202

HISTORY OF THE

[INVESTITURE.

Knight-Elect kneeling, His Majesty placed the Ribband over his right shoulder,and on rising, he kissed the Sovereign’s hand, and bowing, withdrew. TheKnights having been again called over by the King of Arms, the Chapter termi-nated. This Ceremony, however, only rendered the Recipient a Knight- Elect,and he was not permitted to wear the Mantle, Star, or Collar; nor was heeligible to attend a Chapter of the Order until he was Installed.

The Statutes authorize the ceremonies of Investiture and Installation to beperformed by the Great Master; and on many occasions the Sovereign hasappointed a person to Invest a Knight-Elect, in consequence of the Knightbeing out of the Realm. No particular rule has been observed, but it isdesirable, though not absolutely necessary, that the Royal Commissioner shouldbe a Sovereign Prince, or a Knight of the Order. Numerous persons haveaccordingly been Invested by Foreign Sovereigns, and by Knights of the Bath;but as it has not always been possible to delegate the duty to Sovereigns, orto Knights of this, or of any other Order, the King’s Ambassadors or Ministersat Foreign Courts, and Governors of Colonies, Admirals, and Generals, havebeen deputed, many of whom were not even Knights Bachelors. Some otheranomalies, such, for example, as a Knight being Invested by a MahomedanPrince , 2 and a Knight of the superior class of the Bath, receiving the Ensignsfrom one of inferior degree in the same Order, have also happened . 3 A greatdifference has sometimes occurred respecting a most important part of the Cere-monial. Though the Statutes declare that a person must be a Knight Bachelorbefore he can be Invested with the Ensigns of the Bath, there are many instancesof individuals being Invested abroad, without having been previously Knighted;and in a recent, but not unprecedented case, a Knight Grand Cross wasKnighted by the Sovereign after his return to England, though he had beenpreviously Invested, and even Installed, by Dispensation , 4 which ceremony

2 Vide p. 88, antea. 3 Vide p. 187, antea.

* Sir George Villiers (now Earl of Clarendon), in June 1839, vide p. 188, antea. Sir JefferyAmherst was nominated on the 23rd of March 1761, Installed by Proxy on the 26th of May 1761, and

Invested in America on the 26th of October following, but he was Knighted by His Majesty on the30th of December 1763, “ being the first day he came to Court after coming from America.” Thesame thing occurred in the case of Sir Charles Saunders, who was nominated on the 16th, and Installedby Proxy on the 23rd of May 1761, and Invested at Gibralter on the 6th of July following; but hewas Knighted by the Sovereign on the 7th of October 1763, “ being the first day of his going to St.James’s, on his return from abroad.”—“ M 5. List of Knights,” in the College of Arms. The late SirJohn Malcolm was Installed by Dispensation on the 6th of July 1821, but he was Invested in India onthe 6th of September following. See the remarks on the subject in p. 208, postea.