Military Knights of Windsor

The Military Knights of Windsor, originally the Alms Knights and informally the Poor Knights, are retired military officers who receive a pension and accommodation at Windsor Castle, and who provide support for the Order of the Garter and for the services of St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. They are commanded by a senior retired officer as Governor of the Military Knights of Windsor.

The Alms Knights of St. George's Chapel were constituted by King Edward III following the Battle of Crécy , when many knights captured by the French were forced to liquidate their estates to raise ransom money in order to secure their release. At the original establishment of the Order of the Garter and its chapel at Windsor , veteran warriors were called to "serve God continually in prayer". In the statutes of the College of St. George's, a community of twenty-six bedesmen, called Alms Knights or Poor Knights, were appointed. Their duties included attending four services per day and praying for the sovereign and the knights of the Order of the Garter and rooms.

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