 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2016) |
| Knight Bachelor | |
|---|---|
 The insignia of a knight bachelor devised in 1926 | |
| Awarded by Monarch of the United Kingdom | |
| Awarded for | Public service |
| Status | Currently constituted |
| Sovereign | Charles III |
| Knight Principal | Sir Gary Hickinbottom |
.svg){kind=small} Ribbon bar of the Knight Bachelor Medal | |
The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system.[1] Knights Bachelor are the most ancient sort of British knight[2] (the rank existed during the 13th-century reign of King Henry III), but Knights Bachelor rank below knights of chivalric orders. A man who is knighted is formally addressed as "Sir [First Name] [Surname]" or "Sir [First Name]" and his wife as "Lady [Surname]".
The designation "Bachelor" in this context conveys the concept of "junior in rank".[3]
- ^ "The British Honours System". www.churchill-society-london.org.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ Neave, F.G.; Turner, Grange (1930). Mozley & Whiteley's Law Dictionary (5th ed.). London: Butterworth & Co. p. 183.
- ^ "bachelor". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)