Priory of England & Wales
Service of Investiture & Commemoration
at St Magnus-the-Martyr, London on Saturday 12 October 2024
Across the Templar world each October Templars commemorate the events which began on the morning of Friday 13th October 1307. King Philip IV of France ordered the simultaneous arrests of Templar Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, and scores of other French Templars. Of the 138 Templars (many of them older members) questioned in Paris over the next few years, 105 of them "confessed" – under torture – to a range of alleged improper actions. Then they were put to death.
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a French military order of the Catholic faith, and one of the wealthiest and most popular military orders in Western Christianity. They were founded c. 1119 to defend pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem, with their headquarters located there on the Temple Mount, and existed for nearly two centuries during the Middle Ages.
Officially endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church by such decrees as the papal bull Omne datum optimum of Pope Innocent II, the Templars became a favoured charity throughout Christendom and grew rapidly in membership and power. The Templar Knights, in their distinctive white mantles with a red cross, were among the most skilled fighting units of the Crusades.
This year the Annual Service was again held at St Magnus the Martyr Church which stands at the head of the old London Bridge in the City of London. It was Sir Christopher Wren’s most expensive parish church and the first to be visited by all those crossing into the City over the Thames. The church is dedicated to St Magnus, the Martyr. The first son of Erlend Thorfinnsson, he was Earl of Orkney from 1105 – 1114. As a result of conflicts over the control of the Orkneys, King Magnus of Norway invaded and created his son overlord of the isles. He then set out on a raiding expedition taking 18 year old St Magnus with him along the west coast of Scotland and into the Irish Sea. Magnus refused to fight in a Viking raid in Anglesey, Wales, because of his religious convictions, and instead stayed on his ship during the Battle of Menai Straits, singing psalms. He eventually jumped ship and swam to the the Scottish shore. Some years later Magnus was granted his share in the earldom of Orkney by King Hakon of Norway and began with good relationships with his cousin Sigurd with whom he shared the earldom. But the relationship broke down and in an attempt to settle the disputes it was agreed to meet on the Ilse of Egilsay with King Hakon of Norway. Magnus was first to arrive but later in the day he saw a the Kings fleet of eight ships approaching. He went into hiding but was found and brought before an assembly of local chiefs who demanded that one of the earls should die. Eventually Magnus was executed by Sigurd’s cook Lilof.
Service of Admission& Commemoration
at St Magnus-the-Martyr, London on Saturday 14 October 2023
Across the Templar world each October Templars commemorate the events which began on the morning of Friday 13th October 1307. Philippe le Fair, King of France, launched his surprise attack, which would lead to the arrest of Grand Master Jacques de Molay and a large portion of the Templar Knights in his kingdom. Not less than 620 Knights Templar were captured that day in France. Some of them would end up that same day on the stake, others would be questioned, with all the means that Philippe had at his disposal. The arrests ushered in a bloody period of torture, forced confessions, and mass executions.
Historically GPUK has endeavoured to mark this historic event with our own Commemoration Service. This year’s event was hosted by the Priory of England & Wales and took place in St Magnus-the-Martyr at Monument in the shadow of London Bridge. At the service, OSMTH Grand Commander George MacLean read out the names of our departed members and friends of the Grand Priory, as our own contemporary knights and dames who had served God faithfully during life, and we prayed that they had been duly welcomed into His heavenly presence. After each name the bell was rung and then a minutes silence held.
Over thirty attended the Service which was led by Fr Kevin Bell who reminded us of the purpose of the service and gave an inspiring sermon on the impact and realities of the current situation in the Holy Land. We also admitted a new Novice into the Order, adding a welcome female voice to our Priory.
Service of Admission, Investiture & Promotion
at St Magnus-the-Martyr, London on Saturday 10 September 2022
The annual service, hosted by the Priory of England & Wales, was held in the magnificent church of St Magnus-the-Martyr. The church stands at the head of the old London Bridge in the City of London. It was Sir Christopher Wren’s most expensive parish church and the first to be visited by all those crossing into the City.
Templars from the Priory of England & Wales; the Commandery of Scotland; and the Military Commandery of St James the Greater were joined by international guests from Ordem dos Pobres Cavaleiros do Templo de Jerusalém, Portugal.
During the service two postulants were admitted as novices within the Order; six new knights and one dame received the accolade from the Grand Prior; and two knights were promoted to the rank of Commander of the Temple of Jerusalem.
In the evening members attended a dinner, hosted by the Military Commandery of St James the Greater, in the Battle of Britain Suite at the Royal Air Force Club in Piccadilly, London.
OSMTH Grand Master I
The Grand Priory of Serbia posthumously awarded to Major General Sir Roy Redgrave KBE MC GCTJ the Golden Order with a crown on the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Order in the Republic of Serbia.
Roy Redgrave was born on 16th September 1925 in Bucharest, Romania. During the Second World War, Roy Redgrave served as an armoured car troop commander, winning his Military Cross in 1945 for a daring rescue of one his men under enemy fire. He would go on to have an outstanding military career. After his retirement from the army in 1980, Sir Roy Redgrave was appointed a knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, by our late Queen Elizabeth II, in recognition of his distinguished military service.
In retirement, Sir Roy Redgrave became a member of our Order. At this time, there was a growing desire among a number of the Member Grand Priories of the OSMTH Regency for a more democratic, accountable, and financially transparent governance structure for the international Order. Sir Roy Redgrave was instrumental in organising an International Council Meeting in London in June 1995. As a consequence, the next International Council Meeting held in Salzburg, Austria, in November 1995 started a process of separation from the OSMTH Regency, with Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Esposito being elected as President, and Sir Roy Redgrave as Vice President of the emerging OSMTH “Atlantic Obedience” as our international association was then known.
A further International Council Meeting was convened in Salzburg in November 1996. During this meeting the governing Statutes of our OSMTH were adopted by the Member Grand Priories. Sir Roy Redgrave was the first OSMTH Grand Commander elected under these new Statutes. Two years later, Sir Roy was elected as the interim Grand Master of our Order at a Grand Magistral Council Meeting held in Turku, Finland, in July 1998. Sir Roy Redgrave stood down as OSMTH Grand Master after the Grand Magistral Council Meeting held in Moenchengladbach, Germany, in October 2004, but he continued to take a close interest in our Order and to attend events with his wife, Lady Valerie.
Sir Roy died on 3rd July 2011, and his tenure as Grand Master of our Order was mentioned in his obituary in both the Times and the Telegraph newspapers.