An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

s, typically founded during or inspired by the original

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

military orders of the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...

( 1099–1291) and paired with

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

concepts of ideals of chivalry. Since the 15th century, orders of chivalry, often as

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 p ...

s, began to be established in a more courtly fashion that could be created ''

ad hoc Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'. In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a generalized solution adaptable to collateral instances. (Compare with ''a priori''.) Com ...

''. These orders would often retain the notion of being a confraternity,

society A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soc ...

or other association of members, but some of them were ultimately purely honorific and consisted of a

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

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 The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Ki ...

of sovereign states.

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 (, ) 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, Knights of the Holy Sepulchre officially called The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, founded in 1090, the

Order of St. John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headqu ...

and the

Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

. These communities only became 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. 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 appointed new members to the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

in the 21st century. 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. Meanwhile, to this day, deserved personalities in republican France are highlighted by being awarded the Knight of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...

. 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.

Terminology

Holy See

The Secretariat of the State of the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

– medieval pioneer of the original military orders – distinguishes orders in the following manner: * State orders:

of a

sovereign state A sovereign state or sovereign country, is a political entity represented by one central government that has supreme legitimate authority over territory. International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defined ter ...

, rewarding military or civil merits of citizens, legally based on the sovereignty of their states ** Pontifical equestrian orders, conferred by the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

Sovereign order The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

s: the only extant one in this category is the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

, an international sovereign entity **

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 p ...

s 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'', typically approved by Papal bulls in the case of older origins

Sansovino

In ''Dell'origine dei Cavalieri'' (1566), the Italian

scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...

Francesco Sansovino Francesco Tatti da Sansovino (1521–1586) was a versatile Italian scholar, humanist (one of the most important of his century) and man of letters, also known as a publisher. Biography Francesco Sansovino was born in Rome, the son of the scu ...

(1521–1586) distinguished knights and their respective societies in three main categories: * "Knights of the

Cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a s ...

", comparable to the modern term military orders * "Knights of Spur", i.e. invested by the

or other sovereign, thus somewhat comparable to

dynastic orders of knighthood 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 pa ...

, or later by feudal lords and knights elderly * "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.

) * Confraternal orders (as seen in military orders) *

Fraternal order A fraternal order is a fraternity organised as an order, with traits alluding to religious, chivalric or pseudo-chivalric orders, guilds, or secret societies. Contemporary fraternal orders typically have secular purposes, including social, cu ...

s * 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 In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

or the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

** Modern chivalric orders: foundation after 1789 * Chivalric orders by religion: ** Catholic chivalric orders: membership exclusively for members of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

** 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 A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

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 A self-styled order or pseudo-chivalric order is an organisation which claims to be a chivalric order, but is not recognised as legitimate by countries or international bodies. Most self-styled orders arose in or after the mid-18th century, and ...

: self-proclaimed imitation-orders without statutes or restricted memberships

Other

Another occurrent chronological categorisation is into: * Military-monastic orders (c.1100–c.1300) * Monarchical orders (c.1300–c.1580) * Honorific orders (c.1580–present)

Medieval orders

Monarchical orders

* Late medieval monarchical orders (14th and 15th centuries) are orders of chivalry with the presidency attached to a monarch: :

Order of Montesa The Order of Montesa ( va, Ordre de Montesa, Aragonese and es, Orden de Montesa) is a Christian military order, territorially limited to the old Crown of Aragon. It was named after the castle of Montesa, its headquarters. Templar background ...

founded by James II of Aragon (

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

) 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 Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ...

in 1348 : Order of the Star, founded by John II of France in 1351 :

Order of the Knot , status = Abolished in 1830 after the July RevolutionRecognised as a dynastic order of chivalry by the ICOC , founder = Henry III of France , head_title = Grand Master , head = Disputed:Louis Alphonse, Duke of AnjouJean, Count of Paris , ...

, founded by Louis I of Naples in 1352. : Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, founded by

Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy Amadeus VI (4 January 1334 – 1 March 1383), nicknamed the Green Count ( it, Il Conte Verde) was Count of Savoy from 1343 to 1383. He was the eldest son of Aymon, Count of Savoy, and Yolande Palaeologina of Montferrat. Though he started under ...

in 1362. : Order of the Ermine, founded by John V, Duke of Brittany in 1381: First order to accept Women. :

Order of the Ship The Order of the Ship (French ''Ordre de la Nef'') was a secular order of knighthood in the Kingdom of Naples founded and dedicated to the Holy Trinity by King Charles III of the House of Durazzo on 1 December 1381 and defunct by 1386. Charles III ...

, founded by Charles III of Naples on 1 December 1381 :

Order of the Dragon The Order of the Dragon ( la, Societas Draconistarum, literally "Society of the Dragonists") was a monarchical chivalric order only for selected higher aristocracy and monarchs,Florescu and McNally, ''Dracula, Prince of Many Faces''. pp. 40–2. ...

, 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 Afonso V () (15 January 1432 – 28 August 1481), known by the sobriquet the African (), was King of Portugal from 1438 until his death in 1481, with a brief interruption in 1477. His sobriquet refers to his military conquests in Northern Afri ...

in 1459 :

Order of Saint Michael , status = Abolished by decree of Louis XVI on 20 June 1790Reestablished by Louis XVIII on 16 November 1816Abolished in 1830 after the July RevolutionRecognised as a dynastic order of chivalry by the ICOC , founder = Louis XI of France ...

, founded by Louis XI of France in 1469 * Post-medieval foundations of chivalric orders: : Order of Saint Stephen (1561) :

Order of the Holy Spirit , status = Abolished in 1830 after the July RevolutionRecognised as a dynastic order of chivalry by the ICOC , founder = Henry III of France , head_title = Grand Master , head = Disputed:Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou Jean, Count of Pari ...

(1578) :

Blood of Jesus Christ (military order) Blood of Jesus Christ, or Blood of Christ, was a military order instituted at Mantua by Vincenzo I Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, approved on 25 May 1608 by Pope Paul V. The motto of the order was ''Domine probasti me'', or that ''Nihil hoc triste rec ...

(1608) : Order of the Thistle (1687) : 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) :

Order of Saint Joseph The Order of Saint Joseph was instituted on 9 March 1807 by Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany during his reign as Grand Duke of Würzburg. It was transformed into a Tuscan Roman Catholic Dynastic Order in 1817. The constitution of the Order ...

(1807) : Order of Guadalupe (1821) : Order of the Mexican Eagle (1865) : Order of Saint Charles (1866) * Monarchical orders whose monarch no longer reigns but continues to bestow the order: : Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italian House of Savoy) : Order of Merit of Savoy (Italian House of Savoy) : Order of the Golden Fleece (Austrian branch) :

Order of St. George (Habsburg-Lorraine) The Order of St. George – a European Order of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine (german: St. Georgs-Orden – ein Europäischer Orden des Hauses Habsburg-Lothringen), or simply Order of Saint George, is a dynastic order of chivalry and thus a house ...

: Order of Prince Danilo I of Montenegro : Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje :

Order of Skanderbeg Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

: Royal Order of Saint George for the Defense of the Immaculate Conception (Bavaria) : Order of the Crown (Romania) :

Order of Carol I The Order of Carol I ( Romanian: Ordinul Carol I) was the highest ranking of the Romanian honours of the Kingdom of Romania until the abolition of the monarchy in 1947. It was instituted on 10 May 1906 by King Carol I to celebrate the Ruby Jubile ...

(Romania) :

Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa The Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (also known as The Order of Our Lady of Conception of Vila Vicosa; pt, Ordem de Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Vila Viçosa) is a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Braganza, the f ...

(Portugal) : Order of Saint Michael of the Wing (Portugal) : Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (Two Sicilies) :

Order of the Eagle of Georgia The Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ ( ka, საქართველოს არწივისა და უფლისა ჩვენისა იესო ქრისტეს უკერ� ...

(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 The Imperial Order of Saint Catherine (russian: Императорский Орден Святой Екатерины) was an award of Imperial Russia. Instituted on 24 November 1714 by Peter the Great on the occasion of his marriage to 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 The Imperial Order of the Crescent ( ota, نشانِ خلال) was a chivalric order of the Ottoman Empire. History The order was instituted in 1799 by Sultan Selim III when he wished to reward Horatio Nelson, an Anglican Christian, for his v ...

, founded by René d'Anjou in 1448 : Society of Saint Jerome, founded by Friedrich II of Wettin in 1450 : Order of St Joachim, founded by 14 nobles in 1755 * 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 Franche-Comté (, ; ; Frainc-Comtou: ''Fraintche-Comtè''; frp, Franche-Comtât; also german: Freigrafschaft; es, Franco Condado; all ) is a cultural and historical region of eastern France. It is composed of the modern departments of Doubs, ...

, 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 Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...

(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 Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jea ...

in 1446 for 1 year.

Cliental pseudo-orders

Cliental pseudo-orders are not orders of chivalry and were princes' 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 Charles VI (3 December 136821 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé) and later the Mad (french: le Fol or ''le Fou''), was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychotic ...

ca. 1388 : Order of the camail or Porcupine, created by Louis d'Orléans in 1394 :

Order of the Dove The Order of the Dove (, meaning Order of the Pigeon, as the Spanish word ''paloma is'' used to refer both doves and pigeons), was a short lived military order which lasted only for a year. It was created by King Juan I of Castile in 1379 to defend ...

, 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 Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

, 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 An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and paired with medieval concep ...

(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.Definition adapted from www.turkishmedals.net, accessed 2010-02-20.

Influence

The orders have influenced organizations which are completely separate and distinct from them. Since at least the 18th century,

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

has incorporated symbols and rituals of several medieval military orders in a number of

Masonic bodies There are many organisations and orders which form part of the widespread fraternity of Freemasonry, each having its own structure and terminology. Collectively these may be referred to as Masonic bodies, Masonic orders or appendant bodies (or ...

, most notably, in the " Red Cross of Constantine" (derived from the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George), the "

" (derived from the

), and the " Order of the Temple" (derived from the historical Knights Templar), the latter two featuring prominently in the

York Rite The York Rite, sometimes referred to as the American Rite, is one of several Rites of Freemasonry. It is named for, but not practiced in York, Yorkshire, England. A Rite is a series of progressive degrees that are conferred by various Masonic ...

Modern orders

Most orders created since the late 17th century were no longer societies and fellowships of

s 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 Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

. 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 A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the ...

are sometimes referred to as orders of knighthood. As a consequence of being not an order of chivalry but orders of merit or

decorations Decoration may refer to: * Decorative arts * A house painter and decorator's craft * An act or object intended to increase the beauty of a person, room, etc. * An award that is a token of recognition to the recipient intended for wearing Other ...

, 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 Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

, the

Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria The Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (german: Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria. It is divided into 15 classes and is the highest award in the ...

, or the Legion of Merit of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

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. *

, one of the original military orders, founded as the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in 1048, sanctioned by Pope Paschal II on 15 February 1113. * Teutonic Order, a Catholic religious order founded as a military order in 1190 in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. * Order of Aviz founded by Afonso I of Portugal in 1146 * Order of Calatrava founded by St. Raymond of Fitero (

) in 1164. *

Order of Alcantara Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

founded by Ferdinand II of León (

) in 1167. * Order of Santiago founded Ferdinand II of León (

) in 1170. * Order of Saint James of the Sword founded by Afonso I of Portugal in 1172. *

founded by James II of Aragon (

) 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

ca. 1348 * Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, founded by

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 as the head of the house of Savoy rules in '' fons honorum''. * Order of the Golden Fleece, founded by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430 Aristide Michel Perrot - Collection historique des ordres de chevalerie civils et militaires (1820) pl

Aristide Michel Perrot - Collection historique des ordres de chevalerie civils et militaires (1820) pl

* Order of the Tower and Sword, founded by

in 1459 * Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus In 1572, Pope Gregory XIII united the Order of Saint Lazarus in perpetuity with the Crown of Savoy. Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy, merged it with the Savoyan Order of Saint Maurice, and thenceforth the title of Grand Master of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus was hereditary in that house. 1572 * 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 The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) a ...

, founded by King George I of Great Britain on 18 May 1725 * Order of the Seraphim, founded by Frederick I of Sweden in 1748. * Order of the Sword, founded by Frederick I of Sweden in 1748 ot 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 , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anha ...

of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

in 1769. * Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Carlos III, founded by

Charles III of Spain it, Carlo Sebastiano di Borbone e Farnese , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Elisabeth Farnese , birth_date = 20 January 1716 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Spain , death_da ...

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 George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

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 , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_p ...

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 Emperor Pedro I of Brazil founded the National Order of the Southern Cross ( pt, Ordem Nacional do Cruzeiro do Sul) as a Brazilian order of chivalry on 1 December 1822. The order aimed to commemorate the independence of Brazil (7 September 1 ...

, founded by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil on 1 December 1822. * Order of Leopold, founded by King Leopold I of the

Belgians Belgians ( nl, Belgen; french: Belges; german: Belgier) are people identified with the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe. As Belgium is a multinational state, this connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultur ...

on 11 July 1832. *

Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav I ...

, 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 The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (french: Ordre du Lion d'Or de la Maison de Nassau, nl, Huisorde van de Gouden Leeuw van Nassau) is a chivalric order shared by the two branches of the House of Nassau (the Ottonian and Walramia ...

, founded by

King-Grand Duke The designation of King-Grand Duke was held by the three monarchs of the House of Orange-Nassau that ruled Luxembourg and the Netherlands in personal union, between 1815 and 1890. These monarchs thus held the titles of King of the Netherlands and G ...

William III of

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

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 the Mexican Eagle, a Mexican Imperial Order founded on 1 January 1865 by Maximilian I of Mexico, renamed the Order of the Aztec Eagle in 1933. * Order of the Crown of Italy, founded by

Victor Emmanuel II en, Victor Emmanuel Maria Albert Eugene Ferdinand Thomas , house = Savoy , father = Charles Albert of Sardinia , mother = Maria Theresa of Austria , religion = Roman Catholicism , image_size = 252px , succession ...

, to celebrate the unification of italy 1868 *

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

, founded by the Queen regent

Emma of the Netherlands Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont (Adelheid Emma Wilhelmina Theresia; 2 August 1858 – 20 March 1934) was Queen of the Netherlands and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg as the wife of King-Grand Duke William III. An immensely popular member of the Dutch ...

, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands on 4 April 1892. *

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

, founded by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

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 Monisaraphon (or Muni Isvarabarna): founded by King Sisowath of Cambodia on 1 February 1905. *

Order of Michael the Brave The Order of Michael the Brave ( ro, Ordinul Mihai Viteazul) is Romania's highest military decoration, instituted by King Ferdinand I during the early stages of the Romanian Campaign of the First World War, and was again awarded in the Second Wor ...

, founded by King Ferdinand I of Romania on 26 September 1916. *

, founded by King

George V of the United Kingdom George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

on 4 June 1917. * Knightly Order of Vitéz, founded by Miklós Horthy the Regent of Hungary in 1921. *

, 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 The Royal Order of Sahametrei ( km, គ្រឿងឥស្សរិយយសលំដាប់សហមេត្រី) is a chivalric order conferred by the government of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Royal Order of Sahametrei was instituted in ...

, founded by King Norodom Sihanouk of the Kingdom of Cambodia on 9 September 1948. * Order of the Knights of Rizal, granted a legislative charter by President of the Philippines

Elpidio Quirino Elpidio Rivera Quirino (born Elpidio Quirino y Rivera; ; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the sixth president of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. A lawyer by profession, Quirino ente ...

on 14 June 1951. *

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

, founded by Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

of Canada in 1967. *

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...

, founded by Queen

of Australia in 1975. * Order of Merit of Savoy, founded by Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples in 1988. *

New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have r ...

, founded by Queen

of New Zealand in 1996.

Former orders

* Order of Saint Lazarus, founded in 1098 at a leper hospital in the

Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem ( la, Regnum Hierosolymitanum; fro, Roiaume de Jherusalem), officially known as the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem or the Frankish Kingdom of Palestine,Example (title of works): was a Crusader state that was establishe ...

and is one of the lesser known orders. * Order of Saint Stanislaus, founded by King Stanislaus II Augustus Poniatowski of Poland in 1765 *

Ludwigsorden The Ludwig Order (german: Großherzoglich Hessischer Ludwigsorden), was an order of the Grand Duchy of Hesse which was awarded to meritorious soldiers and civilians from 1807 to 1918. History The order was founded by Louis I, Grand Duke of Hess ...

(Order of Louis) of the

Grand Duchy of Hesse The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine (german: link=no, Großherzogtum Hessen und bei Rhein) was a grand duchy in western Germany that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Grand Duchy originally formed from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt in 18 ...

, founded 1807, abolished 1918 *

Order of the Iron Helmet On 18 March 1814 Elector Wilhelm I of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) founded the Order of the Iron Helmet (german: Orden vom Eisernen Helm). Maximilian Gritzner describes the model and the statutes of the order as "influenced by the example of th ...

Hesse-Kassel The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel (german: Landgrafschaft Hessen-Kassel), spelled Hesse-Cassel during its entire existence, was a state in the Holy Roman Empire that was directly subject to the Emperor. The state was created in 1567 when the L ...

(or Hesse-Cassel) (in present-day Germany), founded 1814, abolished 1866 *

Wilhelmsorden The Wilhelm Order ("Wilhelmsorden") of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) was instituted by the Elector Friedrich Wilhelm I on 20 August 1851 as a civil and military Order of Merit. It was composed of the three lower grades of the Order of the Gold ...

(Order of Wilhelm) of Hesse-Kassel, founded 1851, abolished 1875 *

Order of the Star of India The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander ( GCSI) # Knight Commander ( KCSI) # Companion ( CSI) No appointmen ...

, founded by Queen Victoria in 1861 and has not been awarded since the independence of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

in 1947 * Order of the Indian Empire, founded by Queen Victoria in 1878 and has not been awarded since the independence of

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 The Order of Pahlavi of the Empire of Iran, in Persian: "Neshan-e Pahlavi" was the highest order of the former Imperial State of Iran. History The Order was instituted in 1932 by Rezā Shāh, the founder of the Dynasty of the Pahlavi, and it ...

, founded 1928 by Reza Shah, abolished 1979 after the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...

. 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

Following the example set by the French

, founded by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

, most multi-level European orders comprise five ranks or classes. The highest is usually called the

Grand Cross Grand Cross is the highest class in many orders, and manifested in its insignia. Exceptionally, the highest class may be referred to as Grand Cordon or equivalent. In other cases, there may exist a rank even higher than Grand Cross, e.g. Grand ...

, then descending with varying titles. Alternatively, the ranks are referred to by number (for example "1st class" instead of "Grand Cross"). Typical rankings are: 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 decoration A necklet is a type of decoration which is designed to be worn and displayed around a person's neck, rather than hung (draped) from the chest as is the standard practice for displaying most decorations. In the Middle Ages most order's insignias ...

s), 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 A mantle is a piece of clothing, a type of cloak. Several other meanings are derived from that. Mantle may refer to: *Mantle (clothing), a cloak-like garment worn mainly by women as fashionable outerwear **Mantle (vesture), an Eastern Orthodox ve ...

and a hat. An example of such a modern-day order is the

. The French

democratised the honour systems of orders of chivalry and merit in the sense of formally omitting both the expectations of

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

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

s conferred by the

House of Bavaria The House of Wittelsbach () is a German dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including Bavaria, the Palatinate, Holland and Zeeland, Sweden (with Finland), Denmark, Norway, Hungary (with Romania), Bohemia, the Electorate o ...

or the House of Imperial Russia.

Self-styled orders

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. The answer to the question of whether an order is legitimate or not varies from nation to nation, 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." 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 monarchical in nature). 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.Bossuat, A. (1944). Un ordre de chevalerie auvergnat; l'ordre de la Pomme d'or'. Bidle/in bistoriqia it stienti/iqm dt I'Aupergite, Uiv (1944), 83–98; H. Morel,'Unc associa, 523-4.

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * *

External links

History of Orders of Chivalry: A Survey

Medieval Chivalry – World History Encyclopedia

Fake Titles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chivalric Order

Overview

Terminology

Holy See

Sansovino

Boulton

Other

Medieval orders

Monarchical orders

Confraternal orders

Fraternal orders

Votive orders

Cliental pseudo-orders

Honorific orders

Influence

Modern orders

Current orders

Former orders

Typical insignia and ranks

Self-styled orders

See also

Notes

Bibliography

External links