Fraternity carrying with it the rank of
knight, admission to which is granted as a
mark of royal favour or as a reward for
public services. During the Middle Ages such
fraternities fell into two classes, religious
and secular. The first class, including the
Templars and the Knights of St John,
consisted of knights who had taken religious
vows and devoted themselves to military
service against the Saracens (Arabs) or other
non-Christians. The secular orders probably
arose from bands of knights engaged in the
service of a prince or great noble. These
knights wore the badge of their patrons or
the emblems of their patron saints. A knight
bachelor belongs to the lowest stage of
knighthood, not being a member of any
specially named order. See also medal. The
Order of the Garter, founded about 1347, is
the oldest now in existence; there are eight
other British orders: the Thistle founded
1687, the St Patrick 1788, the Bath 1725, the
Star of India 1861, the St Michael and St
George 1818, the Indian Empire 1878, the
Royal Victorian Order 1896, and the Order of
the British Empire (OBE) 1917. The Order of
Merit, founded 1902, comprises the sovereign
and no more than 24 prominent individuals.
Most of the ancient European orders, such as
the Order of the Golden Fleece, have
disappeared as a result of political changes.