His Royal Highness Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales, KG, KT, GCB, OM, AK, QSO, PC, ADC, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. Click here to read about The Prince of Wales's titles, or read about His Royal Highness's honours below.
Knight of the Garter (KG)
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded by Edward III in 1348, is the senior British Order of Chivalry. The Prince of Wales automatically became a KG when he became Prince of Wales in 1958, but was not installed until 17 June 1968, at Windsor Castle.
Knight of the Thistle (KT)
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is Scotland's highest honour and is second in precedence to the Garter. Its origins are uncertain, but its legendary status was recognised when it was revived in 1687 by James II (James VII of Scotland). The Prince is among current royal Knights and Ladies of the Thistle - under his title as Duke of Rothesay; he was installed in 1977.
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is the premier meritorious Order of the Crown, mainly given to officers of the armed services together with a small number of civil servants. It was founded by George I in 1725. The Prince was installed as Great Master on 28 May 1975.
Order of Merit (OM)
This is a relatively modern Order, and is one of the most coveted of British distinctions. The Order is restricted to 24 members (as well as additional foreign recipients). As with the Royal Victorian Order, the Order of Merit is in the sole gift of the Sovereign but carries no rank apart from the initials OM after the name. The Prince of Wales was awarded the Order of Merit on 26 June 2002.
Knight of the Order of Australia (AK)
The Order was instituted by The Queen in 1975 on the advice of her Australian ministers, and The Prince was installed in 1981.
Companion of the Queen's Service Order (QSO)
The Order was instituted by The Queen in 1975 on the advice of her New Zealand ministers, and The Prince was installed in 1983.
Privy Counsellor (PC)
References to a Privy Council of senior advisers to the Sovereign date back to the 14th Century, though such advisers had been close to kings long before that. Today Privy Counsellors include all members of the Cabinet, other senior ministers, leaders of opposition parties, Lords Justice of Appeal, and the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. Some members are also drawn from the Commonwealth. The appointment is for life, but under modern convention only members of the Government are normally summoned to meetings, together with new Privy Counsellors who have to take part in a short ceremony involving swearing an oath of allegiance and kissing of The Queen's hand. Should there be a need for The Privy Council to meet in The Queen's absence, Her Majesty, by Letters Patent, creates senior members of the Royal Family Councillors of State, enabling them to represent her in summoning a Privy Council meeting.
Aide-de-Camp (ADC)
Queen Victoria instituted the appointment of a small group of personal Aide-de-Camp (ADC) positions, an honorary appointment with few duties. The Prince is one of The Queen's personal ADCs. Principal ADC, an office held by some high-ranking officers in the armed services, carries duties including attendance on The Queen at the State Opening of Parliament. Other ADCs, rarely asked to perform any duties, are chosen from the Armed Services.
Medals
The Prince of Wales has a number of medals that he often wears on the left for ceremonial and military occasions. They are:
The Queen's Service Order (New Zealand) awarded 1983 - Instituted on 13th March 1975, this order is to recognize valuable voluntary service to the community and meritorious and faithful public services, both in a civilian capacity.
Coronation Medal – This was awarded in 1953 to commemorate The Queen's Coronation.
Silver Jubilee Medal – This was awarded in 1977 to commemorate The Queen's 25 years on the Throne. This is known as a Silver Jubilee.
Golden Jubilee Medal – This was awarded in 2002 to commemorate The Queen's 50 years on the Throne. This is known as a Golden Jubilee.
Canadian Forces Decoration – This was awarded in 2002. The Prince has a number of special relationships with Canadian regiments.
The New Zealand Commemorative Medal – These medals were only awarded in 1990 and marks The Prince's special relationship with New Zealand.
Diamond Jubilee Medal - This was awarded in 2012 to commemorate The Queen's 60 year on the Throne. This is know as a Diamond Jubilee.
