What is a George?
I will quote a little from The Queen's Orders of Chivalry, 1964, by Brigadier Sir Ivan De la Bere.
"...it was Henry the Seventh who introduced a collar for the Order together with an appendant badge which came to be known as the George. The George was of gold and enamel and was a representation of Saint George, in armour, and in his right hand a spear with which he was piercing the throat of a dragon which lay prostrate beneath the feet of his horse. Later some knights had the George ornamented with precious stones according to their individiual tastes, but, though it has varied from time to time in size and in the colour of the enamelling, its general design has remained almost unchanged throughout."
"Queen Anne gave the Duke of Marlborough a particularly large and beautiful George set with magnificent diamonds."
I believe this is the George worn in this portrait of Charles III.
(There is more history of this George.)
For some years now I have not been able to find this Marlborough George in the online Royal Collection but this is the best link I can provide currently for the Marlborough George (the left of the three).
Jumping ahead through a lot of Garter history, a smaller similar badge - which came to be known as the Lesser George - was worn at the hip on the Garter sash. Therefore in many contexts the George, of the collar, is referred to as a Great George.
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