The King and the Prince of Wales will attend the Order of the Bath Service at Westminster Abbey this Friday, marking the Order's 300th anniversary year.
This will be a rare Royal Family first for the King as it will be his first service as Sovereign of the ancient order.
The ceremony on 16th May 2025 continues a tradition established in 1725 by Letters Patent of George I.
The Prince of Wales will be installed as Great Master of the Order during the ceremony.
The King and the Prince of Wales will attend the Order of the Bath Service at Westminster Abbey this Friday, marking the Order's 300th anniversary year.
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The service will include the oath taking and installation of five Knights.
Members of the Order of the Bath today include military officers and senior civil servants.
His Majesty was previously installed as Great Master by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975.
The King and the Prince of Wales will be received at the Great West Door of the Abbey before joining the procession.
His Majesty was previously installed as Great Master by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975.
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They will process with the Officers and Knights and Dame Grand Cross through the church.
Both royals will take their seats in the Quire during the ceremony.
Charles and William will later process to the Henry VII Lady Chapel for the Installation ceremonies.
The Service for the Order of the Bath takes place every four years, with the Sovereign traditionally attending every other service.
Charles and William will later process to the Henry VII Lady Chapel for the Installation ceremonies.
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The Prince of Wales, as Great Master, attends each service.
The King, as Prince of Wales, last attended in 2022.
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath was established by Letters Patent of George I on 18th May 1725.
The Order is a revival of an older custom dating back to medieval times when part of the ceremony of knighthood included a ritual bath.
The King, as Prince of Wales, last attended in 2022.
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This symbolic bath represented spiritual purification and included a vigil the night before receiving the honour.
The order consists of three classes of members: Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCB), Knight or Dame Commander (KCB/DCB) and Companion (CB).
Women were admitted to the Order in 1971, marking a significant change in its long history.
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, became the first Dame Grand Cross.
The Dean of Westminster serves as Dean of the Order in perpetuity, with King Henry VII's Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey designated as the Chapel of the Order.
