King Charles makes new appointments to Order of The Garter ahead of coronation - who are they and what is it?

King Charles is set to be officially crowned inside Westminster Abbey in two weeks time as the coronation takes place on Saturday, May 6. It will be the first coronation in the UK since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Ahead of the coronation, King Charles has made two new appointments to the Order of The Garter. The King has confirmed the Right Honourable the Baroness Ashton of Upholland GCMG will be a Lady Companion, while the Right Honourable the Lord Patten of Barnes CH will be a Knight companion.

A tweet from the Royal Family Twitter account, said: “The King has appointed the Right Honourable the Baroness Ashton of Upholland GCMG to be a Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and the Right Honourable the Lord Patten of Barnes CH to be a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.”

What is the Order of The Garter?

The Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George Cross.

Today, the Order includes The King, who is Sovereign of the Garter, several senior members of the royal family, and twenty-four knights chosen in recognition of their work. Knights of the Garter are chosen personally by the Sovereign to honour those who have held public office, who have contributed in a particular way to national life or who have served the Sovereign personally. In the past they have included former Prime Ministers Sir John Major and Sir Winston Churchill.