Editing Order of the Garter (section)

===Members===
Membership in the Order is strictly limited and includes the Monarch, the [[Prince of Wales]], not more than 24 Companion members, and various [[wikt:supernumerary|supernumerary]] members. The monarch alone decides who is appointed.<ref name="PN">{{Cite web |last=Gay |first=Oonagh |date=20 March 2006 |url=http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/notes/snpc-02832.pdf |title=Honours Standard Note: SN/PC/2832 |publisher=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom|United Kingdom Parliament]] |access-date=7 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016235112/http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/notes/snpc-02832.pdf |archive-date=16 October 2006}}</ref> The monarch is known as the ''Sovereign of the Garter'', and the Prince of Wales is known as a ''Royal Knight Companion of the Garter''.<ref name="SGC2">{{cite web |url=http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/royal-connection/orders-of-chivalry.html |title=College of St George – Windsor Castle – Orders of Chivalry |publisher=College of St George – Windsor Castle |access-date=4 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100219220802/http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/royal-connection/orders-of-chivalry.html |archive-date=19 February 2010 }}</ref>

Male members of the Order are titled "Knights Companion" and female members are called "Ladies Companion". Formerly, the sovereign filled vacancies upon the nomination of the members. Each member would nominate nine candidates, of whom three had to have the rank of [[earl]] or higher, three the rank of [[baron]] or higher, and three the rank of [[knight]] or higher. The sovereign would choose as many nominees as were necessary to fill any vacancies in the order. They were not obliged to choose those who received the most nominations. Candidates were last nominated in 1860, and appointments have since been made by the sovereign acting alone, with no prior nominations. The statutes prescribing the former procedure were not amended, however, until 1953.<ref>{{harvnb|Begent|Chesshyre|1999|p=198}}</ref>

From the 18th century, the sovereign made their choices on the advice of the [[Government of the United Kingdom|government]]. In 1946, with the agreement of [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Clement Attlee]] and [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Opposition Leader]] [[Winston Churchill]], membership of Great Britain's highest ranking orders of chivalry (the Order of the Garter, the [[Order of the Thistle]] and the dormant [[Order of St Patrick]]) became a personal gift of the Sovereign once again.<ref name="RH2"/> Thus, the sovereign personally selects Knights and Ladies Companion of the Garter, without political influence.<ref name="SC">{{Cite web |date=13 July 2004 |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmpubadm/212/21204.htm |title=Select Committee on Public Administration Fifth Report |publisher=UK Parliament |access-date=8 November 2006 |archive-date=23 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061123161341/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmpubadm/212/21204.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Appointments are typically announced on [[Saint George's Day]] (23 April).<ref name="RH2"/>