Chair of Council receives top royal honour

Imperial's Chair of Council Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller has been appointed formally to the Order of the Garter.

Baroness Manningham-Buller, who previously served as the Director General of MI5, was installed as a Lady of the Order of the Garter at the annual garter service yesterday at Windsor Castle.

The Order of the Garter is the most senior and the oldest British Order of Chivalry and the most prestigious honour after the Victoria Cross and George Cross in the United Kingdom.

Badge of the Order of the Garter

The Order is bestowed upon its recipients at The Queen's pleasure as her personal gift and honours those who have held public office, who have contributed in a particular way to national life or who have served the Sovereign personally, with the number of members capped at 24. Baroness Manningham-Buller’s appointment was announced on St George’s Day this year.

Yesterday’s ceremony saw the knights process to a service in St George's Chapel at the Castle, wearing their blue velvet robes with the badge of the Order on the left shoulder and black velvet hats with white plumes. 

During the Middle Ages women were associated with the Order but did not enjoy full membership. In 1987 The Queen decided that women should be eligible for the Garter in the same way as men. Following the death of Lady Soames (the youngest daughter of Sir Winston Churchill) in May 2014, Baroness Manningham-Buller is the only woman to currently hold the honour outside the Royal Family.

Baroness Manningham-Buller became Chair of Imperial’s Council, the College’s governing body, in July 2011 – having joined the Council in 2009. The Baroness also sits the cross benches in the House of Lords, and is a Governor of the Wellcome Trust.