A concise introduction to the insignia worn by members of British Orders of Knighthood and Chivalry.

These Orders have existed since the early Middle Ages and were initially intended to unite important noblemen in bonds of loyalty to their monarch or to act as impressive rewards for their services.

They have survived into modern times as a means of rewarding people of all classes and occupations for their contribution at international, national or local levels. Peter Duckers introduces the insignia of such orders, ranging from the 'Great Orders' of the Garter and the Thistle, to the Order of the British Empire.