IMPERIAL ORDERS OF CHIVALRY

[ARCHITECUS 4788]

IMPERIAL ORDERS 

OF

CHIVALRY

 

 

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With the coming of the year 1750, the thirteenth year of rule of His Imperial Majesty the Holy Orenian Emperor, Peter the Third, it is the wish of the Crown to formalize and reconstitute the official orders of chivalry within the Holy Orenian Empire. These orders of chivalry, membership of the confraternity therein which shall serve as an award for exemplary service to the Empire, have hence been decreed with considerable consideration for past institutions of history while also a desire for modernization.

 

To be a knight of a chivalric order is to be a member of a brotherhood, to which all fellow members are owed exceptionally respectful and honourable treatment. They operate on the basis of an unwritten code of chivalry, whereby they are expected to act in a courtly and chivalrous fashion, remaining loyal to their sovereign and the principles of knighthood. One may be a member of more than one of these orders simultaneously, however, the order of precedence to these awards must be respected. A directory of membership for all orders, living and deceased, shall be maintained by the Emperor’s personal secretaries.

 

All three reconstituted Imperial orders entitle their recipients, so long as they are human, Imperial subjects and have sworn an oath of allegiance to the Emperor, to a knighthood, with which they may prefix their name ‘Sir’. They are also entitled to associated postnominals after their name.

 

These orders of chivalry typically have four levels, each denoting their own postnominal depending on the particular award. Each of these levels also denote the physical possession of a medal, which may be worn by any recipient at any time.

 

Grand Master

 

A special and nominal title held in perpetuity by the sovereign, who never employs postnominals.

 

Grand Cross

 

The highest rank of a particular order, of which there may be a maximum of two living recipients per order.

 

Knight Commander

The middling rank of a particular order, of which there may be a maximum of three living recipients per order.

 

Knight

 

The lowest and most common rank of a particular order, of which there is no particular limit to recipients.

 

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The three reconstituted Imperial orders of chivalry, ranked in precedence, are as follows:

 

The Most Excellent Petrine Order of Humanity and the Empire

 

RIBBON: Purple and white

ESTABLISHED: 1750

FOUNDER: Emperor Peter III

 

The most prestigious order of chivalry within the Holy Orenian Empire, the Most Excellent Order of Humanity and the Empire, known in shorthand simply as the Order of Humanity, the Petrine Order or the Order of Man, shall serve as the highest honour within the Empire. It is awarded for actions both military and civil for outstanding war service, or outstanding civil service, or otherwise ‘exemplary acts of courage and diligence in pursuit of pan-humanist ideals’. Investiture within the order, at any level, entails admission to knighthood and the right to bear the title of ‘sir’ before a name. This applies only to subjects of the Emperor, with foreign recipients of this award being unable to employ this prefix.

 

The Emperor is sovereign and Grand Master of the Order, and controls investiture within its ranks.

 

RANKS AND POSTNOMINALS:

 

Grand Cross (GCHE)

Knight Commander (KCHE)

Knight (KHE)

 

GAZETTE: 

 

(Left to right: knight, knight commander, grand cross)

 

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The Most Ancient and Most Noble Imperial Order of the Lion 

 

RIBBON: Black

ESTABLISHED: 1374

FOUNDER: Emperor Godfrey I

 

The Order of the Lion, established c. 1374 by the Prophet Godfrey during his time as Holy Orenian Emperor, originally served as a military order in his service. Since that time, it has transitioned into an award for exceptional valour. This is a most highly coveted decoration, which may be conferred upon officers and enlisted men of all the forces in the Empire who qualify by outstanding gallantry and devotion to their duty and country in the face of the enemy. This order is the sole award that may be awarded posthumously, as those actions that may warrant conferral are often fatal. Investiture within the order, at any level, entails admission to knighthood and the right to bear the title of ‘sir’ before a name. This applies only to subjects of the Emperor.

 

The Emperor is sovereign and Grand Master of the Order, and controls investiture within its ranks.

 

RANKS AND POSTNOMINALS:

 

Grand Cross (GCL)

Knight Commander (KCL)

Knight (KL)

GAZETTE:

 

(Left to right: knight, knight commander, grand cross)

 

 

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The Imperial Order of Merit

 

RIBBON: Purple and black

ESTABLISHED: 1458

FOUNDER: Emperor Peter I

 

The Imperial Order of Merit was founded in 1458 by Emperor Peter I as the monarch’s personal reward for the ‘specially eminent service’ and ‘unusually deserving achievement’ in science, music, politics, law, art, literature or otherwise ‘for the promotion of culture’. Since that time, it has evolved continuously over the past three centuries, being variously reconstituted and abolished by successive monarchs. With a revival in the 18th century, the Imperial Order of Merit has been refocused as one of the three official orders of chivalry within the Holy Orenian Empire.

 

In this capacity, the Imperial Order of Merit is widely perceived as focusing on the civilian sphere of Imperial pursuits, however, members of the armed forces may also qualify to investiture within its ranks in special circumstances. Investiture within the order, at any level, entails admission to knighthood and the right to bear the title of ‘sir’ before a name. This applies only to subjects of the Emperor.

 

The Emperor is sovereign and Grand Master of the Order, and controls investiture within its ranks.

 

RANKS AND POSTNOMINALS:

 

Grand Cross (GCM)

Knight Commander (KCM)

Knight (KM)

 

GAZETTE:

 

(Left to right: knight, knight commander, grand cross)

 

 

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Foreign Awards 

 

The Holy Orenian Empire recognises a number of technically foreign orders and awards which also denote post-nominals, such as the Church of the Canon’s Order of the Black Sepulchre (KCS). These letters do not carry connotations of knighthood (Unlike domestic orders of chivalry) and always come after local orders in the line of precedence.