The King and The Prince of Wales attend a service for The Order of the Bath at Westminster Abbey

HM The King and HRH The Prince of Wales attended a service for The Most Honourable Order of the Bath at Westminster Abbey on Friday 16th May 2025. The King is Sovereign of the Order and the Prince of Wales was installed as its Great Master during the ceremony.

The Order of the Bath is a special Order of Knights which recognises the work of senior military officials and civil servants. It was established by Letters Patent of George I on 18 May 1725, making this its 300th anniversary year. 

However, the Order was a revival of a much older custom dating as far back as the eighth century when soldiers prepared to receive their knighthood by taking a ritual bath, symbolic of spiritual purification. 

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