Chivalry is derived from the French 'Chevalier' or knight/horseman. During the 12th to 15th Centuries it became associated with the set of virtues expected of a knight.

Britain's oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry is The Order of the Garter. Founded by Edward III in 1348, the order was intended to be reserved as the highest reward for loyalty and for military merit. The 25 founding knights had all fought in French wars and three were foreigners who had sworn allegiance to the English king.

In Scotland, The Order of the Thistle is the highest honour, second only in precedence to the Order of the Garter. Although some kind of Scottish Order of chivalry existed in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the exact date of the Origins foundation is not known.  James II (James VII of Scotland) who established the Order under new rules in 1687 - to reward Scottish peers who supported the king's political and religious aims.

A list of all the orders appears here:

• Order of the Garter
• Order of the Thistle
• Order of St Patrick
• Order of Merit
• Companions of Honour
• Order of the Bath
• Order of St Michael and St George
• Royal Victorian Order
• Order of the British Empire
• Comonwealth: Orders of Canada, Australia and New Zealand
• Royal Family Orders