Arthur Delaborde
According to information from Europe 1, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron will be decorated by King Charles III on Monday. He will then be made Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. But what is it ? Europe 1 takes stock.
This is Europe 1 information. Emmanuel Macron will be decorated by King Charles III on Monday at the end of the morning at the Élysée. The French president will be made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, the third order of British chivalry, the first two being the Order of the Garter and the Order of the Thistle. But what is this order of the Bath of which the British sovereign is the grand master? Europe 1 takes stock.
Officially created in 1725 by King George I, the Order of the Bath honors servicemen and civil servants for exemplary service. Its holders, all British, can traditionally precede their name with the title “Sir”. But this prerogative does not apply to its honorary members, who are all foreigners.
Decorated French presidents
Queen Elizabeth II had established the custom of bestowing the rank of Grand Cross on heads of state during official visits. Thus, before Emmanuel Macron, his predecessors Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, and François Hollande had been decorated.
Originally, the Order of the Bath included the ritual of purification with water. But its bathing rites have been abolished since 1815. The seat of the order has not changed and remains the Henry-VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey. Its members can also request its use for weddings and baptisms.