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{{short description|Title indicating a knight not part of an order of chivalry}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox order
|name=Knight Bachelor
|image=[[File:Knights Bachelor Insignia.png|Knight Bachelor insignia|120px]]
|caption=[[#Insignia|Knight Bachelor's badge]]
|awarded_by=<!--[[WP:WP:ICON]] --><br />[[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Monarch of the United Kingdom]]
|for=Public service
|head_title=Sovereign
|head=[[Charles III]]
|head2=[[Gary Hickinbottom|Sir Gary Hickinbottom]]
|head2_title=[[Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor|Knight Principal]]
|image2=[[File:Knight Bachelor Ribbon.svg|Knight Bachelor ribbon|100px]]
|caption2=[[Ribbon bar]]
}}

The title of '''Knight Bachelor''' is the basic rank granted to a man who has been [[knight]]ed by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised [[Order of chivalry|orders of chivalry]]; it is a part of the [[Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom|British honours system]].<ref name="Churchill_Society">{{Cite web|url= http://www.churchill-society-london.org.uk/HnrSystm.html|title= The British Honours System|website= www.churchill-society-london.org.uk|access-date= 2017-05-23}}</ref>

Knights Bachelor are the most ancient sort of British knight<ref>{{cite book |
last1= Neave|first1=F.G.| 
last2=Turner|first2=Grange|date=1930|
title= Mozley & Whiteley's Law Dictionary| edition=5th|
location= London|publisher= Butterworth & Co|page=183}}</ref> (the rank existed during the 13th-century reign of [[Henry III of England|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".<ref>
{{oed | bachelor}}
</ref>

==Criteria==
Knighthood is usually conferred for public service; amongst its recipients are all male judges of [[His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England]]. It is possible to be a Knight Bachelor and a junior member of an order of chivalry without being a knight of that order; this situation has become rather common, especially among those recognized for achievements in entertainment. For instance, Sir [[Michael Caine]], Sir [[Billy Connolly]], Sir [[Mo Farah]], Sir [[Michael Gambon]], Sir [[Barry Gibb]], Sir [[Anthony Hopkins]], Sir [[Derek Jacobi]], Sir [[Elton John]], Sir [[Brian May]], Sir [[Roger Daltrey]], and Sir [[Ian McKellen]] are [[Commander of The Most Excellent Order of the British Emipre|Commanders of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]] (CBE); Sir [[Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones]], Sir [[Van Morrison]], Sir [[Cliff Richard]], and Sir [[Patrick Stewart]] are [[Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|Officers of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]] (OBE); while Sir [[Nick Faldo]], Sir [[Lewis Hamilton]], Sir [[Paul McCartney]], and  Sir Richard Starkey ([[Ringo Starr]])  are [[Member of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]] (MBE). None of them would be entitled to use the honorific "Sir" by virtue of their membership of the order alone, but as they are all also Knights Bachelor, they are entitled to preface their names with that title.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

==Honorifics and post-nominal letters==
Knights Bachelor may prefix "[[Sir]]" to their forenames, and wives of Knights may prefix "Lady" to their surnames.<ref name="Churchill_Society" /><ref name="Imperial_Society_Address">{{cite web|title=Form of address|url=https://iskb.frb.io/society-today/information|publisher=Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor|access-date=17 April 2014}}</ref><ref name="Debretts_Knight_Bachelor">{{cite web|title=Knight Bachelor|url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/knight/knight-bachelor |work=Forms of address |publisher=Debrett's |access-date=17 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140405124949/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/knight/knight-bachelor |archive-date= 5 April 2014 }}</ref> The award originated in the [[Middle Ages]]. There are no [[post-nominal|post-nominal letters]] associated with the honour nor can it be awarded to women. (They are appointed [[Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire|Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] instead.)<ref name="Honours_Gov_UK">{{cite web|url=http://www.honours.gov.uk/honours/chivalry.aspx|title=Orders of Chivalry|publisher=British Government|access-date=30 August 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070819024713/http://www.honours.gov.uk/honours/chivalry.aspx|archive-date=19 August 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Insignia==
[[File:Medal, order (AM 2001.25.4-1).jpg|thumb|A type II Knight Bachelor's badge]]
Until 1926, Knights Bachelor had no specific insignia which they could wear, but in that year, [[King George V]] issued a warrant authorising the wearing of a breast badge on all appropriate occasions by Knights Bachelor.<ref name=Insignia>{{cite web |url=https://www.iskb.co.uk/insignia |title=Insignia |publisher=Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor |access-date=2024-12-28}}</ref> This badge is worn on the left side of the coat or outer garment. Measuring {{convert|2+3/8|in}} in length and {{convert|1+3/8|in}} in width, it is described in [[Heraldry|heraldic]] terms as follows:<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage 2019|publisher=Debrett's|year=2019|isbn=9781999767006|url=https://www.debretts.com/product/debretts-peerage/}}</ref> 

<blockquote>Upon an oval medallion of [[vermilion]], enclosed by a scroll a cross-hilted sword belted and sheathed, [[Hilt#Pommel|pommel]] upwards, between two spurs, [[rowel]]s upwards, the whole set about with the sword belt, all gilt.</blockquote> 

In 1973, [[Queen Elizabeth II]] issued a further warrant authorising the wearing on appropriate occasions of a [[Necklet|neck badge]] (of smaller size) and a miniature medal.<ref name=Insignia/> In 1988, a new certificate of authentication, a Knight Bachelor's only personal documentation, was designed by the [[College of Arms]].<ref name=":0" />

==Imperial society==
The [[Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor]] was founded for the maintenance and consolidation of the Dignity of Knights Bachelor in 1908, and obtained official recognition from the Sovereign in 1912. The Society keeps records of all Knights Bachelor, in their interest.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/wiki/Imperial_Society_of_Knights_Bachelor |publisher=Heraldry of the World |access-date=3 February 2021 |title=Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor |archive-date=9 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209224653/https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/wiki/Imperial_Society_of_Knights_Bachelor |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Nonequivalence==
There is no female counterpart to Knight Bachelor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Orders, Decorations and Medals |url=https://honours.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about/orders-and-medals/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=UK Honours System |language=en}}</ref> The lowest knightly honour that can be conferred upon a woman is [[Order of the British Empire|Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]] (DBE), which is one rank higher than Knight Bachelor (being the female equivalent of KBE or Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, which is the next male knightly rank above Knight Bachelor).{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}} 

Only citizens of [[Commonwealth realm]]s can be created Knights Bachelor; people of other nationalities are generally made [[Order_of_the_British_Empire#Styles_and_honorary_knighthoods|honorary]] KBEs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iskb.co.uk/history.htm|title=Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor|website=www.iskb.co.uk|access-date=2017-05-23}}</ref>

==See also==
* {{Section_link|British honours system|Knighthood}}
* [[Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood]]
* [[Knight banneret]]
* [[Lists of knights bachelor]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|auto=y|d=y}}
* [https://honours.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about/orders-and-medals/#knight Knight Bachelor] – UK Cabinet Office
* [https://www.iskb.co.uk/insignia Insignia of a Knight Bachelor] – Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor
* [https://www.gov.uk/honours/types-of-honours-and-awards The British honours system] – UK Government

{{British Honours System}}
{{Former Australian Honours}}

[[Category:Knights Bachelor| ]]
[[Category:Henry III of England]]
[[Category:Orders of chivalry]]
[[Category:Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:British knights| ]]
[[Category:High Court of Justice]]