Order of the Thistle

British

noun

Also called: the Thistle. an ancient Scottish order of knighthood revived by James VII of Scotland in 1687. It consists of the sovereign, 16 knights brethren, and extra members created by statute. It is the equivalent of the Order of the Garter, and is usually conferred on Scots

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Order of the Thistle

A dramatic image of her in the countryside at Balmoral taken by Julian Calder in 2010 shows her wearing the mantle of the Order of the Thistle and was inspired by paintings of clan chiefs.

From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2025

In Scotland, the Order of the Thistle was founded in 1687.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2022

In Scotland there is the Order of the Thistle, instituted in 1687, with the most recent appointment made in 2018.

From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2021

Then the King was admitted to Scotland's oldest order of chivalry: along with British Foreign Secretary Lord Home, he was dubbed a Knight of the Order of the Thistle.

From Time Magazine Archive

He wears the green ribbon and star of the Order of the Thistle.

From George Selwyn: His Letters and His Life by E. S. Roscoe

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023