 Most British orders of chivalry cover the entire kingdom , but the three most exalted ones each pertain to one constituent nation only . The Order of St Patrick , which pertains to Ireland , is the most junior of these three in precedence and age . Its equivalent in England , The Most Noble Order of the Garter , is the oldest order of chivalry in the United Kingdom , dating to the middle fourteenth century . The Scottish equivalent is The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle , dating in its modern form to 1687 . 
