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THE INTERNATIONAL AND ROYAL
COUNCIL FOR ORDERS OF CHIVALRY
THE ALMANACH DE CHIVALRY 2008
( Founded 2002 by Royal Charter )
The Register of Orders of Chivalry
Registre des Ordres de Chevalerie
The Official Listing of The Imperial
and Royal European Orders of Chivalry
The Royal Orders of Knighthood
of The Kingdom of The Two Sicilies
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(Above)
The Ceremonial Insignia of The Royal
Military Order of Saint George and Reunion
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ROYAL MILITARY ORDER OF ST. GEORGE AND REUNION
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It was Re-established on I January 1819 by Ferdinand I King of the Two Sicilies to reward military valor and merit, and received its name to celebrate the reunification of the dominions located on both sides of the Lighthouse (Naples and Sicily) into one kingdom. In 1829 and in 1850 the King reformed its Statutes. The Order is divided into eight Ranks: Knights of Grand Cross with neck ribbon, cross and plate; Grand Officers, with neck ribbon, cross without St. George and plate with smaller sunburst decoration; Commanders with neck ribbon and cross; Officers, with ribbon, small tassel and cross at buttons; Knights of Law, with ribbon and cross and buttons; Knights of Mercy, with ribbon and cross at buttons; Golden medal; Silver medal.
The decoration is formed by: ruby enameled lilied cross with in the middle a white enameled round plate bearing the image of a mounted St. George running the dragon with his sword, bordered by a circle of blue enamel with the inscription "IN HOC SIGNO VINCES" and a laurel wreath. Two crossed swords edge the angles of the cross. The decoration of the Knights of Grand Cross has a golden image of St. George hanging down from the lower arm of the cross; the Royal Crown tops it. On the verso, a round plate with St. George in the middle, and the inscription "VIRTUTI". The ribbon is blue and edged in yellow.
The present Grand Master is
HRH Prince Ferdinand of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro.
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The Ceremonial Insignia of The Royal
Order of Saint Ferdinand and Merit
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ILLUSTRIOUS ROYAL ORDER OF ST.FERDINAND AND MERIT
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It was established on I April 1800 by Ferdinand IV King of Naples and Sicily to award those who did important favors and gave an extraordinary proof of loyalty to the Head of the Royal House and to the Royal Family. In 1810 the King reformed its Statutes. The Order is divided into three Ranks: Knights of Grand Cross, with fess, cross and plate; Knights Commanders, with neck ribbon and cross; Knights, with ribbon and cross to the buttons. There are also those Decorated with golden and silver medal. The decoration is formed by a golden round shield bearing the image of St. Ferdinand, edged by a blue-enameled round plate with the inscription "FIDEI ET MERITO", bordered by six golden rays edged by six white enameled lilies. The Royal Crown tops it.
On the verso, in the middle of the round shield, there is the inscription "FERD. IV. INST: ANNO 1800". The ribbon is blue and edged in dark red.
The present Grand Master is
HRH Prince Ferdinand of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro.
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(Above)
The Ceremonial Insignia of
The Royal Order of Francis I
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ROYAL ORDER OF FRANCIS I
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It was established on 28 September 1829 by Francis I King of the Two Sicilies to reward civil merit in the performance of public functions, sciences, arts, agriculture, and commerce. In 2001 its Grand Master reformed its Statutes. The Order is divided into eight Ranks: Knights of Grand Cross, with fess, cross and plate; Ladies of Grand Cross, with ribbon with bow edged in gold and covered with fleurs-de-lis; Knights Commanders, with neck ribbon and cross; Ladies Commanders with ribbon with bow edged in gold and cross; Knights, with ribbon and cross at the buttons; Ladies, with ribbon with bow and cross. There are also those Decorated with golden and silver medal. The decoration is formed by a Greek cross with four dovetailed arms, enameled in white, and showing in the middle the golden shield with the initials F.I. topped by the royal crown and surrounded by an oak garland enameled in green and red and edged by a blue ribbon with the motto "DE REGE OPTIME MERITO" in golden letters, with four lilies at the angles and a golden Royal Crown at the top. On the verso, golden shield bearing the inscription "FRANCISCUS I INSTITUIT MDCCCXXIX", bordered by an oak garland enameled in green and red. The ribbon is red with blue edges.
The present Grand Master is:
HRH Prince Ferdinand of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro.
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(Above)
The Ceremonial Insignia of
The Sacred Military Constantinian
Order of Saint George
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THE SACRED MILITARY CONSTANTINIAN
ORDER OF ST. GEORGE
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On October 29th AD 312, Emperor Constantine (306-337) defeated "ad Saxa Rubra" (near Ponte Milvio in Rome) his rival Maxentius and took the supreme command of the entire Roman Empire. As everybody knows, the eve of the battle he had seen a shining Cross with the motto "In Hoc Signo Vinces"; during the night he had the divine warning of decorating the flags of his soldiers with a Cross. Constantine believed and had the Christian symbol on his flags – which he called "Labarum", from the Greek "Lapbyron", which means flag of victory – and Christ’s monogram “XP". He and his sons initialled also their helmets, shields, swords and cuirasses and the soldiers did the same with their armours.
Constantine entrusted 50 Knights chosen from his cohort with the custody of the labarum.
As traditionally relate, the Emperor wanted to commemorate his victory by establishing a knightly order and personally invested the first fifty knights. The "Constantinian Golden Chivalry” was established in this way (golden because of the collar made of pure gold and worn by the highest dignitaries), the oldest of the Orders of knighthood; it represents the model of all other subsequent militias in their classical meaning .
As set by its Statutes, it aims at "glorifying the Cross" and "propagating the Faith", especially through charity activities and support to the Catholic Church.
During the centuries, its Knights have constantly fulfilled this task and in fact they acquired many special merits in defending and propagating the Faith, and the Popes have granted them many certificates of merit.
The Order has always found its specific function in serving the Church through the centuries and in adjusting to the real needs of the time under the lead of its Grand Masters.
For instance, during the Turkish conquest of the Balkans, the Knights died to defend Christian religion and society. In recent times, knights and ladies generously gave their help in public assistance services – on hospital-trains and in most important city hospitals – during the First World War in favour of the troops; then during the Second Worlds War they served the prisoners given to them by the Presidency of the Prisoners and Research Office and the Italian Red Cross; during the Kosovo war they helped abandoned children.
By decree of the President of the Republic issued on 30 March 1973 the “National Association of Constantinian Knights” became a non-profit agency and it now carries out its activities through voluntary work and the donation of medical and scientific equipment, as well as the support of patients and populations struck by natural disasters.
The Order, besides its traditional voluntary work, is now paying greater attention to modern techniques of mass information. The seat of its Chancellery, in Naples, is the core of a renewed commitment of the Order with the Franciscan Friars in interreligious dialogue.
After belonging to the Comneni family of Imperators of the Eastern Roman Empire and then to the Farnese family, Dukes of Parma and Piacenza, in the 18th century the Grand Magistero of the Order was inherited by the Head of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies.
After the last King of the Two Sicilies, Francis II, the Supreme Position as Grand Master went to his brother, HRH the Count of Caserta Alfonso of Bourbon (1841-1934), his son HRH Ferdinand Pious (1869-1960), his brother Prince Ranieri (1883-1973): the present Grand Master is Prince Ranieri’s son, His Royal Highness Prince Ferdinand of Bourbon, Duke of Castro, Head of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies. His heir, His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, is its Grand Prefect and according to its Statutes he represents the Grand Master and the Order.
The seat of the Grand Magistero is at the Grand Master’s location, and the seat of the Chancellery is in Naples. The Secretariat of the Order is in Rome, 121 Via Sistina.
The Order is formally recognised by the Italian State that since 1963 authorises the Italian citizens to confer upon themselves the decorations of the Order in compliance with art. 7 Law 178 of 3 March 1951. The Italian citizens decorated with the Cross of the Order can be part of the Italian National Association of Constantinian Knights, appointed as non-profit agency by Decree of the President of the Republic on 30 March 1973.
The Order could survive to the fall of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies since, as foreseen by the international law, a dynastic Order of Knighthood is not assigned to a national territory or a sovereign State, but ascribed to the Head of a Royal Dynasty and several decrees issued between 1734 and 1861 made clear that the Grand Magistero of the Constantinian Order cannot be separated from the supremacy of the Royal House of the Two Sicilies.
In the other pages dedicated to the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George we describe and give information about the activities carried out and about future programmes, charity initiatives and cultural and religious events organised by the Order.
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ILLUSTRIOUS ROYAL ORDER OF SAN GENNARO
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It was established on 3 July 1738 by Charles of Bourbon, King of Naples and Sicily, to celebrate his marriage to Princess Maria Amalia Walburga of Poland and Saxony.
As main duty, the Knights had to "increase, at all costs, the Holy Religion" and "virtuously operate” to be "an heroic example of piety towards God and loyalty towards their Prince". The Order is formed by only one Rank of Knights with golden collar, fess, cross and plate.
The decoration is formed by a cross with four forked arms edged in gold, bordered by a fess of white enamel, with flames in red enamel edged by four golden lilies.
On the recto, the image of St. Gennaro with the cruets and the Pastoral, in golden, white red blue and green enamels; on the verso, in the middle, the Cruets in golden and red enamels, placed on a golden Book of Gospel, all bordered by two palms in green enamel. The ribbon is red and swayed. The inscription is "IN SANGUINE FOEDUS".
The present Grand Master is:
HRH Prince Ferdinand of Bourbon Two Sicilies,
Duke of Castro.
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"CHRISTUS VINCIT, CHRISTUS REGNAT, CHRISTUS IMPERIT"
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For Further Information
The Correspondence Address is:
The Imperial and Royal Society
of The Almanach de Chivalry,
Royal Mail Post Office Box 276,
Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0UL,
United Kingdom.
Telephone: +44 (0) 208 943 4520
Fax: +44 (0) 208 943 4520
E-mail: almanachdechivalry@msn.com
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The Official Website of Almanach de Chivalry
Crown Copyright Held © 2002-2008, All Rights Reserved
WEBSITE LINKS :
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