> > The Order of the Garter was known as "The
> Most Noble and Honorable Knightly Order of
> St. George" until 1349. The modern name
> actually refers to a minor scandal involving the
> Prince of Wales of the day (later Richard II).
> The Order of the Garter, incidentally, is the
> highest ranking knighthood the British Crown
> can award.
>
> And can anyone attain this honor, or only the
> eldest son of the reigning king? If anyone,
> what would one have to do or accomplish to
> receive it?

Well, earning any kind of knighthood is difficult, and there's no set criteria that you would need to pass, but theoretically, anyone can become a Knight of the Garter, or a Grand Knight of the Garter. Grand Cross Knight of the Garter, however, is a singular honour only bestowed upon the Heir Apparent. Grand Cross Knights in other orders are few, but not singular.

The most likely thing you can do to earn a knighthood is to join the Civil Service where they get handed out like long service pins, but every year people get them for working 30 years as a crossing guard, or teacher and being nominated by others.

While non-Brits can be awarded a British Knighthood (Ronald Reagan, for example), they would not be allowed to add "sir" to their name.

> > As for strange names for knightly orders, the
> Danish Order of the Elephant, or the
> Hungarian Order of the Copperpot?
>
> I don't suppose you'd want to offer some sort
> of explanation for *those*. :oP They certainly
> conjure up some fascinating visual imagery.
> Danes riding elephants? Hungarians wearing
> copper pots for helmets? Who knows?

If I knew, I'd love to tell you :)

> > 101 years old, August just gone. So far she's
> got something like 6 artificial hips :)
>
> A centenarian, then. I wonder if she got to talk
> to Willard Scott on Good Morning America
> when she turned 100?

I don't believe she did. Her birthday celebrations were rather extravagant, and I don't think they left time for a transatlantic interview.

Every British citizen who turns 100 gets a birthday card from the Queen (it used to be a telegram), and as a formality, the Queen Mother also recieved one. I'm sure she also recieved a less formal card from her daughter as well though.

winter"I'll have to start looking up the answers, if these questions get any more obscure"mute