Order of chivalry

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This article is about secular orders of knighthood. For the medieval religious
orders, see Military order (religious society).

Alfonso XIII of Spain (left) with his cousin, the future King George V (right)
during his State Visit to the United Kingdom in 1905. Alfonso is wearing the
uniform of a general of the British Army, the Royal Victorian Chain, the sash and
star of the Garter, the cross of the Order of Charles III, the neck badge of the
Golden Fleece, and the badge of the four Spanish military orders. George, then
Prince of Wales, is wearing the neck badge of the Golden Fleece, the sash and grand
cross grade of the Order of Charles III, the Royal Victorian Chain, and the stars
of the Garter and the Order of St Michael and St George.
An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is
an order of knights[1] typically founded during or inspired by the original
Catholic military orders of the Crusades (circa 1099–1291), paired with medieval
concepts of ideals of chivalry.

Since the 15th century, orders of chivalry, often as dynastic orders, began to be
created in a more courtly fashion[clarification needed] that could be created ad
hoc. These orders would often retain the notion of being a confraternity, society
or other association of members, however, some of them were ultimately purely
honorific, consisting of a medal decoration. In fact, these decorations themselves
often came to be known informally as orders. These institutions in turn gave rise
to the modern-day orders of merit of sovereign states.[2]

Contents
1 Overview
2 Terminology
2.1 Holy See
2.2 Sansovino
2.3 Boulton
2.4 Other
3 Medieval orders
3.1 Monarchical orders
3.2 Confraternal orders
3.3 Fraternal orders
3.4 Votive orders
3.5 Cliental pseudo-orders
3.6 Honorific orders
3.6.1 Influence
4 Modern orders
4.1 Current orders
4.2 Former orders
5 Typical insignia and ranks
6 Self-styled orders
7 See also
8 Notes
9 Bibliography
10 External links
Overview
An order of knights is a community of knights composed by order rules with the main
purpose of an ideal or charitable task. The original ideal lay in monachus et miles
(monk and knight), who in the order (Latin ordo = order, status) is dedicated to a
Christian purpose. The first orders of knights were religious orders that were
founded to protect and guide pilgrims to the Holy Land. The knightly orders were
characterized by an order-like community life in poverty, obedience and chastity,
which was linked with charitable tasks, armed pilgrimage protection and military
action against external and occasionally internal enemies of Christianity. Examples
are the Knights Templar, the Order of St. John and the Order of Malta. These
communities only became spiritual orders in the sense of canon law through papal
recognition of their own binding rules of order and through the dissolution of
ecclesiastical diocesan organizations.

In addition to the religious orders of knights, courtly orders of knights emerged

in many European royal houses from the middle of the 14th century. This enabled the
monarchs and princes to create a reliable household power independent of the church
and to combine their court life with knightly virtues. During this time, the
Burgundian court culture was leading and so the Order of the Golden Fleece, founded
there in 1430, was for many a model in the sense of a princely order based on the
ideals of Christian chivalry.[3]

In the course of time, many orders of knights have been dissolved due to a lack of
people or the field of activity has changed. So in many areas the charitable aspect
and nursing came to the fore. There were also dissolutions for political reasons,
such as the Knights Templar in 1312 or many orders of knights as opposition by Nazi
Germany. While the Knights Templar was not re-established, some orders were
reactivated after the end of World War II and the fall of the Iron Curtain.

There are repeated attempts to revive or restore old orders of knights. Often old,
old knight orders are used today to honor personalities. For example, the British
Queen Elizabeth II regularly appoints new members to the Order of the British
Empire in the 21st century.[4] In Central Europe, for example, the Order of St.
George, whose roots also go back to the so-called "last knight" Emperor Maximilian
I, was reactivated by the House of Habsburg after its dissolution by Nazi Germany.
And in republican France, to this day, deserved personalities are highlighted by
being awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour.[5] In contrast, the knights of
the ecclesiastical orders of knights such as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
and the Order of St. John mainly devote themselves to social tasks, nursing and
care.[6]

Terminology
Ambox current red.svg
This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent
events or newly available information. (February 2020)
Holy See
The Secretariat of the State of the Holy See – medieval pioneer of the original
military orders – distinguishes orders in the following manner:[7]

State orders: order of a sovereign state, rewarding military or civil merits of

citizens, legally based on the sovereignty of their states
Pontifical equestrian orders, conferred by the Pope
Sovereign orders: the only extant one in this category is the Sovereign Military
Order of Malta, an international sovereign entity
Dynastic orders of a sovereign royal dynasty, either an active "dynastic state
actor", otherwise a "non-national dynastic order", as the head of a formerly
reigning royal house operating under iure collationis[clarification needed],
typically approved by Papal bulls in the case of older origins
Sansovino
In Dell'origine dei Cavalieri (1566), the Italian scholar Francesco Sansovino
(1521–1586) distinguished knights and their respective societies in three main
categories:

"Knights of the Cross", comparable to the modern term military orders

"Knights of Spur", i.e. invested by the Pope or other sovereign, thus somewhat
comparable to dynastic orders of knighthood, or later by feudal lords and knights
elderly[clarification needed]
"Knights of Necklace", i.e. purely ornamental
Over time, the above division became no longer sufficient, and heraldic science
distinguished orders into: hereditary, military, religious and fees.

Boulton
In a more generous distribution proposed in The Knights in the Crown: The
Monarchical Orders of Knighthood in Late Medieval Europe (1987), the Canadian
heraldist D'Arcy Boulton classifies chivalric orders as follows:

Monarchical orders (i.e. dynastic orders of knighthood)

Confraternal orders (as seen in military orders)
Fraternal orders
Votive orders
Cliental pseudo-orders
Honorific orders
Based on Boulton, this article distinguishes:

Chivalric orders by time of foundation:

Medieval chivalric orders: foundation of the order during the Middle Ages or the
Renaissance
Modern chivalric orders: foundation after 1789
Chivalric orders by religion:
Catholic chivalric orders: membership exclusively for members of the Catholic
Church
Orthodox chivalric orders: blessed by the heads of Orthodox churches
Protestant chivalric orders: blessed by the heads of Protestant churches
Chivalric orders by purpose:
Monarchical chivalric orders: foundation by a monarch who is a fount of honour;
either ruling or not
Confraternal chivalric orders: foundation by a nobleman, either high nobility or
low nobility
Fraternal chivalric orders: founded for a specific purpose only
Votive chivalric orders: founded for a limited period of time only by members who
take a vow
Honorific chivalric orders: consist only of honorific insignia bestowed on knights
on festive occasions, consisting of nothing but the badge
Self-styled orders: self-proclaimed imitation-orders without statutes or restricted
memberships
Other
Another occurrent chronological categorisation is into:[citation needed]

Military-monastic orders (c.1100–c.1300)

Monarchical orders (c.1300–c.1580)
Honorific orders (c.1580–present)
Medieval orders
See also: Military order (monastic society)
Monarchical orders

Investiture of three new members of the Order of the Knot (miniature from the
order's statutes, 1352/4).
Late medieval monarchical orders (14th and 15th centuries) are orders of chivalry
with the presidency attached to a monarch:
Order of Montesa founded by James II of Aragon (Spain) in 1317.
Order of Saint George, founded by Charles I of Hungary in 1325
Order of the Band, founded by Alfonso XI of Castile in ca. 1330
Order of the Garter, founded by Edward III of England in 1348[8]
Order of the Star, founded by John II of France in 1351
Order of the Knot, founded by Louis I of Naples in 1352.
Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, founded by Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy
in 1362.
Order of the Ermine, founded by John V, Duke of Brittany in 1381: First order to
accept Women.
Order of the Ship, founded by Charles III of Naples on 1 December 1381
Order of the Dragon, founded by Sigismund, as king of Hungary in 1408.
Order of the Golden Fleece, founded by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430
Order of the Tower and Sword, founded by Afonso V of Portugal in 1459
Order of Saint Michael, founded by Louis XI of France in 1469[9]
Post-medieval foundations of chivalric orders:
Order of Saint Stephen (1561)
Order of the Holy Spirit (1578)
Blood of Jesus Christ (military order) (1608)
Order of the Thistle (1687)[10]
Order of the Elephant (1693)
Order of Saint Louis (1694)
Order of the Seraphim (1748)
Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary (1764)
Order of St. Patrick (1783)[11]
Order of Saint Joseph (1807)
Monarchical orders whose monarch no longer reigns but continues to bestow the
order:
Order of the Golden Fleece (Austrian branch)
Order of St. George (Habsburg-Lorraine)
Order of the Holy Spirit
Order of Prince Danilo I of Montenegro
Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje
Order of Skanderbeg
Royal Order of Saint George for the Defense of the Immaculate Conception (Bavaria)
Order of the Crown (Romania)
Order of Carol I (Romania)
Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (Portugal)
Order of Saint Michael of the Wing (Portugal)
Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (Two Sicilies)
Order of the Eagle of Georgia (Georgia)
Order of Queen Tamara (Georgia)
Order of the Crown of Georgia (Georgia)
Royal Order of the Crown of Hawai'i (Hawai'i)
Confraternal orders
Confraternal orders are orders of chivalry with the presidency attached to a
nobleman:

Princely orders were founded by noblemen of higher rank. Most of these were founded
in imitation of the Order of the Golden Fleece, after 1430:
Order of Saint Catherine, founded by Humbert II, Dauphin du Viennois in ca. 1335
Order of Saint Anthony, founded by Albrecht I of Bavaria in 1384
Society of the Eagle, founded by Albrecht II von Habsburg in 1433
Society of Our Lady (Order of the Swan), founded by Frederick II, Elector of
Brandenburg in 1440
Order of Saint Hubert, founded by Gerhard V of Jülich and Berg in 1444
Order of the Crescent, founded by René d'Anjou in 1448
Society of Saint Jerome, founded by Friedrich II of Wettin in 1450
Baronial orders, founded by noblemen of lower rank:
Order of Saint Hubert (Barrois, 1422)
Noble Order of Saint George of Rougemont, also called Confraternity of Saint-
Georges of Burgundy (Franche-Comté, 1440)
Fraternal orders
Fraternal orders are orders of chivalry that were formed off a vow & for a certain
enterprise:

Compagnie of the Black Swan, founded by 3 princes and 11 knights in Savoy (1350)
Corps et Ordre du Tiercelet, founded by the vicomte de Thouars and 17 barons in
Poitou (1377–1385)
Ordre de la Pomme d'Or, founded by 14 knights in Auvergne (1394)
Alliance et Compagnie du Levrier, founded by 44 knights in the Barrois (1416–1422),
subsequently converted into the Confraternal order of Saint Hubert (see above)
Votive orders
Votive orders are orders of chivalry, temporarily formed on the basis of a vow.
These were courtly chivalric games rather than actual pledges as in the case of the
fraternal orders. Three are known from their statutes:

Emprise de l'Escu vert à la Dame Blanche (Enterprise of the green shield with the
white lady), founded by Jean Le Maingre dit Boucicaut and 12 knights in 1399 for
the duration of 5 years
Emprise du Fer de Prisonnier (Enterprise of the Prisoner's Iron), founded by Jean
de Bourbon and 16 knights in 1415 for the duration of 2 years
Emprise de la gueule de dragon (Enterprise of the Dragon's Mouth), founded by Jean
comte de Foix in 1446 for 1 year.
Cliental pseudo-orders
Cliental pseudo-orders are not orders of chivalry and were princes's retinues
fashionably termed orders. They are without statutes or restricted memberships:

Ordre de la Cosse de Genêt (Order of the Broom-Pod), founded by Charles VI of

France ca. 1388
Order of the camail or Porcupine, created by Louis d'Orléans in 1394
Order of the Dove, Castile, 1390
Order of the Scale of Castile, ca. 1430
Honorific orders
Honorific orders were honorific insignia consisting of nothing but the badge:

Order of the Stoat and the Ear, founded by Francis I, Duke of Brittany in 1448
Order of the Golden Spur, a papal order (since the 14th century, flourishes in the
16th century)
Together with the monarchical chivalric orders (see above) these honorific orders
are the prime ancestors of the modern-day orders of knighthood (see below) which
are orders of merit in character.

The distinction between these orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that
these honorific orders still implied membership in a group. Decorations have no
such limitations and are awarded purely to recognize the merit or accomplishments
of the recipient. Both orders and decorations often come in multiple classes.[12]

Influence
The orders have influenced organizations which are completely separate and distinct
from them. Since at least the 18th century, Freemasonry has incorporated symbols
and rituals of several medieval military orders in a number of Masonic bodies, most
notably, in the "Red Cross of Constantine" (derived from the Sacred Military
Constantinian Order of Saint George), the "Order of Malta" (derived from the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta), and the "Order of the Temple" (derived from the
historical Knights Templar), the latter two featuring prominently in the York Rite.

Modern orders
See also: Order of merit
Most orders created since the late 17th century were no longer societies and
fellowships of knights[1] who followed a common mission but were established by
monarchs or governments with the specific purpose of bestowing honours on deserving
individuals. In most European monarchies, these new orders retained some outward
forms from the medieval orders of chivalry (such as rituals and structure) but were
in essence orders of merit, mainly distinguished from their republican counterparts
by the fact that members were entitled to a title of nobility.[citation needed]
While some orders required noble birth (such as the Order of Saint Stephen of
Hungary, established in 1764), others would confer a title upon appointment (such
as the Military Order of Max Joseph, established in 1806) while in yet other orders
only the top classes were considered knights (such as in the Order of St Michael
and St George, established in 1818). Orders of merit which still confer privileges
of knighthood are sometimes referred to as orders of knighthood. As a consequence
of being not an order of chivalry but orders of merit or decorations, some
republican honours have thus avoided the traditional structure found in medieval
orders of chivalry and created new ones instead, e.g. the Order of Merit of the
Federal Republic of Germany, the Decoration for Services to the Republic of
Austria, or the Legion of Merit of the United States.

Current orders
Order of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the original military orders founded circa
1099, and its definite acceptance in 1103 by King Baldwin I.[13]
Sovereign Military Order of Malta, one of the original military orders, founded as
the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in 1048, sanctioned by Pope Paschal II February
15, 1113.
Order of Aviz founded by Afonso I of Portugal in 1146
Order of Calatrava founded by St. Raymond of Fitero (Spain) in 1164.
Order of Alcantara founded by Ferdinand II of León (Spain) in 1167.
Order of Santiago founded Ferdinand II of León (Spain) in 1170.
Order of Saint James of the Sword founded by Afonso I of Portugal in 1172.
Order of Montesa founded by James II of Aragon (Spain) in 1317.
Order of Christ (Portugal), founded by Denis of Portugal in 1319. This order
considers itself successor of the Knights Templar.
Order of the Garter, founded by Edward III of England ca. 1348
Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, founded by Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy in 1362,
ceased to be a national order of Italy when the Kingdom became a Republic in 1946,
but continues to be awarded by the heir of the last King.
Order of the Golden Fleece, founded by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430

Spanish orders of chivalry. In the centre, the Order of the Golden Fleece, 1820
Order of the Tower and Sword, founded by Afonso V of Portugal in 1459
Order of the Dannebrog, founded by King Christian V of Denmark in 1671
Order of the Thistle, founded by King James VII of Scotland in 1687
Order of the Elephant, founded by King Christian V of Denmark in 1693
Order of St. Andrew, founded by Tsar Peter the Great of Russia in 1698
Order of the White Eagle, founded by King Augustus II of Poland in 1705
Order of the Bath,[14] founded by King George I of Great Britain on 18 May 1725[15]
Order of the Seraphim, founded by Frederick I of Sweden in 1748.
Order of the Sword, founded by Frederick I of Sweden in 1748 [Not awarded since
1974].
Order of the Polar Star, founded by Frederick I of Sweden in 1748.
Order of St. George the Triumphant, founded by Catherine the Great of the Russian
Empire in 1769.
Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Carlos III, founded by Charles III of
Spain on 19 September 1771 (became a Spanish order)
Order of Vasa, founded by Gustav III of Sweden in 1772 (Not awarded since 1974).
Order of St Patrick, founded by George III of the United Kingdom in 1783 (Not
awarded since 1936).
Order of Charles XIII, founded by Charles XIII of Sweden in 1811.
Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic, founded by King Ferdinand VII of Spain on 14
March 1815 (became a Spanish order).
Military William Order, founded by King William I of the Netherlands on 30 April
1815.
Order of the Netherlands Lion, founded by King William I of the Netherlands on 29
September 1815.
Order of St Michael and St George, is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818
by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was
acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III.
Order of the Southern Cross, founded by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil on December 1,
1822.
Order of Leopold, founded by King Leopold I of the Belgians on 11 July 1832.
Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav, founded by King Oscar I of Norway on 21 August
1847.
Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg), Order founded in 1099 and refounded
in 1852.
Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau, founded by King-Grand Duke William
III of Luxembourg in 1858.
Order of the White Elephant is an order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by
King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Siam.
Order of Orange-Nassau, founded by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting
on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands on 4 April
1892.
Royal Victorian Order, founded by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom on 21 April
1896.
Order of the Crown, founded by King Leopold II of the Congo Free State on 15
October 1897 (became a Belgian order in 1908).
Order of Leopold II, founded by King Leopold II of the Congo Free State on 24
August 1900 (became a Belgian order in 1908).
Order of Michael the Brave, founded by King Ferdinand I of Romania on 26 September
1916.
Order of the British Empire, founded by King George V of the United Kingdom on 4
June 1917.
Knightly Order of Vitéz, founded by Miklós Horthy the Regent of Hungary in 1921.
Order of Skanderbeg, founded by Zog I of Albania in 1925.
Order of the Sun, founded by Man Singh II, the Maharaja of Jaipur in 1947.
Royal Order of Sahametrei, founded by King Norodom Sihanouk of the Kingdom of
Cambodia on September 9, 1948.
Order of the Knights of Rizal, granted a legislative charter by President of the
Philippines Elpidio Quirino on June 14, 1951.
Order of Canada, founded by Queen Elizabeth II of Canada in 1967.
Order of Australia, founded by Queen Elizabeth II of Australia in 1975.
New Zealand Order of Merit, founded by Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand in 1996.
Former orders
Order of Saint Lazarus, founded in 1098 at a leper hospital in the Latin Kingdom of
Jerusalem and is one of the lesser known orders.
Order of Saint Stanislaus, founded by King Stanislaus II Augustus Poniatowski of
Poland in 1765
Ludwigsorden (Order of Louis) of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, founded 1807, abolished
1918
Order of the Iron Helmet of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) (in present-day
Germany), founded 1814, abolished 1866[16]
Wilhelmsorden (Order of Wilhelm) of Hesse-Kassel, founded 1851, abolished 1875[16]
Order of the Star of India, founded by Queen Victoria in 1861 and has not been
awarded since the independence of India in 1947
Order of the Indian Empire, founded by Queen Victoria in 1878 and has not been
awarded since the independence of India in 1947
Order of the African Star, founded by King Leopold II of the Congo Free State on 30
December 1888, which became a Belgian order in 1908 and has not been awarded since
the independence of Congo in 1960
Royal Order of the Lion, founded by King Leopold II of the Congo Free State on 9
April 1891, which became a Belgian order in 1908 and has not been awarded since the
independence of Congo in 1960
Order of the Norwegian Lion, founded 1904, abolished 1952
Order of Pahlavi, founded 1928 by Reza Shah, abolished 1979 after the Iranian
Revolution. There were two classes. The first class, the Grand Collar, was worn by
the Shah, crown prince, and awarded to heads of state. The second class, the Grand
Cordon, was worn by princes and princesses.
Typical insignia and ranks

Lemuel Francis Abbott's portrait of Admiral Lord Nelson depicting his honours
embroidered on his coat jacket

Insignia of the British Order of the Garter.

Following the example set by the French Legion of Honour, founded by Napoleon, most
multi-level European orders comprise five ranks or classes. The highest is usually
called the Grand Cross, then descending with varying titles. Alternatively, the
ranks are referred to by number (for example "1st class" instead of "Grand Cross").
Typical rankings are:

Class Common names

I Grand Cross, Commander Grand Cross, Grand Cordon, Grand Collar
II Grand Officer, Commander 1st Class, Grand Commander, Knight Commander, Knight
Companion, Commander with Star
III Commander, Commander 2nd Class, Companion
IV Officer, Knight 1st Class, Member 1st Class
V Knight, Knight 2nd Class, Chevalier, Member
Each of these ranks wear insignia, usually badge (often enamelled) on a ribbon.
Typically these insignia are worn from a sash in the case of the senior ranks,
around the neck for the middle ranks (see also neck decorations), and on the left
chest for the lower grades. Many orders use insignia in the form of a cross, but
there may also be stars, and military awards may have crossed swords added onto the
insignias. Ladies may wear the badge on a bow on the left chest. In orders
following the example set by the French Legion of Honour, the two highest classes
also wear a star (or plaque) on the chest. In special cases the senior class may
wear the badge on a collar, which is an elaborate chain around the neck.

In certain countries with feudal heritage the higher ranks (usually at least the
Grand Cross) may have vestments proper to them, including a robe or mantle and a
hat. An example of such a modern-day order is the Order of the British Empire.

The French Legion of Honour democratised the honour systems of orders of chivalry
and merit in the sense of formally omitting both the expectations of nobility on
admittees while also no further implying the same status on previously non-noble
conferees. Yet some orders may still expect noble ancestry on the part of
recipients, such as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and those of the Alliance
of the Orders of Saint John of Jerusalem. Others may continue to imply conferral of
nobility on any admittee, whether hereditary or personal, such as in some of the
cases of dynastic orders conferred by the House of Bavaria or the House of Imperial
Russia.

Self-styled orders
Main article: Self-styled order
Some organisations claim to be chivalric orders but are actually private membership
organisations that have not been created by a state or a reigning monarch.[17] The
answer to the question of whether an order is legitimate or not varies from nation
to nation,[18] François Velde wrote an "order of knighthood is legitimate if it is
defined as legal, recognized and acknowledged as such by a sovereign authority.
Within its borders, a sovereign state does as it pleases. Most, if not all, modern
states have honorific orders and decorations of some kind, and those are sometimes
called orders of knighthood."[19] Exactly what makes one order legitimate and
another self-styled or false is a matter of debate with some arguing that any
monarch (reigning or not) or even the descendants of such can create an order while
others assert that only a government with actual internationally recognized
authority has such power (regardless of whether that government is republican or
monarchial in nature).[20][21] Historically, nobility and knights have also formed
Orders of Knighthood. The Noble Order of Saint George of Rougemont is a Baronial
Order and the Ordre de la Pomme d'Or was founded by 14 knights in Auvergne in 1394.
[22][23]