Information

Form of address

The correct form of address for a Knight Bachelor is, for example, 'Sir John Smith' and his wife is 'Lady Smith' (no first name is used, although occasionally ladies place their first name in brackets in less formal lists e.g. 'Lady (Jane) Smith'. 'Jane, Lady Smith' is the normal style for divorced wives of Knights Bachelor).

Knights Bachelor have the title Sir but do not have post nominal letters, in the way that the Knights of the Orders have: a Knight of the Garter has the post-nominal letters 'KG', a Knight of the Thistle 'KT', a Knight of the Bath 'KCB', a Knight of St Michael & St George 'KCMG', a Knight of the Royal Victorian Order 'KCVO', and a Knight of the British Empire 'KBE'. Although, over historical time, Knights Bachelor are found in records that show their name followed by 'Kt' or 'Knt', these have never been official post nominals; and as 'Kt' is too easily mistaken for the 'KT' of a Knight of the Order of the Thistle, official guidance is for Knights Bachelor to avoid the possibility of such confusion. Further information on the Orders can be found here: Orders, Decorations and Medals

Membership

The Society offers Life and Annual Membership to Knights Bachelor. Full details may be obtained from The Clerk, The Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor, Magnesia House, 6 Playhouse Yard, London, EC4V 5EX. Telephone: 020 7248 1725. Email: info@iskb.co.uk

Membership worldwide

There are Knights Bachelor resident throughout the world, and many are members of the Society. While Canada, Australia and New Zealand are members of the Commonwealth, they have their own Honours systems and therefore no longer create Knights Bachelor.

Activities

The Society holds an Annual Service of Dedication in the Knights’ Chapel in the Crypt of St Paul’s, and following the Service we have an Annual Reception in a nearby livery hall.

HM Queen Elizabeth II honoured the Society by her presence at our Centenary Service in 2008, and other Members of the Royal Family, including HRH The Princess Royal, HRH The Duchess of Gloucester, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, HRH Princess Michael of Kent, and HRH Princess Alexandra, have attended Society events.

Every year we hold four luncheons, each with a speaker, and periodically hold banquets and dinners that commemorate significant national anniversaries.

The Society holds an annual carol service in the King's Chapel of the Savoy.

The Society in Scotland

In 1989 a division in Scotland was established under the chairmanship of Sir Maxwell Harper Gow. This thrives today under the chairmanship of Sir Michael Hirst, with an annual Knights' Dinner and Ladies’ Luncheon, raising funds for the Imperial Society and promoting fellowship amongst those and their families north of the border.