Henry Machyn's Diary. 29 Sep 1551. The xxix day of September was Saynt Myghell, the Kyng grase dyd where the robes of order of [Saint] Myghell with skalopshells of Franse; and the sam tyme was chossen of the order of the garter the lord chamburlayne Darcy (age 44), in the plasse of ser John Wallop knyght of the gartter and captayn of Gynes.

Note. The king wearing the order of St. Michael. "The fest of Michelmas was kept by me in the robes of th'ordre." (King Edward's Diary.) The following minutes are from the register of the privy council:

"14 June, 1551. This daye the French ambassador had accesse to the lordes, to whom he declared that the kinge his master and the company of the ordere of Saint Michael had appointed the kinges majestie to be of the same order, for which purpose the marshall St. Androwe was enjoyned to bringe the same order to his majestie, prainge his majestie that he would accepte the same accordinglye." (MS. Harl. 352, f. 160b.)

"June 22, 1551. A Letter of apparance to the deane of Windsore, that for asmuch as there shall arive here shortely a nobleman sente from the French kinge wth the order of St. Michalle to bee presented to the kinges Matie, and to bringe wth him such recordes as remayne in his custodie, as well for the acceptacion of the said order by his majesties behalfe, or for any other thinge by ceremony concerning the said order; and that all thinges there may be put in good order for the celebracione of St. George's feaste, and to bringe wth him also a note of so muche money of the poore knights as he hathe in his custodie." (Ibid. f. 161b.) King Edward was invested by the ambassador at Hampton Court on the 16th of July, as detailed by himself in his diary, and more fully in Ashmole's History of the Garter, pp. 368, 369. The documentary instruments brought to England on this occasion are still preserved in the Chapter House at Westminster.

Note. P. 9. The king wearing the order of St. Michael. The robes of Saint Michael worn by king Edward the Sixth were preserved for fifty years after in the royal wardrobe,—Elizabeth, who never parted with any of her own gowns, nor with those of her sister that had come into her possession, retaining these also among her stores. They were thus described in the year 1600: "Robes late king Edwarde the VIth's. Firste, one robe of clothe of silver, lyned with white satten, of th'order of St. Michale, with a brode border of embrodirie, with a wreathe of Venice gold and the scallop shell, and a frenge of the same golde, and a small border aboute that; the grounde beinge blew vellat, embrodered with half-moones of silver; with a whoode and a tippet of crymsen vellat, with a like embroderie, the tippet perished in one place with ratts; and a coate of clothe of silver, with demi-sleeves, with a frenge of Venice golde." Nichols's Progresses, &c. of Queen Eliz.—In the Addit. MS. (Brit. Mus.) 6297, art. 7 describes "How king Edward VI. received the order of St. Michael."