The King Who Hid in a Tree
KRO 687
Knights of the Royal Oak
CROSS · CROWN · OAK
THE OAK ENDURES.
HISTORY · SERVICE · CHARACTER
A LASTING PURPOSE.
1660The Original Order
687Knights of the Royal Oak
2026The Modern Knights
A Lasting Purpose
01/03
1660
THE ORIGINAL ORDER
687
KNIGHTS OF THE ROYAL OAK
2026
THE MODERN KNIGHTS
A LASTING PURPOSE.
Quercus Semper Virens
1660
The History
THE ORDER
THAT NEVER WAS.
Following the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, a new honour was proposed: the Knights of the Royal Oak. A remarkable Roll of 687 men was compiled — drawn from counties across England and Wales, with estimates of the annual value of their estates.
The Order was never ultimately established. The 687 therefore occupy an unusual place in British history: men selected for an honour that never came to pass.
The modern KRO687 project is an independent initiative inspired by that history — not an official continuation of a Royal Order.
The Modern Day KRO687
ROLL OF THE KNIGHTS
THE ROLL HAS BEGUN.
More than three and a half centuries after the proposed Order of 1660, KRO687 has begun a new and independent Modern Roll — recognising service, achievement, courage, contribution, leadership and lives that have made a difference.
A ROLL IN PROGRESS
The people who opened the Modern Roll.
KRO001
Alan Hoey KRO
Community · Environment · Service
KRO002
Tommy Robinson KRO
Freedom · Determination · Public Advocacy
KRO003
Donald John Trump KRO
Leadership · Courage · Global Influence
KRO004
Elon Musk KRO
Innovation · Vision · Human Progress
KRO005
Lucy Connolly KRO
Resilience · Family · Strength
KRO006
Elaine Oakey KRO
Charity · Disability Sport · Young People
KRO007
Rupert Lowe KRO
Integrity · Public Service · Courage
KRO008
Mahyar Tousi KRO
Truth · Communication · Public Awareness
KRO009
Sir David Attenborough KRO
Nature · Conservation · Inspiration
KRO010
Billy Billingham KRO
Service · Leadership · Veterans
KRO011
Dr Carl Austin-Behan OBE DL KRO
Service · Courage · Community · Equality
KRO012
Dr Jordan B. Peterson KRO
Psychology · Truth · Responsibility · Courage
KRO013
Mosab Hassan Yousef KRO
Courage · Truth · Sacrifice · Peace
KRO014
Reza Pahlavi KRO
Leadership · Freedom · Democracy · Heritage
KRO015
Alan Turing KRO
Genius · Sacrifice · Justice · Service
Who's the Next Knight of the Royal Oak?
THE NEXT PAGE HAS YET TO BE WRITTEN.
15 people have taken their place upon the Modern Roll. The next admission could begin with a nomination from you. A public nomination that reaches 1,000 verified supporters becomes eligible for formal KRO687 review.
The Modern Purpose
What does it mean to be a Knight today?
A Knight once served his King on the battlefield.
Today, there are a thousand ways to serve your country.
For centuries, knighthood has been associated with service, courage, loyalty, duty and sacrifice. The battlefield has changed. Service has not. KRO687 exists to recognise people who have made a genuine contribution to Britain, its communities and its people. They may be nationally known or almost completely unknown. They may be veterans, carers, entrepreneurs, emergency workers, volunteers, sporting figures, innovators, campaigners, community leaders or simply people who did something extraordinary when it mattered.
The armour has gone.
The principle has not.
The Historical Roots
Faith · Duty · Service
Christianity is inseparable from much of the history of medieval European knighthood and the world from which the Crusades and the Knights Templar emerged.
KRO687 does not claim to be the Knights Templar, or a continuation of the medieval Templar Order. It is drawn instead to enduring concepts that run through the history of knighthood — and it honours Christianity as part of that history, visibly and respectfully.
Faith
Courage
Duty
Charity
Service
Sacrifice
The Banner
The Journey
A journey through knighthood
Nine centuries of service, struggle and story — down one continuous line of history.
Knighthood has never been a simple story. KRO687 explores the courage, faith, sacrifice, ambition, conflict, loyalty, controversy and legend.
1660
The men who never became Knights
Following the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, a new honour was proposed: The Knights of the Royal Oak.
A remarkable Roll of 687 men was compiled in connection with the proposed Order. They were drawn from counties across England and Wales, and historical records include not only their names but estimates of the annual value of their estates.
The Order was never ultimately established.
The 687 therefore occupy an unusual place in British history: men selected for an honour that never came to pass.
KRO687 intends to research the Roll individual by individual — recovering the families, estates, Civil War experiences and stories behind the names.
687 MEN.
687 STORIES.
ONE UNFINISHED HISTORY.
Some were soldiers. Some were landowners. Some already held titles. Some left substantial historical records; others survive as little more than a name on the Roll. Together they provide a remarkable window into Restoration England.
Make the 687 searchable
The Original 687 is being researched into a searchable historical Roll. Information that survives will be gathered under each man's name — county, family, property and estate, Civil War involvement, Royalist connections, titles and rank, historical events and descendants.
Explore the Original 687Where information exists, each man will eventually receive his own individual profile.
Each profile will explore
Full nameOriginal Roll entryCountyResidence / estateRecorded estate valueFamily and ancestryCivil War involvementRoyalist connectionsMilitary serviceTitles and honoursPortraits / heraldryProperties / monuments / churches / memorialsContemporary recordsLater historical sourcesKnown descendantsSources
Every profile will clearly distinguish documented historical fact from later tradition, uncertain identification or KRO687 research conclusions.
Recorded feature
RECORDED ESTATE VALUE — c.1660
The historical Roll recorded estimated annual estate values for the proposed recipients. Each will be displayed exactly as recorded — not converted to a modern monetary equivalent, since such comparisons can be misleading.
The 687 Across England & Wales
Visitors will soon be able to select a county and discover the proposed Knights associated with it.
A visual county explorer is being prepared for this space.
EnglandWalesHistorical counties
Are you descended from one of the 687?
More than 360 years separate the original Roll from KRO687. Across roughly twelve generations, the descendants of these men may now extend throughout Britain and far beyond.
Search the Roll by surname, county, estate and family connection — and help us uncover what became of the families of the Original 687.
A way to submit possible family connections and supporting evidence will follow. Submitted genealogy will never be published automatically — each must be reviewed first.
Stories from the 687
As research develops, particularly interesting individuals will be featured here. Categories to come:
The SoldiersThe Great EstatesThose Who Fought for the KingFamilies Still Known TodayThe Highest-Valued EstatesThe Forgotten NamesThe 687 and the Restoration
TWO ROLLS. TWO ERAS.
1660
The Original 687
Men identified for an honour that was never ultimately established.
2026
The Modern 687
A new and independent Roll recognising service, contribution and achievement in our own time.
687 lives. 687 stories. One Roll.
Family history · 1660
Could your family be connected to the 687?
Explore the proposed 1660 roll, search your surname and help uncover a family story.
The Roll
A place cannot be bought.
It is bestowed on those who deserve it.
There will only ever be 687 places upon the modern Roll of the Knights of the Royal Oak. Admission is bestowed. Each Knight will receive:
A permanent KRO number
A published Citation recording why they were selected
Letters of Admission
A place upon the permanent Roll
The right within the organisation to bear the post-nominal letters KRO
Letters of Admission — Example
Alan Hoey KRO
KRO001
The Roll
Who deserves a place upon the Roll?
Some future Knights will be identified by KRO687. Others will be brought to our attention by the public. We want to hear about people who have made an extraordinary contribution to their community, profession, country or fellow citizens.
Famous or forgotten.
What matters is what they did.
Education
The History Beyond the Classroom
History isn't boring. Sometimes it's just been told badly.
KRO687 will tell British and European historical stories through accessible articles, Shorts, films, podcasts and books.
Who Were the Knights Templar?
Why Were 687 Men Chosen in 1660?
How Did Charles II Escape England?
The King in Exile
Templar: Fact or Fiction?
Britain's Forgotten Knights
The Original 687
Shorts Films Podcasts Articles
The history of a united kingdom
England · Scotland · Wales · Northern Ireland
Watch KRO687
History in 60 seconds — and stories worth staying for.
Short-form history for new audiences.
Short-form history for new audiences, and longer films and documentaries that reward patience.
Shorts
Films
Documentaries
Interviews
The 687
Coming soon
The Book
The Royal Oak
687 Knights, an Exiled King and the Rebirth of an Ancient Idea
KRO687 is developing an illustrated digital history covering the Royal Oak, Charles II, the Restoration, the original 687 and the modern project. The intention is that the core digital edition can ultimately be made freely available.
Email only. No payment taken.
Coming Soon
The KRO687 Collection
A carefully designed historical and lifestyle brand — not souvenir-shop merchandise.
Cross · Crown · Oak
The Templar Collection
Coming soon
The Royal Oak Collection
Coming soon
The 687 Collection
Coming soon
The Restoration Collection
Coming soon
The Oak Endures Collection
Coming soon
Premium clothing, prints, books, leather goods, pins and more — in keeping with the dignity of the Order.
The Royal Oak Declaration
We believe service deserves recognition.
We believe courage still matters.
We believe achievement should be celebrated.
We believe community is strengthened by those prepared to give something back.
We believe Britain's history should be understood, preserved and passed on.
We believe service to country transcends party politics.
We believe an honour should mean something.
And we believe some stories deserve to be remembered long after those who lived them are gone.
There are 687 places upon the Roll. A place cannot be purchased. It is bestowed.
KRO687
THE OAK ENDURES
Quercus Semper Virens