88

HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF

[GRAND master.

instance of the illegal Warrant given by King Charles the First to the Marquessof Worcester), 9 it is highly improbable that the Crown will ever again delegateso much of its authority to any individual. But the powers vested in theGrand Master of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, were muchabridged after the decease of Sir Thomas Maitland; and though a Prince of theBlood Royal was his Successor, the Clause that the appointment of Knightsshould be made “through the recommendation of the Grand Master” wasomitted in the Statutes of April 1826; and except that the Grand Masterappoints the King of Arms, Secretary, and Registrar, the Office is now almostentirely Honorary.

The second Article of the Statutes of 1826, declared that “ a Prince of theBlood Royal, being a descendant of the late Princess Sophia, Electress andDuchess Dowager of Hanover, or the Lord High Commissioner in and for thesaid United States of the Ionian Islands, for the time being, or such other highand distinguished person, serving in the Naval or Military Forces of Us, OurHeirs and Successors, in the Mediterranean, as may hereafter be appointed byUs, shall be Grand Master of the said Most Distinguished Order,” with the sameduties, rights, and privileges, as were specified in the former Code; but as theDuke of Cambridge (the newly appointed Grand Master) was not likely to bein the Ionian Islands, or in Malta, it was added that all acts which the GrandMaster would perform if he were present, might be done by such person as theSovereign should appoint. * 1

The provisions in the existing Statutes respecting the Grand Master, wereadopted from those of 1826, to which a clause is added, that in the absence ofthe Grand Master from the Ionian Islands, all acts are to be performed by theLord High Commissioner, as Deputy to the Grand Master, or by such otherperson, being a Knight Grand Cross of the Order, as may be appointed bythe Sovereign. 2 The Grand Master was declared to be the First and PrincipalKnight Grand Cross ; and a Badge is assigned to the Office, namely, the Crossof a Knight Grand Cross, without the Crown, worn from the neck either to theRibband or Collar.

9 History of the Order of the Garter, Additional Notes, p. xlvi.

1 Vide p. 34, antea. 2 Art. II. vide p. 42, antea.