Prince William Made Royal Knight Of The Garter

LONDON — Prince William was made a Royal Knight of the Garter on Monday at a ceremony presided over by his grandmother _ the British monarch _ and attended by his father, brother and girlfriend.

Queen Elizabeth II made William the 1,000th knight to join the order and formally presented him with the regalia, including a blue garter, sash and star brooch.

After the ceremony at Windsor Castle, the knights wore their traditional ostrich feather hats and velvet robes as they walked to St. George's chapel in the castle grounds for a service.

William's girlfriend Kate Middleton, dressed in a black suit and hat, watched the procession with his brother Prince Harry.

The Order of the Garter was established in 1348; the monarch can give the honor to anyone she chooses without advice from government ministers. It is meant to honor those who have held public office, who have contributed to national life or who have served the queen personally. William, 25, is second in line to the throne after his father, Prince Charles.

Two former prime ministers, Margaret Thatcher and John Major, are members of the order.

The garter itself is a dark blue velvet strap with the words "Honi soit qui mal y pense, old French for "shame upon him who thinks evil upon it."

Comments

[SonnyBono]

And this is important - how?

A twit the offspring of two other twits and the grandson of a glorified tourist attaction who has long since out lived her usefullness.

[Economike]

Is he trying to get a part in Pirates of the Carribean IV?

[BlueandGreen]

I'm sure William has already had plenty of nights of the garter ... and the lace-topped stockings ... and the bustier.

[buckbuck11]

Her Majesty Responds:

"Oh, you boring colonials are just jealous that you're stuck with an inarticulate head of state who doesn't know his arse from a hole in the ground. He acknowledges the Pope with the words, "Awesome speech, your Holiness." Indeed. Perhaps a little more ceremony and better frocks would lend a modicum of gravitas to even lightweights of your President's ilk. We are not amused."

[sophieozz]

Royals
What are they good for?
Absolutely nothing
(Apologies to Edwin Starr)

[MizJ]

I am crushed. Prince William is going bald. Photographed from the back he has that same round circle of hair loss that his father sports. Wonder how much gush he will garner when the girls see that.

[dbrgroup]

why?

[edgraham]

It's just silly.

[Rockwell]

I like Harry and everything. But this whole "lucky sperm club grants honors to itself" is a little nauseating. Here in The States you'd never see a son of the rich and powerful get undeserved praise and honors. Oh, wait. . . .

[gonavy]

"lucky sperm club grants honors to itself"

We call that the Oscars here in America.

[SonnyBono]

No, we call it the Bush family.

[gevan]

Now he's got something to hold his socks up anyway.

[We]

Why not? He deserves it. The most prestigious of all royal awards. He's accomplished roughly the same as for example the late Sir Edmund Hillary when he got his. Next naturally will be several Nobel Prizes in an assortment of categories. Various Grammy, Oscar, Emmy awards. Olympic Gold Medals. Power Ball lotteries. What am I leaving out?

[ObamaEdwards]

That's a stupid title. Now, Royal Knight of the GUINNESS, that would be good.

[wadenelson1]

Reminds me of the old one about when a Cub Scout becomes a Boy Scout.

After he eats his first brownie.

[ebbtide]

Oh my. please excuse me if I recoil against these pompous ceremonies of a Queen and her gtrandson. How veddy veddy British, eh? Wow, the order of some garter. Carry on you Monarchs without portfolio. There are more pressing items in today's world and if this is what the Brits get off on===eh, it is so superficial, while people are suffering and dying in Iraq. What more do we need to demonstrate the "elitie" the "monarchy" class than this piece of crap being bestowed by the Queen upon her grandson? LOL, I find it amusing