Order of the Thistle

The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry, associated with Scotland. Its original date of founding is unknown. James VII (also King of England as James II) created the modern Order in 1687. The Order is the Sovereign and sixteen Knights and Ladies, as well as certain "extra" knights (members of the British and foreign royal families). The Sovereign decides who is to be a member. He or she is not advised by the Government, as occurs with most other Orders. The sixteen members are required to be Scottish-born, but the "extra" knights and ladies are not.

The Order's main emblems are the thistle, the national flower of Scotland, and Saint Andrew holding a saltire (X shaped cross). The motto is Nemo me impune lacessit (Latin for "No one provokes me with impunity");^[1] the same motto is also on the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom for use in Scotland and on some pound coins. St Andrew is also the patron saint of the Order.

Most British orders of chivalry cover all of the United Kingdom, but the three most most senior ones each cover only one constituent country . The Order of the Thistle, which covers to Scotland, is the second-most senior in precedence. Its equivalent in England, The Most Noble Order of the Garter, is the oldest order of chivalry in the United Kingdom, dating to the middle fourteenth century. In 1783 an Irish order, The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, was founded; but since the independence of the Republic of Ireland the Order has fallen dormant. The last new knight was made in 1927, and the last surviving Knight of St Patrick died in 1974.

1. ↑ 1687 Statutes, quoted in Statutes (1987), p6