Name Best Knight Of The Realm?

Question

Being everything that knights used to be.

Two responses desired:

a) English tradition

b) Contemporary

Answer 1

King Arthur.

Answer 2

A) Of course, Sir Galahad as he is the knight who obtains the Holy Grail.

B) Prince William - now that he is a Garter Knight!!  

Answer 3

Knights are b******s. There are no true knights.

Answer 4

Whoever it was would have to be both a warrior, or soldier, or possibly a policeman/fireman, and also be following a some equivalent of a chivalric code, ie, being dutiful to a certain cause. Classically this would have been duty to God/fellow Christians, to his lord, or to women.

The last British order seems to be the Order of the British Empire, but that has been going for less than 100 years, so it may not be necessary/relevant for the best knight of the realm to actually be a knight, so to speak.

Here's a soldier who quit Iraq over issues of conscience http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/mar/13...

Here's a soldier who risked death by mines to save a comrade

http://www.bizzyblog.com/2008/07/19/posi...

I don't know, maybe chivalry is dead after all... or perhaps we will never know who is the best because of a certain meekness entailed by dutiful living- and the partisan nature of the media. Still, am interested to see what other respondents come up with.

Answer 5

A. Robin Hood, Sir Gareth if it must be from the Round Table.

B. Any of the countless policemen, soldiers/airmen/marines, firemen, nurses, professors, etc. who devote their lives to others and do so with honor.

Answer 6

Lancelot.

Answer 7

Sir Roland

Sir Cariadoc of the Bow, or any of the SCA Order of the Chivalry in the modern Society for Creative Anachronism.

Answer 8

Sean Connery Manages to be both contemporary and have an English tradition as Arthur in that movie with Richard Gere First Knight,

And as the first president of a would be republic of Scotland he is the perfect choice!