The Order of Queen Saint Isabel ( pt, Ordem da Rainha Santa Isabel) is a Roman Catholic

dynastic order A dynastic order, monarchical order, or house order is an order under royal patronage. Such an order is bestowed by, as a legitimate , a sovereign or the head of a once-sovereign ruling family. These are often considered part of the cultural ...

of which the Grand Mistress is the

Duchess of Braganza The title of Duchess of Braganza has existed in Portugal since the 15th century. This title designates the female head of the House of Braganza. Duchess of Braganza House of Braganza Nominal Duchess of Braganza House of Braganza See ...

History

King

John VI of Portugal Dom John VI (Portuguese: ''João VI''; 13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826), nicknamed "the Clement", was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves from 1816 to 1825. Although the United Kingdom of Portugal ceased to exist ' ...

created the order on 4 November 1801 in honour of Queen Saint Isabel, consort of Portuguese King Denis I, investing his wife Carlota Joaquina as Grand Mistress of the order. On 5 October 1910, the monarchy was replaced by a

republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

. The order, which was considered dynastic, continued to be bestowed by King

Manuel II of Portugal '' Dom'' Manuel II (15 November 1889 – 2 July 1932), "the Patriot" ( pt, "o Patriota") or "the Unfortunate" (), was the last King of Portugal, ascending the throne after the assassination of his father, King Carlos I, and his elder brother, ...

, who in exile also awarded it to his wife. After his death, the Queen and Queen Mother both continued to use the order's insignia of Grand Mistress. In 1986,

Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza (Portuguese: ''Duarte Pio de Bragança'': born 15 May 1945) is the current Duke of Braganza, claimant to the title of King of Portugal of the dormant Portuguese throne, as the head of the House of Braganza. The Migue ...

re-established the Order of Saint Isabel as an honorific dynastic order of the Portuguese Royal Family, and claimed its Sovereign Grand Mastership. The

is the current Grand Mistress and, besides honouring Portuguese noblewomen on the Saint's feast day, celebrated each year on 4 July at the

Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova The Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova () is a monastery in Coimbra, Portugal. It was built to replace the mediaeval Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha, located nearby, which at the time was prone to frequent flooding by the waters of the Mondego riv ...

in Coimbra, the Royal House has, since 2000, bestowed it on various queens, princesses and women dedicated to the support of Portuguese charities.

Insignia

The order's sash is pale pink and has a white stripe in the middle. On the accompanying crowned medallion is a picture of the Queen Saint giving money to a poor man. This picture is surrounded by a frame with roses (an allusion to the Queen's miracle). The insignia's motto is ''Pauperum Solatio'' ("Consolation of the Poor").

Current Dames of Saint-Isabel

The annual ceremonial induction of Noble ladies of Saint Isabel takes place in the Convent of Santa Clara in Coimbra, on the 4th of July. ;Dame Grand Mistress * The Duchess of Braganza ;Dames * The Duchess of Coimbra * The Grand Duchess of Luxemburg * The Duchess of Castro * The Custodian of the Crown of Romania *

Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein (born Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg; 15 May 1957) is the fourth child and second and youngest daughter of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. As the sister of Grand ...

* Princess Christine of Orléans-Braganza * Princess Eleonora of Orléans-Braganza, Princess of Ligne * Princess Marie-Therese, Mrs Anthony Bailey

References

Bibliography & Image

* Secretariado de Estado da Cultura. ''Tesouros Reais''. Lisbon: Textype - Artes Gráficas, Ld.ª, 1992. * Evaristo, Carlos. Gli Ordini Portoghesi Della Casa Di Braganza: Evoluzione Storica Ed Attualita pp 227–240

External links

rainhasantaisabel.org
Official Site of the Royal Order of Saint Isabel {{Orders of knighthood for women

Isabel Isabel is a female name of Spanish origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of '' Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew ''Elisheva''), Arising in the 12th century, it became popul ...