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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 Orders of Knighthood of
The Principality of Liechtenstein
and The Kingdom of Serbia
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(Above)
His Most Serene Highness
Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein ,
Prince of The Holy Roman Empire .
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HISTORY OF THE PRINCELY HOUSE OF LIECHTENSTEIN
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Hans-Adam II Johannes Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marko d'Aviano Pius von und zu Liechtenstein, styled His Most Serene Highness The Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein; born February 14, 1945, Zurich, is the son of Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1906-1989) and his wife Countess Georgina von Wilczek (1921-1989). He also bears the titles Duke of Troppau and Jägerndorf, Count of Rietberg.
The family comes from Castle Liechtenstein in faraway Lower Austria, which the family possessed from at least 1140 to the 13th century, and from 1807 onwards. Through the centuries, the dynasty acquired vast swathes of land, predominantly in Moravia, Lower Austria, Silesia and Styria, though in all cases, these territories were held in fief under other more senior feudal lords, particularly under various lines of the Habsburg family, to whom several Liechtenstein princes served as close advisors. Thus, and without any territory held directly under the Imperial throne, the Liechtenstein dynasty was unable to meet a primary requirement to qualify for a seat in the Imperial diet, the Reichstag.
The family yearned greatly for the added power which a seat in the Imperial government would garner, and therefore searched for lands to acquire which would be unmittelbar or held without any feudal personage other than the Holy Roman Emperor himself having rights on the land. After some time, the family was able to arrange the purchase of the minuscule Herrschaft ("Lordship") of Schellenberg and county of Vaduz (in 1699 and 1712 respectively) from the Hohenems family. Tiny Schellenberg and Vaduz possessed exactly the political status required, no feudal lord other than their committal sovereign and the suzerain Emperor.
Thereby, on January 23, 1719, after purchase had been duly made, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor decreed Vaduz and Schellenberg were united, and raised to the dignity of Fürstentum (principality) with the name "Liechtenstein" in honour of "[his] true servant, Anton Florian of Liechtenstein". It is on this date that Liechtenstein became a sovereign member state of the Holy Roman Empire. Ironically, but as testament to the pure political expediency of the purchases, the Princes of Liechtenstein did not set foot in their new principality for several decades. This article shows the descendants of Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein, the father of the present (2006) Head of State, Prince Hans-Adam II. According to the Constitution of the Princely House of Liechtenstein of 26 October 1993 all members other than the reigning prince shall bear the titles: Prince / Princess of Liechtenstein , Count / Countess of Rietberg .
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(Above)
The Ceremonial Neck Cross of a Commander
of Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit .
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THE PRINCELY ORDERS OF CHIVALRY OF
THE SERENE PRINCIPALITY OF LIECHTENSTEIN
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His Most Serene Highness Prince Franz Josef I of Liechtenstein , founded an Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein and a Medal of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein on July the 22nd 1937.
The Princely Order of Merit encompasses
the following five degrees:
Grand Star of the
Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit
Grand Cross With Diamonds of the
Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit
Commander`s Cross with Star of the
Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit
Commander`s Cross of the
Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit
Knight`s Cross of the
Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit
The Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit may be bestowed as: The Golden Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit , The Silver Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit , Golden Medal of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein.
The possessor of the Great Star, of the Great Cross with Diamonds as well as of the Great Cross has the authority to designate himself in the capacity of "holder", the possessor of the Commander Cross with Star in the capacity of "Commander of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein with Star", the possessor of the Commander Cross in the capacity of "Commander", that of the Knight Cross in the capacity of "Knight of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein". Other privileges are not associated with it. The decorations remain in the possession of the person to whom they were conferred to and of his heirs.
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THE HISTORY OF LIECHTENSTEIN
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At one time, the territory of Liechtenstein formed a part (albeit a diminutive one) of the ancient Roman province of Raetia. For centuries this territory, geographically removed from European strategic interests, had little impact on the tide of European history. Prior to the reign of its current dynasty, the region was enfeoffed to a line of the counts of Hohenems.
The Liechtenstein dynasty, from which the principality takes its name (rather than vice-versa), comes from Castle Liechtenstein in faraway Lower Austria, which the family possessed from at least 1140 to the thirteenth century, and from 1807 onward. Through the centuries, the dynasty acquired vast swathes of land, predominantly in Moravia, Lower Austria, Silesia, and Styria, though in all cases, these territories were held in fief under other more senior feudal lords, particularly under various lines of the Habsburg family, to whom several Liechtenstein princes served as close advisors. Thus, and without any territory held directly under the Imperial throne, the Liechtenstein dynasty was unable to meet a primary requirement to qualify for a seat in the Imperial diet, the Reichstag.
The family yearned greatly for the added power which a seat in the Imperial government would garner, and therefore, searched for lands to acquire which would be unmittelbar or held without any feudal personage other than the Holy Roman Emperor himself having rights on the land. After some time, the family was able to arrange the purchase of the minuscule Herrschaft ("Lordship") of Schellenberg and countship of Vaduz (in 1699 and 1712 respectively) from the Hohenems. Tiny Schellenberg and Vaduz possessed exactly the political status required, no feudal lord other than their comital sovereign and the suzerain Emperor.
Thereby, on January 23, 1719, after purchase had been duly made, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, decreed Vaduz and Schellenberg were united, and raised to the dignity of Fürstentum (principality) with the name "Liechtenstein" in honor of "[his] true servant, Anton Florian of Liechtenstein". It is on this date that Liechtenstein became a sovereign member state of the Holy Roman Empire. Ironically, but as testament to the pure political expediency of the purchases, the Princes of Liechtenstein did not set foot in their new principality for over 120 years.
In 1806, most of the Holy Roman Empire was invaded by Napoleon I of the First French Empire. This event had broad consequences for Liechtenstein: imperial legal and political mechanisms broke down, while the Emperor Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, abdicated the Imperial throne, thus Empire and throne itself became dormant. In reality, its prince merely became suzerain, as well as remaining sovereign lord. From July 25, 1806 when the Confederation of the Rhine was founded, the Prince of Liechtenstein was a member, in fact a vassal of its hegemon, styled protector, French Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte, until the dissolution of the Confederation on October 19, 1813.
Then, in 1818, Johann I granted a constitution, although it was limited in its nature. 1818 also saw the first visit of a member of the house of Liechtenstein, Prince Alois, however, the first visit by a sovereign prince would not occur until 1842. Soon afterward, Liechtenstein joined the German Confederation (June 20, 1815 – August 24, 1866, which was presided over by the Emperor of Austria).
Liechtenstein also had many advances in the nineteenth century, as in 1836, the first factory was opened, making ceramics. In 1861, the Savings and Loans Bank was founded, as was the first cotton-weaving mill. Two bridges over the Rhine were built in 1868, and in 1872 a railway line across Liechtenstein was constructed.
When the Austro-Prussian War broke out in 1866 new pressure was placed on Liechtenstein as, when peace was declared, Prussia accused Liechtenstein as being the cause of the war through a miscount of the votes for war with Prussia. This led to Lichtenstein refusing to sign a peace treaty with Prussia and remained at war although no actual conflict ever occurred. This was one of the arguments that was suggested could justify an invasion of Liechtenstein in the late 1930s.
Until the end of World War I, Liechtenstein first was closely tied to the Austrian Empire and later, to Austria-Hungary; however, the economic devastation caused by WWI forced the country to conclude a customs and monetary union with its other neighbor, Switzerland. At the time of the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was argued that Liechtenstein as a fief of the Holy Roman Empire (supposedly still incarnated in Liechtensteiner eyes at an abstract level in the person of the then-dethroned Holy Roman Emperor, despite its formal dormancy in 1806) was no longer bound to Austria, then emerging as an independent state, which did not consider itself as the legal successor to the Empire. Liechtenstein is thus the last member State of the Holy Roman Empire in Europe today which can claim an element of continuity from the Holy Roman Empire. Therefore because the present day existence of the Principality of Liechtenstein, being a member of the Holy Roman Empire, the State of the Holy Roman Empire, can be considered as never being formally ended to the present day from the time of the Emperor Francis II, having abdicated the Imperial throne on the 6th of August 1806. (The present de jure Holy Roman Emperor Charles VIII is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl Friedrich von Deutschland ).
The Prince of Liechtenstein is the world's ninth wealthiest head of state, with an estimated wealth of $4 billion. The country's population enjoys one of the world's highest standards of living.
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THE HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM OF SERBIA
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The Kingdom of Serbia (Serbian: Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a state that existed in the Balkans from 1882 to 1918. It was recognised as the Principality of Serbia by the Congress of Berlin in 1878.
It fought several wars, including the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885, and the Balkan Wars of 1912–13 (the First Balkan War in 1912–13, and the Second Balkan War in 1913). It won the first Allied victory of World War I in 1914, but de facto ceased to exist in 1915, due to a combined invasion by Austro-Hungarian, German, and Bulgarian troops. After the war's end, it united with the Kingdom of Montenegro and the short lived State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
The Kingdom was the object of a trade embargo by Austria-Hungary in 1906, known as Pig War. Austria-Hungary intended to cripple the Kingdom's economy, but the embargo instead led to an end to Serbia's dependence on the Austro-Hungarian market for its livestock exports. The measure was counterproductive and Serbia's exports actually rose from Ł2.864 mln in 1906 to Ł3.259 in 1907, while in 1905 they had been Ł2.879 mln.
Despite its relatively short existence, the Kingdom was ruled by two dynasties: the House of Obrenovic , and the House of Karageorgevichć. King Milan Obrenovic ,ć ruled from 6 March 1882 to 6 March 1889, when he abdicated the throne. He was succeeded by his son, Aleksandar Obrenović, who ruled from 6 March 1889 to 11 June 1903, when he was deposed in a bloody military coup. The slaughter of the royal couple (the king and Queen Draga) by the Black Hand shocked Europe. This opened the way for the descendants of Karageorgevich ( Karageorge ), regarded by Serbs throughout the Balkans as the man who threw off the Turkish yoke, to return to the throne. Petar Karageorgevich , was initially reluctant to accept the crown, disgusted as he was by the coup d'état. However, he finally did accept and was the Kingdom's sovereign from 15 June 1903 to 1 December 1918, the day that the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was proclaimed and the Kingdom of Serbia ceased to exist.
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HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER OF SERBIA
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Crown Prince Alexander II (Alexander II Karageorgevich) (Serbian Cyrillic: Престолонаследник Александар II Карађорђевић), born July 17, 1945) is the claimant to the throne of Serbia. He was born Crown Prince (Принц престолонаследник) of Yugoslavia. At the time of his birth, his father was King of Yugoslavia, making him Yugoslavia's last crown prince. With the formation of a republic and the subsequent disintegration of the state of Yugoslavia, Alexander is now only claimant to the throne of Serbia. Serbia is currently a republic.
Alexander is the only child of Peter II, the last king of Yugoslavia, who was from the Karageorgevich dynasty, and Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark. He is 'de jure' King of Yugoslavia. He prefers to be known as "Crown Prince Alexander II," a self-appointed title that combines his princely title with the regal title he would use as king.
As with many other European monarchs during World War II, King Peter II left Yugoslavia in April 1941 to establish a government-in-exile. He arrived in London in June 1941. Shortly after the Nazi German occupation, two puppet governments were formed: the fascist Independent State of Croatia in the region of Croatia and Bosnia, and Nedić's Serbia, the popular name of the Serbian state under Nazi German occupation in World War II.
After the Tehran Conference, the Allies shifted support from royalist Chetniks to communist Partisans. Commenting on the event and what happened to his father, Crown Prince Alexander II said, " He was too straight. He could not believe that his allies - the mighty American democracy, and (reference to his father King Peter II) and his relatives and friends in London - could do him in. But that's precisely what happened." In June 1944, Ivan Šubašić, a royal envoy, and Josip Broz (Tito), a partisan leader, signed an agreement which was an attempt to merge the royal and communist governments.
On November 29, 1943, AVNOJ ( formed by Partisans ) declared themselves the sovereign government of Yugoslavia and proclaimed taking away all legal rights from the Royal government. On August 10, 1945, less than a month after Karađorđević's birth, AVNOJ named the country Democratic Federal Yugoslavia. On November 29, 1945, the country was declared a republic ( communist ), and changed its name to People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Alexander was born in Suite 212 of Claridge's Hotel in Brook Street, London. The British Government temporarily ceded sovereignty over the suite in which the birth occurred to Yugoslavia so that the prince would be born in Yugoslav territory.
His godparents were King George VI and Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II. He was the only child of King Peter II and Queen Alexandra and the only grandchild of Princess Aspasia of Greece. Through his maternal grandmother, Alexander is also a relative of Ileana, the current Duchess of Chartres. His descent from medieval monarchs of the Balkans is presented at Nemanjic pedigree of the Royal House of Yugoslavia.
His parents were relatively unable to take care of him, due to their various health and financial problems, so Alexander was raised by his maternal grandmother. He was educated at Institute Le Rosey, Culver Military Academy, Gordonstoun, Millfield and Mons Officer Cadet School, Aldershot.
On July 1, 1972 at Villamanrique de la Condesa, near Seville, Spain, he married Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans-Braganza. They had three sons, Hereditary Prince Peter and fraternal twins Princes Philip and Alexander. By marrying a Roman Catholic, Alexander lost his place in line of succession to the British Throne, which he had held as a descendant of Queen Victoria through her second son Alfred. He is also descended from Queen Victoria's eldest daughter Victoria. His sons are in the line of British succession, currently in 91st, 92nd and 93rd place, though they profess the Eastern Orthodox faith as members of the Serbian royal house.
The royal couple divorced in 1985. Crown Prince Alexander married a Greek woman, Katherine Clairy Batis, the daughter of Robert Batis and his wife, Anna Dosti, civilly on September 20, 1985, and religiously the following day, at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Notting Hill, London. Since their marriage, she has been known as Crown Princess Katherine, as per the royal family's website.
Alexander first came to Yugoslavia in 1991 . He actively worked with the democratic opposition against the regime of Slobodan Milošević and moved to Yugoslavia after Slobodan Milošević was deposed in 2000. In March 2001 Yugoslavian citizenship was finally restored to him by the government and property seized from his family, including royal palaces, were returned.
He currently lives in Краљевски Двор ( Kraljevski Dvor, or Royal Palace ) in Dedinje, an exclusive area of Belgrade. Kraljevski Dvor, which was completed in 1929, is one of two royal residences on the property; the other is the White Court ( Бели Двор ), which was completed in 1936.
Alexander is a proponent of re-establishing constitutional monarchy in Serbia within its current borders and sees himself as the rightful king. He believes that monarchy would give Serbia "stability, continuity and unity".
Crown Prince Alexander II has vowed to stay out of politics and has so far fulfilled this promise. He and Crown Princess Katherine spend considerable time associated with humanitarian work.
The Crown Prince however has increasingly participated in public functions alongside the leaders of Serbia, the former Yugoslav republics and members of the diplomatic corps. On May 11, 2006 he hosted a reception at the Royal Palace for delegates attending a summit on Serbia and Montenegro. The reception was attended by the Governor of the National Bank of Serbia, as well as ambassadors and diplomats from Slovenia, Poland, Brazil, Japan, United States and Austria. He later delivered a key-note speech in front of prime ministers Vojislav Koštunica and Milo Đukanović. In the speech he spoke of prospective Serbian membership of the European Union. He told delegates:
"In addition, we in Serbia and Montenegro must take into account that whatever form we take within the European Union, we have only but one choice and that is to work for the common good of all member nations. It is also central to take into account that stability in our region will be enhanced when Serbia is fully at peace with itself.
Following the dissolution of Serbia and Montenegro following Montenegro's independence referendum on May 21, 2006, the restoration of the Serbian monarchy may again become an issue in daily political debate. A monarchist proposal for the new Serbian constitution has been published alongside other proposals. The document approved in October 2006 is a republican one. The Serbian people have not had a chance to vote on the system of government.
The crown prince raised the issue of a royal restoration in the immediate aftermath of the vote. In a press release issued on the 24 May 2006 he stated:
"It has been officially confirmed that the people of Montenegro voted for independence. I am sad, but I wish our Montenegrin brothers peace, democracy and happiness. The people of Montenegro are our brothers and sisters no matter what if we live in one or in two countries, that is how it was and that is how it will be forever.
...I strongly believe in a Constitutional Parliamentary Kingdom of Serbia. Again, we need to be proud, a strong Serbia that is at peace with itself and with its neighbors. We were a proud, respected and happy country in the days of my great grandfather King Peter I. So, we can do it! Only if we have a form of governance close to the Serbian soul: the Kingdom of Serbia.
...Simply, the King is above daily politics, he is the guardian of national unity, political stability and continuity of the state. In Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchies the King is the protector of public interest: there is no personal or party interest. What is most important is the interest of Serbia.
...I am ready to meet all our politicians; we have to work together for the common good of Serbia, and to be friends in the name of the future of our country. I appeal for the end of the continuous political wrangling, division and arguments. I appeal for mature democratic debate in the interest of Serbia. Serbia must have clear and realistic objectives
On March 4, 2007 Crown Prince Alexander announced plans to return the remains of his late father Peter II of Yugoslavia back to his homeland in Serbia and to be buried in the crypt of the Royal Family mausoleum Oplenac where Karađorđe (the founder of the dynasty), King Peter I, King Alexander I and all other members of the Royal Family are buried.
He has not yet set a date for returning his father to Serbia, but may do so for spring 2008. The plan has caused controversy among a minority of Serbian-Americans since Peter II according to them personally chose St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery as his final resting place. All of King Peter II's ancestors are buried in the Royal Mausoleum at Oplenac.
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(Above)
The Royal Order of St. Sava .
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THE ROYAL ORDER OF SAINT PRINCE LAZARUS
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The Order of Saint Prince Lazarus was instituted by the Decision of the Parliament, signed by the King Aleksandar I, to commemorate the fifth centenary of the Battle of Kossovo (28 June 1389), that ended in the collapse of the medieval Serbian state. Saint Prince Lazarus, of the House of Hrebeljanovic, commanded the Serbian armies that were defeated by the Ottoman Sultan Murat I. The Sultan was assassinated by Serbian knight Milos Obilic, while captured the Serbian Prince was beheaded by the victorious Turks. The cult of the Saint Prince was very strong among Serbs, and the event was reckoned to be the paramount one in the entire history of Serbs. The commemoration of the 500th Anniversary took form of the Anontment of the King, and the Collar of Saint Prince Lazarus ordered to be made by Nicolaus und Dunker of Hannau (Germany). The Order is worn only by the King of Serbia and by his Crown Prince (when of majority).
Since inception, the Order has been worn only by the following: King Aleksandar I (Obrenovic) King Petar I
Prince Djordje (as Crown Prince, 1903-1908) Prince, later King Aleksandar I, King Petar II, Crown Prince Alexander II, On 5 February 1998, The Heir to the Throne, Prince
Petar, officially joined the list of Holders of the Collar of Saint Prince Lazarus.
The insignia are very elegant, made of gold, enamels, embellished with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds and pearls. The design was done by Mihailo Valtrovic.
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THE ROYAL ORDER OF THE STAR OF KARAGEORGE
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King Peter I of Yugoslavia instituted the Order on 1 January 1904, to commemorate his own accession to the Serbian Throne and the centenary of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Turks, lead by the Founder of the Dynasty, Đorđe Petrovic, called Black George (or Kara-George) owing to his dark complexion. The National Assembly voted Kara-George the Hereditary Supreme Leader of the Serbs, and the Sultan eventually recognized him as vassal Prince status. The new Order was aimed to replace two previous awards of the House of Obrenovic that had distinctly Family Order characteristics: The Order of the Cross of Takovo and the Royal Order of Milosh the Great. Both, in fact, commemorated the Obrenovic Dynasty Founder, Prince Milos, leader of the Second Serbian Uprising (1815). The Order of the Star of Karageorge was defined as senior state award, with some elements of the House Order (since Princes of the Blood were by birth GCs, invested at baptism ). It was organized into four classes, and was awarded to Serbian citizens for exceptional merit rendered to the King, State and Nation, for civilian or military service, and in 1906 foreign nationals were declared also eligible.
During the Balkan Wars, a War Merit Division (with crossed swords through center of the cross) was introduced, to reward conspicuous gallantry of the commissioned officers in the field, as well as (in higher classes) senior officers successful troop command. The insignia of this Division were worn suspended from the plain red watered silk ribbon. In 1915 a sub-Division was introduced, aimed to reward acts of conspicuous bravery of the NCOs and soldiers in the field, with two Classes ( Gold and Silver Cross ).
The Order is conferred by the Crown, and should not be confused with the homonymous three classes Order awarded by Republika Srpska. The War Merit GCs were extremely rare (only 18 were awarded, among them the American General Pershing, the British Field Marshals Haig and the French Marshals Joffre, Sarrail, Petain, Franchet d'Esperey and Guillaumat, the Italian General Cadorna, the Romanian King Ferdinand I, etc., and among Serbs- King Aleksandar I and Field Marshals Mišić and Stepanović; in the Second World War the only GC awarded was to the town of Kragujevac, in 1942). Recent conferment of the peacetime Division was that of 3rd Class to British Author Michael Lees.
The Order's insignia were originally manufactured by G.A.Scheid of Vienna ( Austria ), and later by Arthus Bertrand of Paris ( France ) and Huguenin Freres of Le Locle (Switzerland), as well as by the national companies ( as Sorlini, of Varazdin ).
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THE ROYAL ORDER OF THE WHITE EAGLE
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King Milan I instituted the Order of the White Eagle on 23 January 1883, concurrently with the Order of St. Sava. Serbia was proclaimed a Kingdom on 22 February (Old Style, in Gregorian calendar 5 March) 1882. The white eagle with wings displayed and inverted was reestablished as the State Arms of Serbia, a majestic symbol descended from the Comnene Emperors of Byzantium, and understood to stand for the Universal Christian Empire. It was used by the Medieval rulers of Serbia, as well as by the Holy Roman Emperors and the Emperors of Russia and Austria; the basic difference was tincture (or metal) of the bird- Argent for Serbia, Gold for Byzantium, Sable for Holy Roman, Russian and Austrian Emperors!
After his accession to the Throne in 1903, King Petar I continued awarding the Order of the White Eagle, but the Founder's cipher was removed from the reverse medallion and substituted with the year of the proclamation of the Kingdom (1882), which at the same time made the date of the proclamation, originally inscribed on the reverse of the flowing infullae of the royal crown suspension, redundant.
The War Merit Division, with crossed swords between the Royal Crown suspension and eagle's heads, was introduced in 1915, and conferred for conspicuous bravery of the officers in the field, as well as for the exception merit during the wartime actions.
The Order was organized in five classes, and was awarded to Serbian citizens and foreign nationals, for peace or wartime merit or significant services rendered to the Crown, State and Nation. Between 1883 and 1898 this was the senior Order of Serbia; in 1898 the Royal Order of Milos the Great got precedence over it, and in 1904 the Order of the Star of Karageorge became the senior award.
The Order is conferred by the Crown. Recent awards include last Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of St. John (Fr. Angelo de Moiana da Cologna), as well as posthumous conferment upon three Crown Council Members (Borislav Pekic, Miodrag-Mica Popovic and Borislav Mihailovic-Mihiz, all GCs).
The Order's insignia were first manufactured in Vienna (Austria), by Rothe & Neffe, Vincent Mayer's Soehne, Karl Fischmeister and Wilhelm Kunz. After the outbreak of the Balkan and Great War, the insignia were manufactured by Arthus Bertrand of Paris (France) and Huguenin Freres of Le Locle (Switzerland).
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THE ROYAL ORDER OF THE YUGOSLAV CROWN
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King Aleksandar I , instituted the Order on 5 April 1930, to commemorate the change of the official name of the Realm from Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. King Aleksandar I was Regent of the Kingdom of Serbia since 1914, Regent of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes since 1918, and ascended the Throne in 1921. During 1929 the political crisis and increasingly strong separatist movements within the country forced the King to temporarily suspend the Constitution and emphasize national unity, which eventually, was responsible for the change of the name of the country to Yugoslavia
The Order was organized in five classes, and was awarded to Yugoslavian citizens who forwarded national unity and cooperation, or for merit towards the Crown, State and Nation in public service, as well as to the foreign nationals for diplomatic merit. The Order of the Yugoslav Crown was senior to Order of St. Sava.
The Order is conferred by the Crown, the Order's insignia were manufactured by Arthus Bertrand of Paris (France) and Huguenin Freres of Le Locle (Switzerland).
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THE ROYAL ORDER OF ST. SAVA
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The Order of St. Sava was instituted by King Milan I on 23 January 1883, concurrently with the Order of the White Eagle. The Order was named after the Archbishop St. Sava, from the Royal House of Nemanjic, who died at the beginning of the thirteenth century. Between the arms of the white and blue enameled Maltese Cross gilt double headed eagles are displayed. The obverse medallion represents the Saint's icon, surrounded with an oval ring inscribed "Through his efforts, he achieved everything"! King Petar I continued to award the Order, only the Founder's cipher was removed from the reverse medallion, and substituted with the year of the Foundation (1883).
The Order was organized into five classes, and was awarded to Serbian citizens and foreign nationals, for merit in the field of culture, public instruction, science, civil service and divinity, as well as for the general service rendered to the King, State and Nation, by civilians or the military.
The Order is conferred by the Crown. It should not be confused with the homonymous three classes Order of merit awarded presently by the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The Order's insignia were first manufactured in Vienna (Austria), by Rothe & Neffe, Vincent Mayer's Soehne, Karl Fischmeister and G. Scheid. After the outbreak of the Balkan and Great War, the insignia were manufactured by Arthus Bertrand of Paris (France) and Huguenin Freres of Le Locle (Switzerland), as well as by some national workshops (Sorlini of Varazdin, and Griesbach & Knaus, of Zagreb). Later the insignia differed in having the Saint's vestments in pale green in stead of the original dark red.
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"CHRISTUS VINCIT, CHRISTUS REGNAT, CHRISTUS IMPERIT"
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For Further Information
The Correspondence Address is:
The Imperial and Royal Society
of The Almanach de Chivalry,
Royal Mail Post Office Box 276,
Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0UL,
United Kingdom.
Telephone: +44 (0) 208 943 4520
Fax: +44 (0) 208 943 4520
E-mail: almanachdechivalry@msn.com
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