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

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

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 pat ...

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 created the order on 4 November 1801 in honour of Queen Saint Isabel, consort of Portuguese King

Denis I Denis (, ; 9 October 1261 – 7 January 1325 in Santarém), called the Farmer King (''Rei Lavrador'') and the Poet King (''Rei Poeta''), was King of Portugal. The eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second wife, Beatrice of Castile, an ...

, investing his wife

Carlota Joaquina Doña Carlota Joaquina Teresa Cayetana of Spain (25 April 1775 – 7 January 1830) was Queen of Portugal and Brazil as the wife of King Dom John VI. She was the daughter of King Don Charles IV of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma. ...

as Grand Mistress of the order. On 5 October 1910, the monarchy was replaced by a republic. 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 Mig ...

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 river ...

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 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 ...