Being smaller in scale, the guest list has officially been announced to be lacking political figures and, also in contrast to the last time a second son married, namely HRH The Prince Andrew, Duke of York, will probably be lacking in many royal guests save HRH's more immediate family.
The history of the Chapel is a long one. On 6th August 1348 Edward III founded two new colleges, symbols of his devotion and generosity to the church. These institutions, essentially communities of priests, were charged with celebrating divine service within the two political nerve centres of his realm. The first of these was the College of St Stephen at Westminster Palace, the home of royal administration and justice. And the second was the College of St George at Windsor Castle, the seat of his authority in England’s greatest royal castle.
In each case Edward III’s new colleges were founded in relation to existing chapels. At Westminster this was the chapel of St Stephen, a vastly elaborate building directly modelled on the Sainte Chapelle in Paris. But at Windsor the college was attached to the Chapel of St Edward the Confessor. This building, constructed by Henry III in the early 13th century, now underwent a radical overhaul and was rededicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St George, England’s patron saint, to whom the king had personal devotion, and St Edward the Confessor.
The rededication of the chapel to include the soldier saint George is to be explained in terms of the king’s particular circumstances. At this time Edward III was actively pressing his title to the French throne and had recently demonstrated his remarkable military capabilities against the French at the Battle of Crécy. St George was not only an appropriate patron saint for the successful prosecution of his political ambitions in France but also for the values of knightly virtue that the king so admired. And it was in reaffirmation of Edward III’s interest in these that he associated a group of knights with the college, the Order of the Garter. (It was rumoured recently, especially on St George's Day itself, if not hoped, that HM The Queen would bestow the Garter on her grandson before his wedding. As an 'Extra', Royal Knight, this may still be possible. As it is, Prince harry is more than likely to emerge on his wedding day morning a Royal Duke.)
The two colleges founded by Edward III were amongst the most important and prestigious in medieval England but their subsequent histories have been very different. The combined circumstances of the Reformation and the abandonment of Westminster as a royal palace led to the dissolution of St Stephen’s in 1548. Its chapel survived, however, and served as the House of Commons until it was largely destroyed in the fire of 1834. (In fact, up until the time of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee what everyone usually calls Big Ben, which is actually the name of the large bell, and which was renamed the Elizabeth Tower to match the Victoria Tower at the other end of the Houses of parliament, was called St Stephen's Tower.) But the Royal College of St George at Windsor continues to serve as home for the sovereign’s principal order of chivalry, the Order of the Garter.
(The above history comes from the Chapel's own website https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org)
The current list of Knights and Ladies Companion is as follows:
1-(965) The Lord Carrington KG GCMG CH MC PC DL 1985
2-(973) Field Marshal The Lord Bramall KG GCB OBE MC JP 1990
3-(976) The Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover KG 1992
4-(977) The Lord Ashburton KG KCVO DL 1994
5-(983) Sir Timothy Colman KG JP 1996
6-(986) The Duke of Abercorn KG 1999
7-(988) Field Marshal The Lord Inge KG GCB DL 2001
8-(989) Sir Antony Acland KG GCMG GCVO 2001
9-(992) The Lord Butler of Brockwell KG GCB CVO PC 2003
10-(993) The Lord Morris of Aberavon KG PC QC 2003
11-(994) Sir John Major KG CH PC 2005
12-(999) The Lord Luce KG GCVO PC DL 2008
13-(1001) Sir Thomas Dunne KG KCVO JP
14-(1002) The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers KG PC 2011
15-(1003) Admiral of the Fleet The Lord Boyce KG GCB OBE DL 2011
16-(1004) Marshal of the Royal Air Force The Lord Stirrup KG GCB AFC
17-(1005) The Baroness Manningham-Buller LG DCB 2014
18-(1006) The Lord King of Lothbury KG GBE FBA 2014
19-(1007) The Lord Shuttleworth KG KCVO 2016
20-(1008) Sir David Brewer KG CMG CVO JP 2016
21-(1010) Lady Mary Fagan LG DCVO JP 2018
22-(1011) The Viscount Brookeborough KG 2018
23 Vacant
24 Vacant
The number in brackets is the individual's placing in the list of appointments to the Garter. HRH The Duke of Cambridge was number 1,000. The year at the end of each entry is the year of their appointment. It will be noted that, although her Majesty appointed two new Garters (Lady Fagan and Viscount Brookeborough) this year, done on St George's Day 23rd April, there are still two vacant positions.
As well as The Queen (who is Sovereign of the Order) and The Prince of Wales (who also automatically gains appointment on acceding to the title) the Royal Knights and Ladies (either called Extra or Stranger) are as follows:
The Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT, OM, GCVO, ONZ, GBE, AK, QSO, GCL, CC, CMM, CD, PC, PC (Can), ADC(P) 1947
The Duke of Kent, KG, GCMG, GCVO, CD, ADC(P) 1985
The Princess Royal, KG, KT, GCVO, QSO, CD[1] 1994
The Duke of Gloucester, KG, GCVO, SSI, GCStJ 1996
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, KG, GCVO, CD[1] 2003
The Duke of York, KG, GCVO, CD, ADC(P) 2006
The Earl of Wessex, KG, GCVO, CD, ADC(P) 2006
The Duke of Cambridge, KG, KT, PC, ADC(P) 2008
Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, KG 1972
The Queen of Denmark, LG, GCVO 1979
The King of Sweden, KG, GCVO 1983
King Juan Carlos I of Spain, KG 1988
Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, LG, GCVO 1989
The Emperor of Japan, KG, GCVO 1998
The King of Norway, KG, GCVO 2001 81
The King of Spain, KG, GCVO 2017
It is under these banners that Harry and Meghan will marry.
The one question remains HRH Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands. On abdication her Coat of Arms reverted to her personal Arms before her accession, as did her title. However, all photographs show her banner as still carrying the Arms of a Dutch monarch which she held at the time of her appointment but which are now technically her son's. Has or will HRH's banner be changed accordingly? And if The King of the Netherlands makes a state visit in the lifetime of his mother, will there be two Dutch banners the same?
And when he is installed next month, will the present King of Spain's banner be the same as his father's who is also still a knight...