The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick is a British order of chivalry associated with Ireland. The Order was created in 1783 by King George III at the instigation of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, The 3rd Earl Temple (1753–1813; created The 1st Marquess of Buckingham in 1784). The regular creation of knights of St Patrick lasted until 1921, when most of Ireland became independent as the Irish Free State. While the Order technically still exists, no knight of St Patrick has been created since 1936, and the last surviving knight, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, died in 1974. King Charles III, however, remains the Sovereign of the Order. Prior to 1943, the position of herald of the order was held by the Ulster King of Arms; since 1943, it has been held by the combined Norroy and Ulster King of Arms. Saint Patrick is patron of the order; its motto is Quis separabit?, Latin for "Who will separate us?": an allusion to the Vulgate translation of Romans 8:35, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"According to Galloway (pp 171–2), the motto was borrowed from the Order of the Friendly Brothers of St Patrick, but was also appropriate politically in expressing a desire for unity
The first appointments were made on 11 March 1783, and consisted of 15 Knight Founders, and in total there have been 145 appointments. The original Royal Warrant (dated 5 February 1783) specified that there were to be no more than fifteen knights of the Order at any one time, something that changed in 1821 when George IV appointed an extra six knights (although the royal warrant was not altered to reflect this change until 1830). William IV appointed an additional four knights at his coronation, and on 24 January 1833 increased the maximum number of knights to 22.
Date Image Name Born/Died Notes 2 November 1767 – 23 January 1820Knight Founder; later Duke of Kent and Strathearn 13 March 1749 – 20 October 1804Knight Founder 8 January 1742 – 8 December 1797Knight Founder; Later Marquess of Clanricarde April 1714 – 7 September 1790Knight Founder 1726 – 10 February 1808Knight Founder; Later Marquess of Thomond 29 June 1730 – 22 December 1822Knight Founder; Later Marquess of Drogheda 8 January 1735 – 3 December 1800Knight Founder; Later Marquess of Waterford 30 January 1727 – 20 May 1807Knight Founder 23 August 1730 – 6 February 1798Knight Founder 20 June 1760 – 26 September 1842Knight Founder; Later Marquess Wellesley, resigned to become a member of the Order of the Garter 25 July 1734 – 8 October 1809Knight Founder 28 May 1731 – 30 March 1810Knight Founder 18 August 1728 – 4 August 1799Knight Founder 20 October 1724 – 14 February 1795 Knight Founder 18 November 1709 – 8 May 1783Knight Founder 12 August 1751 – 7 April 1828Later Earl of Carysfort 23 January 1738 – 22 March 1806Later Marquess of Ely 5 August 1722 – 30 September 1806 5 February 1770 – 10 August 1820Later Marquess of Ormonde 6 November 1745 – 9 November 1813 11 June 1756 – 2 January 1809Later Marquess of Sligo 26 December 1766 – 28 December 1832Later Marquess Conyngham 23 May 1772 – 16 July 1826 18 November 1757 – 23 October 1829 26 October 1756 – 29 June 1820 15 February 1770 – 23 September 1845 8 August 1771 – 22 April 1842 22 January 1779 – 25 March 1841 1765 – 21 August 1846 18 May 1788 – 26 January 1845 23 March 1768 – 31 March 1840 14 May 1774 – 24 May 1835 5 June 1771 – 18 November 1851Later Ernest Augustus I, King of Hanover 14 August 1769 – 5 October 1844 14 December 1777 – 8 April 1839Former Governor of the Cape Colony 25 April 1777 – 10 January 1849Resigned to accept membership in the Order of the Garter 15 July 1777 – 18 May 1838Later Marquess of Ormonde 9 April 1772 – 15 March 1851Custos Rotulorum of County Wicklow 9 September 1759 – 30 July 1836 First Catholic appointed 15 August 1765 – 15 June 1835Captain of the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners 27 October 1788 – 20 March 1870Vice-Chamberlain of the Household 20 December 1802 – 10 April 1874Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard 3 January 1775 – 26 December 1863 8 October 1788 – 12 April 1845Lord Lieutenant of Down 20 January 1768 – 12 March 1833 11 June 1797 – 17 July 1876Former Master of the Robes 9 May 1768 – 31 December 1854Lord Lieutenant of Leitrim 1787 – 14 September 1851Lord Lieutenant of Tipperary 21 October 1767 – 30 June 1856 16 August 1803 – 4 February 1874 25 February 1777 – 29 February 1860 4 May 1787 – 6 December 1870Lord-Lieutenant of County Cavan 22 September 1801 – 3 February 1856 11 February 1799 – 31 January 1866 23 November 1801 – 25 June 1884 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861 13 February 1791 – 22 March 1869Lord Lieutenant of Wicklow 17 June 1800 – 31 October 1867Lord Lieutenant of King's County 26 April 1811 – 29 March 1859 10 July 1792 – 18 August 1851 24 August 1808 – 25 September 1854 9 August 1799 – 20 August 1868 29 March 1791 – 21 April 1869 30 November 1812 – 28 April 1863 26 March 1819 – 17 March 1904 9 March 1787 – 2 June 1856Lord Lieutenant of County Wexford 7 September 1817 – 11 May 1897Later Earl of Dartrey 20 August 1806 – 15 June 1864 7 July 1805 – 25 November 1872Lord Lieutenant of Down and former Vice-Chamberlain of the Household 5 August 1833 – 25 August 1889Lord Lieutenant of Leitrim 3 November 1779 – 2 March 1869Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards (The Blues) 10 February 1797 – 20 October 1883Lord Lieutenant of Antrim and former Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard 6 August 1812 – 6 August 1868 19 April 1829 – 22 June 1904 21 June 1826 – 12 February 1902Later Marquess of Dufferin and Ava 10 April 1831 – 15 January 1882Lord Lieutenant of Armagh 6 October 1820 – 12 January 1892Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone 19 May 1812 – 6 October 1871Lord Lieutenant of Limerick 14 August 1825 – 29 June 1892 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910Later Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom 21 May 1844 – 23 October 1895 30 July 1802 – 3 October 1885Lord Lieutenant of Fermanagh 21 February 1822 – 8 February 1872Governor-General of India 1 May 1850 – 16 January 1942Later Duke of Connaught and Strathearn 14 September 1824 – 18 May 1872Former Comptroller of the Household 2 August 1841 – 11 April 1922 13 October 1836 – 5 June 1904 6 April 1836 – 26 April 1878Lord Lieutenant of Leitrim 28 January 1818 – 8 September 1881Lord Lieutenant of Wexford 16 May 1825 – 9 February 1905Lord Lieutenant of Kerry and former Comptroller of the Household 29 May 1833 – 5 June 1924 18 January 1836 – 4 September 1909 26 April 1821 – 5 November 1884 12 February 1841 – 14 June 1926 15 October 1823 – 21 March 1890 5 September 1822 – 1 March 1889 6 August 1844 – 30 July 1900Later Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha 29 May 1812 – 1 February 1885Former Lord Chancellor of Ireland 18 January 1823 – 30 January 1898Later Baron Clermont 1827–1909 26 September 1829 – 17 March 1888Former Lord Lieutenant of Longford 31 May 1849 – 24 December 1926 4 June 1833 – 25 March 1913Adjutant-General to the Forces 1 November 1822 – 22 July 1894Lord Lieutenant of Meath 8 January 1864 – 14 January 1892Later Duke of Clarence and Avondale 5 October 1844 – 26 October 1919Lord Lieutenant of Kilkenny 16 October 1839 – 2 December 1914Lord Lieutenant of Fermanagh 9 October 1835 – 30 May 1890Lord Lieutenant of Wicklow 2 August 1842 – 28 July 1915 17 November 1840 – 30 August 1908Chancellor of the University of Dublin 11 October 1823 – 16 November 1902Colonel of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards 17 January 1840 – 8 August 1896Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard 14 May 1839 – 8 April 1900Lord Lieutenant of Clare 21 October 1839 – 14 July 1900Former Vice-Chamberlain of the Household 10 November 1847 – 7 October 1927Later Earl of Iveagh 11 July 1846 – 27 April 1898 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936Later George V, King of the United Kingdom 30 September 1832 – 14 November 1914Later Earl Roberts 6 January 1839 – 14 March 1901Lord Lieutenant of Mayo 8 May 1830 – 5 June 1914 12 September 1850 – 18 May 1924Lord Lieutenant of Cork 10 March 1834 – 12 May 1917Lord Lieutenant of Galway 19 October 1864 – 21 August 1915Lord Lieutenant of Longford 28 April 1875 – 1 December 1911 21 December 1845 – 28 April 1924 11 March 1827 – 29 April 1907Colonel of the 1st Life Guards 2 July 1851 – 31 December 1927 31 July 1841 – 11 October 1929 29 July 1849 – 29 May 1937 31 May 1847 – 6 June 1924Later Viscount Pirrie 17 September 1874 – 10 September 1948 Master of the Horse 14 September 1868 – 19 December 1958 31 August 1869 – 25 March 1961 Lord Chamberlain to Queen Mary 24 June 1850 – 5 June 1916Later Earl Kitchener 1 March 1851 – 1 December 1920 Chairman of the Board of Directors of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway 2 March 1875 – 19 October 1948 Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland 16 July 1880 – 21 March 1947 Lord Lieutenant of Wicklow 14 December 1856 – 13 February 1942Later Earl of Midleton 16 October 1865 – 28 August 1946 GOC Guards Division 28 September 1852 – 22 May 1925Later Earl of Ypres 6 January 1861 – 30 June 1927 30 August 1848 – 4 November 1934 Former Director of Public Prosecutions 30 November 1869 – 12 September 1953 Governor of Northern Ireland 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972Later Edward VIII, King of the United Kingdom and, after his abdication, The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor 31 March 1900 – 10 June 1974 Last surviving knight 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952Later George VI, King of the United Kingdom
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