episodes of this podcast is available at BritishHistory101.com. Send questions, comments, rants, and raves to BritishHistory101@gmail.com. Our music tonight is “My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose” by O Fickle Fortune, available at Magnatune. As always, thanks for listening, and tune in next week for the conclusion of our three-part series on the orders of chivalry.
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The Most Noble Order of the Garter
Author: Michael Anthony
Tue, Jun 26, 2007
Hello, this is Michael Anthony, and you’re listening to British History 101.
In this episode, we’ll cover something that I personally find to be, above many other topics, quintessentially British – the oldest European order of knighthood in existence, The Most Noble Order of the Garter. Let’s get right to it.
Edward III, By the Grace of God King of England and France and Lord of Ireland, reigned for 50 years between 1327 and 1377, and was undoubtedly one of the most successful monarchs of the Middle Ages. Edward’s idol was the legendary King Arthur, and he had ambitions to institute something of his own court of the Round Table so famous in Arthurian lore. He ordered the construction of a round stone feasting hall in the Upper Ward of Windsor Castle, where the knights of a new “Round Table in the same manner and conditions as the Lord Arthur, formerly King of England, appointed it.” Those knights would be bound together by a badge of “unit and concord,” the garter. Edward’s version of Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table was thus created in The Most Noble Order of the Garter, commonly thought to have been established in 1348 (although records indicate that it’s possible it was in existence in 1346). The first knight given the honor of the Garter was Edward’s eldest son, Edward the Black Prince. The most famous legend, which recent research suggests may actually be true, gave rise to the Order’s motto. It is said that King Edward was dancing at a ball with Joan, Countess of Salisbury, when Joan’s garter fell off. The king bent over to pick it up, and several of the men around him began to tease Edward. Although Edward is thought to be the first king after the Norman Conquest to be able to speak English, he snapped at the men in French (which was his everyday language) “Honi soit qui mal y pense,” or “Shame on him who thinks ill of it.” Thus, the Order of the Garter gained a motto.
The Order of the Garter is still very much alive today. It is bestowed solely by the reigning monarch, known as the Sovereign of the Garter, as a personal gift of that monarch. It is limited to the reigning sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and 25 Knights or Ladies Companion. Not counting towards the limit of 25, however, are supernumerary Knights and Ladies, which would include members of the royal family and foreign monarchs, who are also referred to as Stranger Knights and Ladies Companion. Knights or Ladies may have they membership revoked by the sovereign in case of the commitment of severe crimes, and this was seen especially when Stranger Knights Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany and Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria had their memberships annulled during World War I. Emperor Hirohito of Japan had the unique honor of being appointed a Stranger Knight by two different sovereigns, as his membership was annulled due to World War II and he was later reinstated by Elizabeth II.
Traditionally, the monarch announces the names of those chosen to be new members of the Order on St. George’s Day, April 23. On Monday of Royal Ascot week each June, members of the Order meet in the state apartments of the Upper Ward of Windsor Castle, wearing their full regalia. They then process on foot through the Castle, led by the Military Knights of Windsor, to St. George’s Chapel for the Garter service, where new knights (if any) are installed by the Queen. Afterwards, the knights both old and new return to the Upper Ward by carriage.
Knights Companion of the Order attach “Sir” before their first name, and Ladies Companion attach the word “Lady,” not “Dame,” the word seen in other chivalric orders. The Wives of male members may use the word Lady before their names, but there is no such provision for the husbands of Ladies Companion. Members may use the letters “KG” or “LG” after their names. They may also surround their families’ personal arms with the garter, although this is not seen on the arms of Stranger Knights, as foreign sovereigns would not decorate their arms with English symbols.
The Most Noble Order of the Garter represents a fascination with an earlier time – a time of chivalry, of knights rescuing ladies in distress, of honor, of duty, and romance. It is a beloved tradition of England, and truly a modern day glimpse into a past of legend.
That’s all for this episode of British History 101. A transcript of this and previous episodes of this podcast can be found at BritishHistory101.com. If you find time to visit the website, be sure to add yourself to the Platial map on the right hand side of the screen. Send suggestions, questions, comments, rants, and raves to BritishHistory101@gmail.com. I can also be reached via Skype, under the name British History 101. Our music tonight is “Joy After Sorrow,” performed by Shira Kammen and available on Magnatune.com. Magnatune is an independent online record label that equally shares all revenue from album sales with their hand-selected artists while allowing them to retain full rights to their works. Visit magnatune.com for great music at low prices and support the many wonderful artists hosted there. Thanks very much for listening, and have a wonderful day!
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St. George's Day
Author: Michael Anthony
Sun, Apr 22, 2007
Celebrating England's National Day!
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Sir Winston Churchill
Author: Michael Anthony
Thu, Apr 19, 2007
British History 101 now has theme music! In this episode, we take a look at one of history's greatest statesmen, Sir Winston Spencer Churchill.
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The Queen's Yeoman
Author: Michael Anthony
Wed, Mar 21, 2007
A fun look at The Yeomen of the Guard and the Yeomen Warders!
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The Tower of London
Author: Michael Anthony
Sat, Mar 03, 2007
An episode treating one of the most recognizable castles in the world!
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British History 101 - Ramblings from the Host
Author: Michael Anthony
Mon, Jan 08, 2007
Michael Anthony needs you!
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Henry VIII: Part I
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Dec 08, 2006
I'm Henry VIII, I Am...
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St. Bede the Venerable
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Nov 17, 2006
This week's episode features the life and writings of Bede, according to Dante the only Englishman in Paradise!
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St. Thomas Becket
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Nov 10, 2006
St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury killed 29 December 1170
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Correction
Author: Michael Anthony
Wed, Nov 08, 2006
A Correction to the Guy Fawkes special
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Guy Fawkes' Day
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Nov 03, 2006
Remember, remember, the Fifth of November!
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Lady Godiva
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Oct 27, 2006
In this week's episode, we take a look at the fair Lady who gave rise to the name of one of the world's most delicious candies!
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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Oct 06, 2006
This week, we take a look at the United Kingdom's current monarch.
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Abdication of Edward VIII
Author: Michael Anthony
Thu, Sep 21, 2006
Queen Elizabeth II's uncle - and a shameful one at that!
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British History 101 #8
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Sep 08, 2006
Magna Carta
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British History 101 #7
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Sep 01, 2006
Hadrian's Wall
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British History 101 Update
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Aug 25, 2006
A speed bump in the course of history!
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British History 101 #6
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Aug 18, 2006
The Battle of Dunkirk
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British History 101 #5
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Aug 11, 2006
Boudicca's Revolt
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British History 101 #4
Author: Michael Anthony
Sun, Aug 06, 2006
The Battle of Trafalgar
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British History 101 #3
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Jul 28, 2006
The Battle of Hastings, part 3 of 3.
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British History 101 #2
Author: Michael Anthony
Thu, Jul 20, 2006
The Battle of Hastings, part 2 of 3.
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The Battle of Hastings 1
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Jul 14, 2006
The Battle of Hastings, part 1 of 3.
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British History 101 Pilot
Author: Michael Anthony
Fri, Jul 07, 2006
This is the pilot episode of British History 101.
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