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THE INTERNATIONAL AND ROYAL
COUNCIL FOR ORDERS OF CHIVALRY
THE ALMANACH DE CHIVALRY 2008
( Founded 2002 by Royal Charter )
The Register of Orders of Chivalry
Registre des Ordres de Chevalerie
The Official Listing of The Imperial
and Royal European Orders of Chivalry
The Imperial and Royal Orders of
Knighthood of The Holy Roman Empire
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(Above)
The Ceremonial Decorations of The Imperial Augustinian Order
of The White Eagle of The Holy Roman Empire
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THE IMPERIAL AND ROYAL AUGUSTINIAN ORDER OF
THE WHITE EAGLE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
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The Imperial and Royal Augustinian Order of The White Eagle of The Holy Roman Empire, was formally established by His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, in His formal capacity as The de jure Emperor Charles VIII, King of Germany, by Imperial Decree on the first day of September, 1999, as an Imperial and Royal Dynastic Ceremonial House Order of Knighthood. The Order consists of One Class, being Knight Grand Cross and is limited to members of The Imperial and Royal Electoral House only. The official emblem of the Imperial Order, consists of a crowned single headed white eagle with outspread wings with a Teutonic Cross on its breast, the whole is set on a eight pointed red cross with golden rays. The motto of the Order is 'Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperit', (Christ Conquers, Christ Reigns, Christ Rules) from Emperor Charlemagnes motto, (742-814) first Holy Roman Emperor (800-814). The objects of the Imperial Order are to promote the spirit and cause of Christian Chivalry, to stimulate the practice of virtue and good behaviour and to formally honour the glory and praise of God Almighty. The Orders Patron Saint is St. Michael the Archangel of Heaven, who also holds the formal Apostolic position of the Patron Saint of The Holy Roman Empire of The German Nation. The First Sovereign Grand Master is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, Principal Knight Grand Cross, who formally confers the said Order as part of His personal gift to members of the Imperial and Royal Electoral House and Family. Furthermore the Sovereign Grand Mastership of the said Imperial Order is only formally transmissible to the legitimate Heirs of The Imperial and Royal Electoral House, His Imperial Highness, as founder and First Sovereign Grand Master reserves the 'extraterritorial' Sovereighty of the said Imperial Order for Himself and His Heirs and Successors of His Body. The Present Grand Chancellor and Principal Lady Grand Cross is Her Imperial and Royal Highness Princess Maria Alexandra of Germany, Duchess of Swabia, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, de jure Empress Maria of Germany. The Grand Chaplainship of the Imperial Order is formally vested within the Holy See of St. Peter, Rome.
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The Ceremonial Decorations of
The Imperial Carinthian Order of Karl Der Grosse
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THE IMPERIAL CARINTHIAN ORDER OF KARL DER GROSSE
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The Imperial Carinthian Order of Karl der Grosse, was formally established by His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, in His formal capacity as the reigning de jure Emperor Charles VIII, King of Germany, by Imperial Decree on Christmas day 2001, as an Imperial Dynastic Ceremonial Order of Knighthood. The Imperial Order, consists of One Class, being Knight Grand Commander or Lady Grand Commander, and is limited to members of the Imperial Court holding a Titles of Nobility only. The emblem of the Imperial Order, consists of a red cross with gold rim, set on gold crossed swords bearing in the centre the Imperial Carinthian Crown of The Holy Roman Empire. The Official Motto of the Order is 'DEO ET IMPERIO'(FOR GOD AND EMPIRE), The objects of the Imperial Order are to promote the spirit and cause of Christian Chivalry and to formally honour the Glory of the most Illustrious Holy Roman Emperor of them all being Charles the Great/Karl der Grosse/Charlemagne, as he is formally known in European Countries. The Orders Patron Saint is St. Peter the Apostle, first Pope of the Universal Church. The first Sovereign Grand Master is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, Principal Knight Grand Commander, who formally confers the said Imperial Order as part of His personal gift. The Soveriegn Grand Mastership of the said Imperial Order is only formally transmissible to the legitimate Heirs of the Imperial and Royal Electoral House and Family of Germany, His Imperial Highness, as founder and first Sovereign Grand Master, reserves the 'extraterritorial' Sovereignty of for Himself and His Heirs and Successors of His Body and House. The Present High Grand Chancellor and Principal Lady Grand Commander is Her Imperial and Royal Highness Princess Maria Alexandra of Germany, Duchess of Swabia, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, de jure Empress Maria of Germany. The Grand Commander of The Imperial Order, is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Henry of Germany. Duke of Franconia, Count of Hohenstaufen, Knight Grand Commander of The Imperial Carinthian Order of Karl der Grosse. The Grand Chaplainship of The Imperial Order is formally vested within the Holy See of St. Peter, Rome.
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The Ceremonial Decorations of
The Imperial and Royal Order of St.Hubert of Lorraine
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THE IMPERIAL AND ROYAL ORDER OF ST. HUBERT OF LORRAINE
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The Order of St. Hubert of Lorraine was formally founded in the year 1416 by Louis, Duke of Bar, it was placed under the patronage of St.Hubert. Its object was to reward members of the Nobility for accomlishing charity, King Louis XV of France(1715-1774)took the Order under His special protection. Suppressed by the French Revolution, the Order was revived by Louis XVIII in 1816, but finally went into dormancy in 1824. The Order was formally revived from dormancy by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, in His formal capacity as The de jure Emperor Charles VIII, King of Germany, on Christmas Day 2000, and was formally raised to the Style, Title and Dignity of an Imperial and Royal Order of The Holy Roman Empire, from the date of the Imperial Decree issued. The Order consists of One Class being Knight Grand Commander or Lady Grand Commander, and is limited to one hundred Knights regardless of sex or religion. The Order was made a Ceremonial Dynastic Order of Knighthood by Imperial Decree issued By His Imperial Highness, and as such is part of the dynastic patrimony of the Imperial and Royal Electoral House of Germany. The Sovereign Grand Mastership of the Imperial Order is only formally transmissble to the legitimate Heirs of the aforementioned Imperial and Royal House and Family. The present Sovereign Grand Master of the Imperial Order is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, Principal Knight Grand Commander, who formally confers the said Imperial Order as part of His personal gift. The present Grand Chancellor and Principal Lady Grand Commander is Her Imperial and Royal Highness Princess Maria Alexandra of Germamy, Duchess of Swabia, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, de jure Empress Maria of Germany. The Grand Chaplainship of The Imperial Order is formally vested within The Holy See St.Peter, Rome.
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The Ceremonial Cross of The Imperial
German Order of St. John of Jerusalem
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THE IMPERIAL GERMAN ORDER OF THE HOSPITAL
OF ST.JOHN OF JERUSALEM
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( Imperial Johanniter Order of Germany )
( Grand Priory of Germany )
The German Knights of Saint John were the smallest group in the Order following the suppression of the Grand Priory of England, as German nobles wishing to make religious profession as knights generally joined the Teutonic Order. Only with the destruction of the latter as an independent institution in the early nineteenth century and its subordination to the Austrian Emperor did a substantial number of Germans join the Order of Malta (indeed the first National Associations to be formed were the Rhine-Westphalian in 1859 and the Silesian in 1867).
The first known Grand Prior of Germany was a certain Arleboldus in 1187, but we know little about the early priors before Fra' Henry (Count) of Dockenburg, elected in 1251 and Fra Henry (Count) of Furstenberg elected in 1272. The German knights particularly distinguished themselves in the crusade to halt Sultan Bajazet's campaign through the Balkans in 1397, under the leadership of the then Grand Prior, Fra' Friedrich (Count) of Zollern, elected in 1394. They joined the Grand Master, who had come directly from Rhodes along with the principal commanders of the Order's forces and a large number of knights, in Hungary and proceeded southwards to Bulgaria. The battle of Nicopolis which followed in 1397 was a crushing defeat for the Christian forces, all but twenty-five of the Christian knights (who were held for ransom), including the German Grand Prior, either died in battle or were executed by the victorious Turks afterwards; the Grand Master himself escaped. Bajazet was halted, however, and the Turkish forces did not again successfully invade the territory of the Empire for another one hundred and thirty years. The importance of the German Langue was recognized at the Chapter-General of 23 May 1428 when the title of Grand Bailiff was conferred on its head, with the responsibility of inspecting and superintending all the priories and commanderies in Germany, Bohemia and neighbouring provinces. The Grand Bailiff was also given the task of supervising the inspection of the governor and garrison of the Castle of Saint Peter of Halicarnassus and the coast of Asia Minor, which he was required to visit annually.
Unfortunately the preponderance of French knights and their domination of the principal offices of the Order caused some resentment on the part of the smaller Langues, who had already been divided during the great schism (the German Grand Priory was itself split over this issue). The German knights were never powerful enough for their case to succeed and the minor role they played in the affairs of the Order was probably partially responsible for the relatively modest support the Order enjoyed in the northern territories of the Empire. Nonetheless they consistently provided a small group of knights to defend the convent, eight Germans participating in the defense of Rhodes in 1480. With the turmoil generated by Martin Luther and the Hussites, Germany and Bohemia were both in considerable disorder by the time of the second siege of Rhodes in 1522 and only seven Germans, out of a total of just under three hundred and forty knights present, participated in the final defense of the island. The Bailiff of Brandenburg, commanding the light cavalry, himself fell during the first siege, immortalizing the title which is now attached to the Lutheran Order, and the post defended by the Germans (under the command of commander Fra' Christopher Valdner) was the first to be attacked at the second siege. With the acquisition of Malta, the Grand Bailiff, Fra' Georg Schilling von Cannstatt, was given initial responsibility for the defense of Tripoli but warned that the city's physical situation would make it very difficult to defend against a serious attack. Fortunately, when his prediction came true it was the Marshal of the Order, Villars, who bore the blame for abandoning Tripoli in 1551 and who was imprisoned and humiliated by Grand Master de Homedes (he was rehabilitated by Jean de la Valette).
Schilling was one of the greatest military commanders the Order had in its history and, as general of the galleys, in the 1530's and 1540's commanded numerous sallies against the Moslem raiders based across North Africa. In September 1541 he led a fleet of four galleys and two well-armed valets (small, fast raiding ships) with some four hundred knights and soldiers to join the Imperial fleet under Andrea Doria. In late October they reached the coast of Algeria and began the siege of the capital. Schilling distinguished himself brilliantly, leading a company of German knights and soldiers in repeated charges at the walls, but although they failed to capture the city they successfully destroyed much of the Moslem pirate fleet. In 1548 Schilling was rewarded by the Emperor with the elevation of the Order's bailiwick at Heitersheim (after 1806 it was incorporated into Baden) to an immediate Principality of the Holy Roman Empire with a seat in the Diet, remaining at the head of the German Langue until his death four years later. Since each new Grand Prior had to be reinvested with the principality the grant of this privilege gave the Emperor greater control over the Langue.
The election of Fra' Jean de la Valette in 1557 came at a time of great strain in the Order. The English Langue had been abolished and then temporarily reinstated but was very weak and was to be suppressed again within three years; the German Langue was divided by the conversion of some of its members to the doctrines of Luther and Calvin. Many of the commanderies had ceased to pay responsions and, after the Grand Master complained to the Emperor, the German knights were summoned to a Chapter-General and agreed to send three delegates to Malta to arrange a settlement with the Grand Master. Although problems continued in Germany, with the Lutheran commanderies periodically refusing to pay their responsions, the German knights distinguished themselves at the great siege, sharing with the Portugese knights the responsibility of defending the Mole to the walls of the Castle of Sant' Angelo.
The Grand Master and Sacred Council were continually confronted with problems in Germany during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In the mid-1570's a proposal was made in the Imperial Diet to force the unification of the German knights with the Teutonic Order, to provide a more powerful defensive force against further Turkish incursions into Hungary. Fortunately the Order's Ambassador successfully lobbied against this but, in 1578, following the death of the Grand Prior of Bohemia, the Emperor asserted a claim to nominate his successor, although again the Grand Master successfully maintained the Order's rights. Two years later, in 1580, the Emperor once again claimed the prerogative to nominate the Grand Prior of Bohemia and make nominations to commanderies, leading to a break-down in relations over this issue which was settled in the Order's favor in 1598. In the following year the Grand Master and Council augmented the potential number of German knights by permitting Swiss postulants to join the German Langue.
In 1580 the Bailiff of Brandenburg and several knights of the Bailiwick of Sonnenburg, in East Prussia, who had abandoned their vows to embrace Lutheranism, effectively detached themselves from the Grand Magistral authority. The Grand Master and Council could not recognize this declaration of secession by the protestant commanderies and the title of Bailiff of Brandenburg continued to be given, as an honorific, to a senior German knight. The loyalty of the remaining German knights to the Grand Master was severely tested in 1608 over the admission into the Langue of Charles, Count of Brie, natural son of Henri, Duke of Lorraine and, in an act of revolt, the Germans removed the Arms of the Grand Master and Order from the front of their Auberge and replaced them with those of the Emperor. The disastrous Thirty Years War worsened the Order's situation in Germany, with members of the Order engaged on opposite sides in the conflict and no responsions being sent to the common treasure for the whole period. Urban VIII, who had been increasing the Papal authority over the Order,then extended to the Polish knights the right to enjoy Bohemian commanderies on the basis that both Priories were members of the same Langue.
The Treaties of Munster and Osnabruck of 1648, which effectively ended the war in Germany, were agreed at the expense of the Order and resulted in the definitive loss of the Lutheran commanderies, now permanently separated under the protection of the Elector of Brandenburg. Despite the high rank and prestige of the newly elected Grand Prior, Fra' Friedrich (Landgraf) of Hesse-Darmstadt, a courageous and spiritual knight, the Order was virtually ignored in the Treaty negotiations and a satisfactory settlement of the war was seen as a more important priority than the interests of the Order of Saint John. In 1668, however, the Grand Prior successfully obtained the sum of fifty thousand florins from the State of Holland in the Netherlands in compensation for the seizure of the benefices of the commandery of Haarlem, to which the Order renounced all its claims.
Hesse-Darmstadt's and his two successors as Grand Prior died within a month of their appointment and were succeeded by Fra' Herman (Baron) von Wachtendonck in 1683 (who died in 1703). The new Grand Prior was soon faced with the threat of a Turkish invasion of the Empire but the brilliant defense of Vienna by Jan Sobieski, King of Poland, in which several knights participated, drove them back across the Danube and out of the Imperial territories, into which they never ventured again. This great victory inspired a new alliance against the infidel and a brief but successful campaign followed in which the German knights participated with distinction; again in 1694 a further campaign was undertaken, in which the German knight, Fra' Franz-Sigismond (Count) von Thun, was appointed General. The final crusade in which the German knights joined was the campaign in the Morea and the Balkans in 1715-18, culminating in the battle of Passarowitz in which the Christian forces were commanded by the Imperial Field Marshal Prince Eugene of Savoy.
The number of German knights of the Order of Malta was never substantial, numbering thirty-seven when Vertot published his great work in 1726. Of these several held more than one commandery, the (titular Catholic) bailiwick of Brandenburg then being held by Fra' Philipp-Wolfgang (Baron) von Guttenberg, along with three other commanderies. In 1726 the Langue had sixty-seven commanderies, excluding the Priories of Bohemia and Hungary, and the protestant Bailiwick at Sonnenburg. Among the German knights were several whose families are today represented in the Order, namely the then Grand Prior, Fra' Goswin-Herman-Othon (Baron) von Merveldt and Fra' Herman-Adolf (Baron) von Merveldt (there are three Counts von Merveldt in the Rhine-Westphalian Association and one in the British), Fra' Johann (Baron) von Freyberg (there are four Freybergs in the Rhine-Westhpalian and one in the Silesian Associations), and Fra' Albrecht-Franz (Count) von Fugger-Kirchberg (the Prince of Fugger-Babenhausen is a member of the Rhine-Westphalian Association).
At the fall of Malta the last Grand Prior of Germany and Prince of Heitersheim was Fra Ignaz-Balthasar (Baron) Rinck von Baldenstein, elected in 1796 in succession to Fra Johann-Josef-Benedict (Count) of Reinach.
The Grand Priory of Germany, was formally revived from dormancy by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl Friedrich of Germany, Duke of Swabia, in His formal capacity as the de jure Emperor Charles VIII, King of Germany, on the 25th of October in the year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Five, who formally assumed the Titles, Rank and Dignity of Grand Prior of Germany and Prince of Heitersheim and is thus formally held under the Supreme Sovereign Protection of the Imperial Crown of Germany and of His Imperial Highness, the Johanniter Order of Germany was granted the Style, Title and Dignity of an Imperial Order of The Holy Roman Empire, The Order is a ceremonial Order of Knighthood and as such is part of the patrimony of the Imperial and Royal Crown of Holy Roman Empire of The German Nation. The Present Grand Prior of the Imperial Johanniter Order of Germany and Prince of Heitersheim is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl Friedrich of Germany, Duke of Swabia, The Present Grand Chancellor and Knight of Justice of the Imperial Johanniter Order of Germany is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Henry of Germany, Duke of Franconia, The Chaplainship of the Grand Priory is formally vested within the Holy See of St. Peter, Rome.
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Decorations of the Imperial German Order
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The Cross of the Johanniter Order is a white maltese cross with a single headed german eagle between each arm, suspended from a long plain black neck ribbon (so that it hangs on the breast). The Crosses of the Herrenmeister (7 cms diameter), commanders (5.5 cms diameter) and the knights of Justice (5.0 cms diameter) have gold Prussian eagles between the arms and are ensigned with a closed royal crown; that of knights of Honor (6 cms) has black eagles with gold heads and no crown. The mantle of the knights of Justice and Honor are identical, a plain black cloak decorated on the left side with the plain white cross, but that of the Herrenmeister is in velvet faced with black satin, the knights of Justice is moire faced with satin and French knights of Honor have a white woollen collar.
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Heraldic Regulations
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The Arms of the Order are: (informally) Gules, a (Greek) cross Argent. By regulations of 16 January 1858 commanders may superimpose their Arms upon the plain Cross of the Order; knights of Justice may quarter the Cross in the 1st and 3rd quarters, if their Arms are already quartered they may place the Cross on an escutcheon of pretense, and if their Arms already include an escutcheon the Cross will be charged above and below the escutcheon. Knights of Honor can only suspend the Cross from below the shield.
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THE IMPERIAL AND ROYAL MILITARY ORDER OF ST. HENRY
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The Military Order of St. Henry, was formally established in the year 1736 by Augustus III, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony (1733-1763) to mark his fortieth birthday and honour the Saintly Saxon Emperor Henry II. The Order was formally conferred for meritious deeds regardless of religion and class. Th emedallion bears the image of St. Henry in Imperial Robes on the reverse of the Order are the Arms of Saxony. The Order was formally revived by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, in His formal capacity as the de jure Emperor Charles VIII, King of Germany, from dormancy on Christmas Day 2000, and was formally raised to the Style, Title and Dignity of an Imperial and Royal Order of The Holy Roman Empire, from the date of the Imperial Decree issued. The Order consists of Two Classes of Knighthood being Knight Grand Cross or Lady Grand Cross and Knight Commander or Lady Commander and is limited to One hundred Knights only. The Order is a ceremonial dynastic Order of Knighthood and as such is part of the dynastic patrimony of the Imperial and Royal Electoral House and Family of Germany. The Sovereign Grand Mastership is only formally transmissible to the legitimate Heirs of the aforementioned Sovereign House and Family. The Present Sovereign Grand Master and Principal Knight Grand Cross is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, who formally confers the said Imperial and Royal Order as part of His personal gift. The Present Grand Chancellor and Knight Grand Cross is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Henry of Germany, Duke of Franconia,Count of Hohenstaufen. The Grand Chaplainship of the Order is formally vested within the Holy See of St. Peter, Rome.
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THE IMPERIAL AND ROYAL ORDER OF ST.GEORGE OF CARINTHIA
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This Order was established by the Emperor designate Rudolph I of Habsburg (1273-1291) in the year 1273 to continue the Order of St.George of Austria. It was re-established on Christmas night in Rome, in the year 1468 by Emperor Frederick III (1452-1493) as a lay and religious, military and civil dynastic Order. The Order was approved on the 1st of January 1469 by Pope Paul II (1468-1471) and again in 1472 by Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484). It was amplified by Emperor Maximillian I (1493-1519) and approved by Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503) in 1493 together with the confraternity of St.George in Carinthia, to which he asked to be admitted as a member together with the Sacred College. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the Order was described as one of the most important of The Holy Roman Empire. The badge consisted of a four-pointed star with a red enamel cross botonne in the centre, bearing the Carinthian Crown of the Holy Roman Empire on the upper arm. The Order was finally suppressed in 1781 by the Emperor Joseph II (1765-1790). The Order was formally revived by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, in His formal capacity as the de jure Emperor Charles VIII of Germany, from dormancy on Christmas Day 2000, and was formally raised to the Style, Title and Dignity of an Imperial and Royal Order of the Holy Roman Empire, from the date of the Imperial Decree. The Order consists of One universal class of Knighthood being Knight Grand Commander or Lady Grand Commander and is limited to Two hundred Knights only. The Order is a Ceremonial Dynastic Order of Knighthood and as such is part of the dynastic patrimony of The Imperial and Royal Electoral House of Germany. The Sovereign Grand Mastership is only formally transmissible to the legitimate Heirs of the Imperial and Royal Electoral House and Family. The Present Sovereign Grand Master and Principal Knight Grand Commander is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl Fredericke of Germany, Duke of Swabia, who formally confers the said Imperial and Royal Order as part of His personal gift. The present Grand Chancellor and Knight Grand Commander is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Louis of Germany, Duke of Thuringia, Count of Regensburg. The Grand Chaplainship of the Imperial Order is formally vested within The Holy See of St. Peter, Rome.
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THE IMPERIAL ORDER OF THE ANCIENT
NOBILITY OF THE FOUR EMPERORS
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The Order of The Ancient Nobility of The Four Emperors was founded by the Emperor Henry VII in the year 1308 under the Patronage of the Guardian Angel, it became extinct in the sixteenth century, was later revived and united with the Order of Merit of the Lion of Holstein-Limburg, under the patronage of St. Phillipe. Its object was the defence of the Faith. It was reserved for members of the nobility and higher clergy, and was held in great esteem. The Order ceased to exist during the second half of the last century. The Order was formally revived from dormancy by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, in His formal capacity as the de jure Emperor Charles VIII, King of Germany, on the 1st of August, 2001, and the Order was formally raised to the Style, Title and Dignity of an Imperial Order of The Holy Roman Empire, from the date of the Imperial Decree. The Order is not formally Conferred at present, His Imperial Highness, has formally assumed the Sovereign Grand Mastership of the Imperial Order and is held under His Imperial Highness', personal protection. The Sovereign Grand Mastership is oonly formally transmissible to the legitimate Heirs of the Imperial and Royal Electoral House and Family of Germany.
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THE IMPERIAL ORDER OF THE DEFEATED DRAGON
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The Order of the Defeated Dragon (German: Drachenorden; Latin: Societas Draconistrarum) was formally established in the year 1418 by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, and his second wife (Barbara Cilli) after the Council of Constance, to defend the Church against the heretics, especially the Hussites. The defeated dragon is a symbol of the destruction of heresy. The Order flourished in Germany, and Italy, Members of the Order were known as draconists.
After Sigismund's decisive victory in Bosnia, the king decided to found his own secular order. The members were important political allies and vassals, the pillars of Sigismund power. The name of the order refers to St. George. The sigils of the order were an ouroborus and the flaming cross. On December 13, 1418, the charter for the Order was publicly announced, dedicating the Order to the defense of the cross from its enemies, particularly the Ottomans and Hussites. The founding twenty-four members were inducted in 1418, including:
Sigismund of Luxembourg, King of Hungary
Stefan Lazareviæ of Serbia
King Alfonso of Aragon and Naples
King Ladislaus II of Poland
Grand Prince Vytautas of Lithuania
Duke Ernst of Austria
Christopher III, Duke of Bavaria and King of Denmark
Pipo of Ozora
The University of Bucharest annotation to the original edict which establishes the Order reads O Quam Misericors est Deus, Pius et Justus, which may be part of the emblem.
In 1431, Sigismund chose to expand the ranks of the Order. To achieve this, he invited a number of politically influential and militarily useful vassals and nobles for indoctrination into the Order. Included in this ceremony was Vlad II Dracul, father of Vlad Țepeș, who was serving as frontier commander guarding the passes from Transylvania to Wallachia. (The post-title Dracul refers to being invested with the Order of the Dragon.)The addition of new members caused the creation of many classes within the Order. Each class had a slight variation on the symbol of the order, although the dragon motif was dominant in each variation. Common changes included the addition of inscriptions like O Quam Misericors est Deus ("Oh, how merciful God is") and Justus et Paciens ("Justifiably and peacefully"). The order remained prominent until the death of Sigismund in 1437. Without a strong sponsor, the Order quickly lost influence and prestige. Few historical artifacts of the Order remain today, although the symbol of the Order has been adopted for many family crests throughout Europe. A copy, dating to 1707, of the edict forming the Order is the oldest historical artifact of the Order and is stored at the University of Bucharest.
The Order was revived by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl Friedrich of Germany, in His formal capacity as the de jure Holy Roman Emperor Charles VIII, on the 1st of August, 2001. His Imperial Highness, formally assumed the position of Sovereign Grand Master of The Order of the Defeated Dragon and Supreme Dragon Knight Universal.
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THE IMPERIAL ORDER OF ST. RUPERT OF SALZBURG
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The Order of St. Rupert of Salzburg, was formally established in the year 1701, by Johannes Ernst von Thun, Archbishop of Salzburg, who created this Order to honour Saint Rupert, who had been the first Archbishop of Salzburg, and as a perpetual memorial of the treaty of Carlowitz in the year 1699 when Prince Eugene of Savoy, forced the Turks to leave Austro-Hungarian soil after 150 years of occupation. The Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, confirmed the Order which was reserved for the highest nobility. The Order was formally revived by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, in His formal capacity as the de jure Emperor Charles VIII, King of Germany, on the 1st of August, 2001, and was formally raised to the Style, Title, and Dignity of an Imperial Order of The Holy Roman Empire, from the date of the Imperial Decree. The Imperial Order is not conferred at present. His Imperial Highness, has assumed the Sovereign Grand Mastership of the Imperial Order and is held under His personal protection. The Sovereign Grand Mastership is only formally transmissible to the legitimate Heirs of the Imperial and Royal Electoral House and Family of Germany.
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THE ROYAL ORDER OF ST. ELIZABETH
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The Order of St. Elizabeth was founded by Elizabeth Augusta, daughter of Joseph Charles, Count Palatine of Sultzbach and first wife of the Elector Charles Theodor, in the year 1766. The Order was reserved for noble Catholic ladies who had accomplished outstanding deeds of charity. The Order was confirmed by Clement XIII (1758-1769). Its badge portrayed the figure of St. Elizabeth being visited by Our Lady. The Order was formally revived by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabaia, in His formal capacity as the de jure Emperor Charles VIII, King of Germany, from doemancy on the 1st of August 2001, and was formally raised to the Style, and Dignity of a Royal Order of the Holy Roman Empire, from the date of the Imperial Decree. The Royal Order of St. Elizabeth, consists of One Class of Knighthood being Lady of the Cross, reserved for ladies of nobility and is limited to fifty Ladies only. The Order is a ceremonial dynastic Order of Knighthood and as such is part of the dynastic patrimony of the Imperial and Royal Electoral House and Family of Germany. The Sovereign Grand Mastership is only formally transmissible to the legitimate Heirs of the aforementioned Imperial and Royal Electoral Sovereign House and Family. The Present Sovereign Grand Master and Principal Lady of The Cross, is Her Imperial and Royal Highness Princess Maria Alexandra of Germany, Duchess of Swabia, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, de jure Empress of Germany, who formally confers the Royal Order as part of Her persoanl Gift. The Present Grand Chancellor and Lady of The Cross is Her Imperial and Royal Highness Princess Charlotte Elizabeth of Germany, Duchess of Regensburg, Duchess of Naples, Countess of Provence. The Grand Chaplainship of the Royal Order is fromally vested within the Holy See of St, Peter, Rome.
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THE ROYAL ORDER OF THE EAGLE OF ESTE
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The Order of The Eagle of Este was formally established in the year 1855 by Duke Francis V of Modena, The Insignia of the Order consists of a Cross White and Blue with Gold rim, bearing in the centre the Eagle of Este. The Order was formally revived by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, in His formal capacity as the de jure Emperor Charles VIII, King of Germany, from dormancy on Christmas day 2001, and was formally raised to the Stlye, Title and Dignity of a Royal Order of The Holy Roman Empire, from the date of the Imperial Decree. The Royal Order of the Eagle of Este, consists of One Class of Knighthood, being Knight Grand Cross or Lady Grand Cross and is limited to One hundred Knights only. The Royal Order is a ceremonial dynastic Order of Knighthood and as such is part of the dynastic patrimony of the Imperial and Royal Electoral House and Family of Germany. The Sovereign Grand Mastership is only formally transmissible to the legitimate Heirs of the aforementioned Imperial and Royal Sovereign House and Family. The Present Sovereign Grand Master and Principal Lady Grand Cross, is Her Imperial and Royal Highness Princess Maria Alexandra of Germany, Duchess of Swabia, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, Empress of Germany, who formally confers the Royal Order as part of Her persoanl gift. The Present Grand Chancellor and Principal Knight Grand Cross is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, de jure Charles VIII, King of Germany. The Grand Chaplainship of the Royal Order is formally vested within the Holy See of St. Peter, Rome.
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THE ORDER OF THE SLAVES OF VIRTUE
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The Order of The Slaves of Virtue was founded in the year 1662 by Eleanor Gonzaga, Empress of Germany and widow of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III (1637-1657), its purpose was to promote piety and virtue at the Imperial Court. It was reserved for Dames of noble birth. The Order was united with that of the Dames of the Starry Cross in the year 1668. The Order was formally revived back into a separate Order of Knighthood by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl of Germany, Duke of Swabia, in His formal capacity as the de jure Emperor Charles VIII, King of Germany, on the 1st of August, 2001. The Order is not conferred at present. Her Imperial and Royal Princess Maria Alexandra of Germany, Duchess of Swabia, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, de jure Empress of Germany, was Conferred with the Sovereign Grand Mastership by His Imperial Highness, on the 6th of August, 2001, which is held under His personal protection. The Sovereign Grand Mastership is only formally transmissible to the legitimate Heirs of the Imperial and Royal Electoral House and Family of Germany.
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THE ORDER OF ST. MICHAEL
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The Order of St. Michael, was founded by James Clemens, Duke of Bavaria, Elector of Cologne, Bishop of Liege, Regensberg and Hildesheim, in the year 1693. Karl Theodor, Palatine Elector, annexed it to the Bavaria Orders of Chivalry. The Orders original object was the defence of the Crown. In 1812 the Order was confirmed by King Maximillian Joseph of Bavaria, who added to the Order the aim of helping the poor and sick soldiers. In 1837 and 1844 it was again confirmed by King Ludwig of Bavaria, as an award for all meritorious deeds. St. Michaels Church in Munchen, Bavaria, became the Chapel of the Order. The Medallion of the Order has the figure of St. Michael and the inscription being the Orders Motte of "Quis ut Deus"(Who is Like God). The Order of St. Michael, was formally revived from dormancy by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl Friedrich of Germany, Duke of Swabia, de jure Emperor Charles VIII, King of Germany, on the 1st of August, 2001. The Order is not formally conferred at present. His Imperial Highness, assumed the Sovereign Grand Mastership of the Order and is held under His Imperial Highness', personal protection. The Sovereign Grand Mastership is only formally transmissible to the legitimate Heirs of the Imperial and Royal Electoral House and Family of Germany.
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"CHRISTUS VINCIT, CHRISTUS REGNAT, CHRISTUS IMPERIT"
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