To the right of the picture, King Edward III, with his queen, Philippa of Hainaut at his side, takes the hand of the Black Prince, his son, one of the foremost chivalric figures of medieval Europe. At the feet of the Black Prince a squire kneels to tie on the Garter, symbol of the illustrious Order of the Garter.

This order is reckoned the oldest order of chivalry in Europe. It was founded by Edward III around 1344. The legend of its foundations tells of the Countess of Salisbury, who at a ball at court was unfortunate enough to drop her garter. To divert the attention of other guests the king seized the garter and tied it around his own leg, saying in Norman French: 'Honi soit qui mal y pense', which can be translated: Shame on him who thinks ill of this.

This fresco stands here as an example of the medieval virtue of Chivalry. At the opposite end of the Chamber Daniel Maclise's The Spirit of Chivalry stands as a pair to it.

Additional Information on
Edward III conferring the Order of the Garter on the Black Prince

In comparison to those in the Robing Room or the Royal Gallery the mural paintings in the Lord's Chamber are, if anything, recessive rather than dominant. It has been hard for them to compete with the craftsmanship of Pugin's interior details, in particualr the maginificance of the throne.