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

Example Sentences

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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

The crown jewels will be presented to the King by the Very Reverend Prof David Fergusson, Dean of the Chapel Royal and Dean of the Order of the Thistle.

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2023

And the Honours of Scotland will be presented to the King by the Very Reverend Prof David Fergusson, Dean of the Chapel Royal and Dean of the Order of the Thistle.

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2023

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

In April, 1697, Lord Mar was chosen a privy councillor; and shortly afterwards invested with the Order of the Thistle; and the command of a company of foot bestowed upon him.

From Memoirs of the Jacobites of 1715 and 1745. Volume I. by Thomson, Mrs.

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