On June 25, 2024, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan began their state visit to the United Kingdom. King Charles III had seen things big to honor this exceptional trip by the Japanese sovereign. King Charles III notably presented the insignia of Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter to the Emperor of Japan, who wore the star and blue ribbon for the first time, during the state banquet organized in the evening at Buckingham Palace.
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King Charles III confers the very noble Order of the Garter on Emperor Naruhito
Emperor Naruhito of Japan began his historic state visit to the United Kingdom on June 25, 2024. The Japanese sovereign is accompanied by his wife, Empress Masako. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako maintain a strong personal emotional connection to England, the country where they both studied. During his years of study at Oxford, Naruhito was able to taste a more anonymous life outside the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
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Emperor Naruhito, who succeeded his father in 2019, wanted to make the first-ever state visit of his reign to the United Kingdom, as early as 2020. The global pandemic and other circumstances, including the disappearance of Queen Elizabeth II , postponed this state visit to June 25, 2024. Naruhito had also broken Japanese protocol, – like his father had done before him for King Baudouin – by attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II , while the Japanese sovereign never attends the funeral of a foreign head of state. King Charles III, touched by the marks of affection of the Japanese sovereign, decided to honor Emperor Naruhito by accepting him into the very closed circle of knights of the Order of the Garter.
King Charles III conferred the very noble Order of the Garter on Emperor Naruhito and presented him with the insignia of this order. The Order of the Garter is the oldest order of chivalry, established in 1348 by King Edward III, and according to official protocol, its members are first in the order of precedence. The Order of the Garter is also conferred, at the sole discretion of the sovereign, unlike most honorary orders which are actually conferred on citizens at the suggestion of the government.
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Emperor Naruhito Wears Companion Knight Insignia of the Order of the Garter for the First Time at the State Banquet
The Order of the Garter can only have in its ranks 24 members called ladies and knights companions. Currently, there are still two vacant places, following the death of members. In addition to the 24 members of the order, the king can confer the order on members of his family, the number of which is not limited. Finally, there is yet another type of supernumerary members. These are foreign members. The sovereign only grants this privilege to foreign sovereigns. The last supernumerary companion knights to be appointed to the order were King Felipe VI of Spain and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. Queen Elizabeth II had them join the order in 2017 and 2018.
Emperor Naruhito was the first foreign head of state to join the Order of the Garter during the reign of Charles III. Charles III has created several “classic” companion ladies and knights since the start of his reign, and among his family members he welcomed the Duchess of Gloucester this year.
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Emperor Naruhito wore the blue ribbon of the Order of the Garter for the very first time on Tuesday evening, as he was invited to the state banquet hosted by King Charles III. It was also a first for Empress Masako, who for the first time wore the chrysanthemum tiara reserved for empresses of Japan.
The insignia of the Order of the Garter consists of a blue ribbon to be worn as a sash and a star badge to be worn at the waist. This star includes in its center a cross of Saint George, patron saint of England, surrounded by a garter on which is inscribed the motto of the order in Old French: “honi be who mal y thinks”. On Order of the Garter Day, in June, members wear all the insignia as well as the feathered coat and hat. It is possible that the emperor will attend this ceremony for the first time in the coming years in order to be officially invested. This year’s ceremony took place last week at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Emperor Naruhito joins four other emperors of Japan who have also received this honor. His father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, was received into the Order of the Garter by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998. King George V conferred this honor on Emperor Hirohito in 1929 and on Emperor Yoshihito in 1912. Finally, Emperor Meiji had been created a supernumerary companion knight of the Order of the Garter in 1905 by King Edward VII.
