For six hundred years, the highest honor in England has been to be made a knight of the Order of the Garter. King Edward III began this order sometime in the 1340s. Members wear a blue garter of cloth around their sleeves, on which is written “Honi soit qui mal y pense.” This is the motto of the Order of the Garter. 

Why did the best knights in England choose a garter as their symbol—and what does the motto mean? The secret of the knights is hidden back in time. You must travel back six centuries to find it, but to do so you will first have to become a knight yourself!

For six hundred years, the highest honor in England has been to be made a knight of the Order of the Garter. King Edward III began this order sometime in the 1340s. Members wear a blue garter of cloth around their sleeves, on which is written “Honi soit qui mal y pense.” This is the motto of the Order of the Garter. 

Why did the best knights in England choose a garter as their symbol—and what does the motto mean? The secret of the knights is hidden back in time. You must travel back six centuries to find it, but to do so you will first have to become a knight yourself!