Order of the Thistle
The Scottish Order of the Thistle ( The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, also called the Order of St. Andrew ) was founded in 1687.
The Age of the Baroque with its spinning tales was particularly adept in the creation of the Order, coat of arms and gender legends. So invoked by the certificate of incorporation of the Thistle Order to alleged former cooperatives of the Order, which existed already in the 8th and 9th centuries, and to a renewal in 1540 under King James V, father of Mary Stuart, the number of knights should have at 12, as many as the apostle, set and dedicated to the Order of the Apostle Andrew.
What is certain is that the King James VII renewed it on 29 May 1687 and the legend true, the number of knights on 12 and the sovereign firmly set. Queen Anne expanded the number of knights on 24, while George IV, it reduced to 16, which was confirmed in 1826 and has remained so to this day. The royal prince of the United Kingdom are born knight of the Order, have the title Royal Knights and are not counted in the number of 16, which is to include between twelve and fourteen Scots and only two Englishmen. The Ordenstag is November 30 and the monastery church of St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. The admission into the Order confers personal nobility with the title Sir. Foreigners are not admitted to the Order, the only exception for 250 years was made for the King of Norway, Olav V, which was added as an extra Knight.
The insignia of the Order of the Collar of einklassigen thistle, which consists of two enamelled elements: thistles and rue branches; Furthermore, the religious character of the Collar of ( Badge appendant ) - an image of St. Andrew in Kirchenornat holding a white enameled St. Andrew's cross in front of him and is surrounded by golden rays. In Lapel Collar of the Order of the characters on green field has a thistle of gold, which is enameled green, and red. These two, the Collar of the Order and their characters may be worn only on special Collar Days; the ordinary religious character, an oval golden sign with the St. Andrew and St. Andrew's cross, by a band with the Order motto Nemo me impune lacessit (German: "Nobody irritates me with impunity " ) are surrounded, is on a green sash from the left shoulder worn at the right hip. The Silver Star Medal, which is worn with the Collar of how the sash is, four arms, on him lies the St. Andrew's cross, carrying a round golden center medallion. The medallion shows a green enameled thistle and is surrounded by a band with the Order motto.
The rare thistle Order is in second place in the ranking of British Orders, after the Order of the Garter and Order of Saint Patrick before.