Fra' Robert Matthew Festing
GCStJ OBE TD DL (30 November 1949 – 12 November 2021) was an English Roman Catholic official who was the
Prince and Grand Master of 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, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...
from 2008 until his resignation on 28 January 2017, following a dispute with the Vatican.
Family
Festing was the youngest of four sons born to
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
Sir
Francis Festing,
Chief of the Imperial General Staff,
[ (Archived: 12 May 2008)] a Roman Catholic convert who became a Knight of Malta, and Mary Cecilia (''née'' Riddell), the elder daughter of Cuthbert David Giffard Riddell of Swinburne Castle, Northumberland. His father was the grandson of Colonel Sir
Francis Worgan Festing. His mother was from an English
recusant family, descending from the
Throckmorton baronets and Blessed Sir
Adrian Fortescue, martyred in 1539.
His three elder brothers are John Festing (a former
High Sheriff of Northumberland),
Major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
Michael Festing, and
Andrew Festing (formerly President of the
Royal Society of Portrait Painters).
Education and career
Festing attended
Ampleforth College, before going to
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...
, where he graduated in Modern History.
He was sponsored by the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
in the rank of
second lieutenant on a university cadetship whilst at Cambridge before being commissioned, on 23 July 1971, as an Ensign in the
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...
; his
personal number was 486330.
Until 2008, he was
Sotheby's
Sotheby's ( ) is a British-founded multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine art, fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...
auction representative in
Northumberland
Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...
and held the rank of
colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
in the
Territorial Army.
Festing was appointed a
Deputy Lieutenant for Northumberland in 1994 and in the
1998 Birthday Honours was appointed an Officer of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE).
He also served as the County Cadet Commandant of the Northumbria Army Cadet Force and was Patron of the Sandhurst Foundation and a Trustee of Northumbria Historic Churches.
Order of Malta
Festing was admitted to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 1977. In 1991, he took
perpetual vows, becoming a Knight of Justice. From 1993 to 2008, he served as
Grand Prior of England, the first in this office since 1815.
On 11 March 2008, Festing was elected Grand Master following a
conclave
A conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to appoint the pope of the Catholic Church. Catholics consider the pope to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and the earthly head of the Catholic Church.
Concerns around ...
-style meeting at the order's
villa
A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the f ...
on the
Aventine Hill in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
.
Only the third English Grand Master of the Order of Malta, he was the immediate successor to the second,
Fra' Andrew Bertie, the first being
Hugh de Revel from 1258 to 1277.
Resignation
Festing and the Holy See had been in dispute since December 2016, when Festing had dismissed the Order's Grand Chancellor,
Albrecht, Baron von Boeselager, for
not adequately reporting on the distribution of contraceptives, including
abortifacient
An abortifacient ("that which will cause a miscarriage" from Latin: '' abortus'' "miscarriage" and '' faciens'' "making") is a substance that induces abortion. This is a nonspecific term which may refer to any number of substances or medications, ...
s, in a medical project for the poor.
Von Boeselager was viewed as an obstacle to
Raymond Cardinal Burke's vision of the order, while the German Grand Chancellor's reform-minded approach to the Order's governance clashed with that of Fra' Matthew. Festing revealed he consulted closely with the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is a department of the Roman Curia in charge of the religious discipline of the Catholic Church. The Dicastery is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of t ...
, including its then Prefect,
Gerhard Cardinal Müller. Knights say the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is a department of the Roman Curia in charge of the religious discipline of the Catholic Church. The Dicastery is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of t ...
was consulted about the case but never presented the Order with any documentation nor did they meet with the Grand Chancellor.
Boeselager appealed to
Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
, who appointed a five-member commission to look into perceived judicial irregularities in the circumstances of the dismissal. Festing refused to cooperate, describing the commission as an illegitimate intervention in the Order's sovereign affairs, accusing its members of a conflict of interest, and setting up his own internal commission. The Vatican, in turn, rejected what it said was an attempt to discredit members of the commission and ordered the leaders of the institution to cooperate with the inquiry.
In January 2017, Pope Francis asked Festing to resign, with the latter submitting his resignation on January 24.
Cardinal Burke, the patron of the Order, tried to convince Festing to withdraw his resignation and keep fighting the Vatican. On 28 January 2017, the Order's Sovereign Council accepted Festing's resignation and re-instated Boeselager. Fra'
Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein was chosen as Lieutenant ''ad interim'' and presided over the Sovereign Council that annulled the decrees establishing the disciplinary procedures against Boeselager as well as the suspension of his membership in the Order. Boeselager resumed his office as Grand Chancellor immediately.
In April 2017, Archbishop
Giovanni Angelo Becciu, the temporary papal delegate to the Order, instructed Festing not to travel to
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
for the election of his successor. He wrote that many of the Order had "expressed their wish" that Festing not travel to Rome for the election as they felt his presence would "reopen wounds" and prevent a return to harmony.
As it appeared that Festing ignored this order and arrived in Rome just before the meeting to elect a new Grand Master, the Vatican reconsidered and annulled the order. According to sources within the Order, this was because his absence as a professed knight could have invalidated the ballot.
Death
Festing suddenly collapsed after attending the profession of vows of Fra'
Francis Vassallo, in
Saint John's Co-Cathedral of
Valletta
Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...
on 4 November 2021. He died eight days later at hospital at the age of 71. His funeral Mass took place on 3 December at
Saint John's Co-Cathedral, presided over by cardinal
Silvano Maria Tomasi and then he was buried in the crypt of that church next to his predecessors.
Ancestry
Chivalric orders
* :
** Bailiff Grand Prior (2017)
**
Grand Master (2008-2017)
**
Bailiff
A bailiff is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. There are different kinds, and their offices and scope of duties vary.
Another official sometimes referred to as a '' ...
(1991)
**
Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a 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.
The concept of a knighthood ...
(1977)
* (12 June 1998)
* (5 May 2009)
*
Territorial Decoration
__NOTOC__
The Territorial Decoration (TD) was a military medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Territorial Army.
This award superseded the Volunteer O ...
(TD) (1991)
* Collar of the
Order of the Star of Romania (6 September 2008)
* Commander Grand Cross of the
Order of the Three Stars (14 October 2008)
* Knight Grand Cross with Collar
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...
(27 October 2008)
* Grand Cross with Chain of the
Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary
The Hungarian Order of Merit () is the fourth highest Order (honour), State Order of Hungary. Founded in 1991, the order is a revival of an original order founded in 1946 and abolished in 1949. Its origins, however, can be traced to the Order of ...
(6 February 2009)
*

Grand Cross of the
Order of St. Charles (14 October 2009)
*

Grand Collar of the
Military Order of Saint James of the Sword (23 November 2010)
* Grand Star of the
Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (2012)
*

Member of the
Grand Order of King Tomislav (12 October 2008)
*
Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (Franco-Neapolitan branch):
[The Constantinian Order and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta](_blank)
- website of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
** Bailiff Grand Cross of Justice with the Collar (2010)
** Knight Grand Cross of Justice (1994)
** Knight of Justice (1991)
*

Knight of the
Order of St Januarius (2010)
*
House of Romanov
The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning dynasty, imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russi ...
:
**

Knight of the
Order of St. Andrew (2014)
**

Knight of the
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (2014)
**

Knight of the
Order of the White Eagle (2014)
** Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of St. Anna (2014)
**

Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of St. Stanislaus (2014)
*

Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the
Holy Military Order of St. Stephen Pope and Martyr
*

Grand Collar of the
Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Raja (3 March 2015)
*

Grand Collar Of the
Order of Makarios III (25 October 2012)
*

Knight of the Collar of the
Order of Isabella the Catholic
The Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OYC) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bestowed by the Kingdom of Spain, alongside the Order of Charles III (established in 1771) and ...
(31 July 2015)
National honours
*
National Flag Order
The National Flag Decoration () is one of the highest decorations to be given in Albania, among the Civil awards and decorations of Albania, and was instituted by special law Nr.8113, of 28 March 1996.
This award is granted to Albanians or forei ...
(
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
) (2015)
Crown appointment of the United Kingdom
*
Deputy Lieutenant for the
County of Northumberland
Honorary citizenship
*
Honorary Freeman of the City of
Rapallo
Rapallo ( , , ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, in the Italy, Italian region of Liguria.
As of 2017 it had 29,778 inhabitants. It lies on the Ligurian Sea coast, on the Tigullio Gulf, between Portofino and ...
(
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, 18 September 2008)
*
Pompeii
Pompeii ( ; ) was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Along with Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Villa Boscoreale, many surrounding villas, the city was buried under of volcanic ash and p ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
*
Birgu
Birgu ( , ), also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ('Victorious City'), is an old Fortifications of Birgu, fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the Port Region, Malta, Port Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory ...
,
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
Honorary academic degrees
References
Sources
Hannah Roberts, "Matthew Festing, Grand Master of the Knights of Malta", ''Financial Times'', 22 June 2016* Constantin Magnis: ''Gefallene Ritter. Malteserorden und Vatikan - Der Machtkampf zwischen zwei der ältesten Institutionen der Welt''. HarperCollins 2020. .
External links
Official website of the Sovereign Order of Malta
{{DEFAULTSORT:Festing, Matthew
1949 births
2021 deaths
Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
Deputy lieutenants of Northumberland
English Roman Catholics
Matthew
Matthew
Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint-Charles
Grand Collars of the Order of Saint James of the Sword
Grenadier Guards officers
Knights of Malta
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
People educated at Ampleforth College
People from Northumberland
Princes and grand masters of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
First Class of the Order of the Star of Romania
Burials at Saint John's Co-Cathedral
Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Order of St John