Royal arms of England in the context of "Duke of Southampton"

The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by King Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, it is outranked in precedence only by the decorations of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross. The Order of the Garter is dedicated to the image and arms of Saint George, England's patron saint.

Appointments are at the Sovereign's sole discretion, typically made in recognition of national contribution, service to the Crown, or for distinguished personal service to the Monarch. Membership of the order is limited to the sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and no more than 24 living members, or Companions. The order also includes Supernumerary Knights and Ladies (e.g., members of the British royal family and foreign monarchs).

Beatus vir (Ecclesiastical Latin: [beˈatus ˈvir]; "Blessed is the man ...") are the first words in the Latin Vulgate Bible of both Psalm 1 and Psalm 112 (in the general modern numbering; it is Psalm 111 in the Greek Septuagint and the Vulgate). In each case, the words are used to refer to frequent and significant uses of these psalms in art, although the two psalms are prominent in different fields, art in the case of Psalm 1 and music in the case of Psalm 112. In psalter manuscripts, the initial letter B of Beatus is often rendered prominently as a Beatus initial.

Altogether the phrase occurs 14 times in the Vulgate text, eight times in the Book of Psalms, and four times in the rest of the Old Testament, but no uses in the New Testament.

Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester (7 January 1355 – 8 or 9 September 1397) was the fifth surviving son and youngest child of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. He led the rebellion of the Lords Appellant against his nephew, King Richard II, in 1388. In 1397, he was accused of treason and imprisoned; while awaiting trial, he was assassinated, presumably on Richard's orders.