The tomb of Alice Chaucer
Alice Chaucer, Duchess of Suffolk, died in 1475 aged 71. She was buried in a large ornate tomb in St Mary’s Church, Ewelme. An effigy is a sculpture of the deceased displayed on their tomb and, as was common at the time, Alice Chaucer has two.
The first effigy shows the Duchess lying on her back wearing a long dress with a ceremonial garter around her left arm. This marks that Alice Chaucer was a Lady of the Garter due to her friendship with King Henry VI.
The Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded in 1348, which comprises of the current sovereign, up to 24 companion members and a number of other (British or foreign) royal members. Membership comes with a number of ceremonial accoutrements, including a garter.
When Queen Victoria was crowned, she became Sovereign of the Garter and at that time, apart from monarchs, there hadn’t been any Ladies of the Garter made for over 300 years. Men customarily wore the ceremonial garter around their left calf rather than their arm, so Queen Victoria didn’t know the correct way she should wear it. Duchess Chaucer’s effigy was used as a guide.
After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, the new King Edward VII decided to make another Lady of the Garter — but only his wife. In the following decades, several other women were made Ladies of the Garter, but this was not full…