A monk or nun who is a follower of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Carmelites obey the strict monastic ‘rule’ of St Albert of Jerusalem. They originated in Palestine c.1154 but came to western Europe when Palestine was conquered by the Muslims. Their order was approved by Pope Honorius III in 1226. In 1452 the Carmelite Sisters was formed. In 1594 a reformed group of the order was established, the Discalced Carmelites, but it remained essentially similar in organization and objectives.