View source for Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George

{{Short description|Dynastic chivalric order of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies}}
{{Other uses|Order of Saint George (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox order
|title     = Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George<!--the name used on the Order's websites-->
|image     = [[File:Croix constantinien.svg|130px]]
|caption   = Cross of the order
|image2    = [[File:ESP Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George Knight of Office BAR.svg|120px]]
|caption2  = Ribbon of the order
|type      = [[Dynastic order]]
|house     = [[File:Great Royal Coat of Arms of the Two Sicilies.svg|20px]] [[House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies|Bourbon-Two Sicilies]]<br> [[File:Lesser Arms of Bourbon-Parma.svg|20px]] [[House of Bourbon-Parma|Bourbon-Parma]]
|religion  = [[Catholic]]
|ribbon    = Light blue
|head_title = [[Grand master (order)|Grand Master]]
|head      = Disputed:<br>[[Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria]]<br>[[Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro]]<br>[[Prince Carlos, Duke of Parma]]
|grades    = House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: ''[[#Ranks of the Order|See all]]''<br> House of Bourbon-Parma: Senator Grand Cross with Collar<br>Senator Grand Cross<br>Knight/Dame Commander<br>Knight/Dame 1st class<br>Knight/Dame 2nd class
|motto     = ''[[In hoc signo vinces]]''
|higher    = House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: [[Order of Saint Januarius|Royal Order of Saint Januarius]]<br> House of Bourbon-Parma: ''None'' (highest)
|lower     = House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: [[Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit|Royal Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit]]<br> House of Bourbon-Parma: [[Template:Orders of Italian States before unification|Ducal Royal Order of Saint Louis]]
|founded   = {{circa|1545}}
|founder   = [[Constantine the Great]] (legendary)<br />[[Angelo Flavio Comneno|Andrea Angelo Flavio Comneno]] (actual)
|seat      = [[Santa Croce in Via Flaminia]], Rome
}}
The '''Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George''' ({{langx|it|Sacro Militare Ordine Costantiniano di San Giorgio}}; {{langx|es|Sagrada Orden Militar Constantiniana de San Jorge}}), also historically referred to as the '''Imperial Constantinian Order of Saint George'''<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Nicol|first=Donald M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lnSmnmL984YC|title=The Immortal Emperor: The Life and Legend of Constantine Palaiologos, Last Emperor of the Romans|date=2002-05-09|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-89409-8|pages=120|language=en}}</ref> and the '''Order of the Constantinian Angelic Knights of Saint George''',<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=woFlAAAAcAAJ&q=John+Andreas+Angelus+Flavius+COmnenus&pg=PA65|title=The Institution, Laws and Ceremonies of the Most Noble Order of the Garter Collected and Digested Into One Body Etc|date=1672|publisher=J. Macock|pages=63|language=en}}</ref> is a [[dynastic order]] of knighthood of the [[House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/21247|title=StackPath|date=16 October 2012 }}</ref> Currently, the [[Grand master (order)|grand magistry]] of the order is disputed among the two claimants to the headship of the formerly reigning House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies as heirs of the [[House of Farnese]], namely [[Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria|Prince Pedro]] and [[Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro|Prince Carlo]]. The order was one of the rare orders confirmed as a religious-military order in the [[papal bull]] ''Militantis Ecclesiae'' in 1718, owing to a notable success in liberating Christians in the [[Peloponnese]]. Together with the [[Sovereign Military Order of Malta]], it is one of a small number of Catholic orders that still have this status today.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sainty|first=Guy Stair|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GBjRDwAAQBAJ&q=guy+stair+sainty+pseudo+lascaris|title=The Constantinian Order of Saint George: and the Angeli, Farnese and Bourbon families which governed it|date=2018-12-01|publisher=Boletín Oficial del Estado|isbn=978-84-340-2506-6|pages=12|language=en}}</ref> It is not an [[order of chivalry]] under the patronage of the [[Holy See]], but its membership is restricted to practising Catholics.<ref name="Vatican16Oct2012a">{{cite press release|title=Clarification of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See on the Equestrian Orders|url=https://www.orderofmalta.int/news/clarification-of-the-secretariat-of-state-of-the-holy-see-on-the-equestrian-orders/|publisher=Secretariat of State of the Holy See|access-date=21 July 2023|date=17 October 2012}}</ref><ref name="aderno">{{cite news|url=http://www.zenit.org/it/articles/la-santa-sede-e-gli-ordini-cavallereschi-doverosi-chiarimenti-seconda-parte|access-date=22 August 2016|date=22 October 2012|language=it|title=La Santa Sede e gli Ordini Cavallereschi: doverosi chiarimenti (Seconda parte)|work=Zenit|first=Fabio|last=Adernò}}</ref>

Although the order is alleged to have been founded in its original form by [[Constantine the Great]] in Antiquity and then restored under later [[Byzantine emperors]], the actual origin of the order can be traced to the 16th century, when it was founded by an [[Albanians|Albanian]] noble family named [[Angelo Flavio Comneno]]. This family, extinct in 1698, claimed to be connected to the Byzantine [[Komnenos]] and [[Angelos]] dynasties, but such a direct familial connection was referred to several other branches; that lineage does, however, descend from a marriage into the [[Arianiti family]] that has several descents from past Byzantine imperial families. Chivalric orders were completely unknown in the Byzantine world, so much of the alleged history of the order was invented much later. Outside the generally recognized [[List of Grand Masters of the Constantinian Order of Saint George|line of grand masters]] from its origin in the 16th century to the present day, there have been many people claiming to be grand masters who have been forgers and title-seekers hoping to gain support for invented lines of descent from ancient and medieval nobility.

==History==
{{See also|List of Grand Masters of the Constantinian Order of Saint George}}{{more citations needed|date=November 2016}}

=== Origins ===
The legendary origins of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George trace its foundation to an apocryphal order founded by [[Constantine the Great]] ({{reign|306|337}}).<ref name="Hispano-Neapolitan official">
{{cite web|url=http://www.constantinianorder.org|title=Sacred Military Constantinian Order Of Saint George|website=Constantinianorder.org|access-date=13 November 2016}}</ref> Although it has sometimes been held that the order was restored/created by the Byzantine emperor [[Isaac II Angelos]] ({{reign|1185|1195|1203|1204}}), any claimed connection between chivalric orders and the [[Byzantine Empire]] are pure fantasy, as chivalric orders in the modern Western sense were completely unknown in the Byzantine world. At best, any connection to some ancient group would be excessively indirect and abstracted.<ref>{{The Immortal Emperor: The Life and Legend of Constantine Palaiologos, Last Emperor of the Romans|page=121}}</ref>

The order was actually claimed by [[Albanian nobility|Albanian nobles]] of the [[Angelo Flavio Comneno]] family branch (only one of many connected to the Byzantine houses of [[Angelos]] and [[Komnenos]]) in the 16th century, notably Andrea Angelo Flavio Comneno, and his brother Paolo Angelo Flavio Comneno, in 1545. In 1545, the brothers Andrea and Paolo were acknowledged as descendants of the Angeloi emperors (a claim seen as doubtful today) by [[Pope Paul III]], this recognition being in part due to their familial connections with the Medici, Orsini, del Balzo and Riargo families. The brothers were also guaranteed the right to inherit territory in the former [[Byzantine Empire]], should such territory be recovered from the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sainty|first=Guy Stair|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GBjRDwAAQBAJ&q=guy+stair+sainty+pseudo+lascaris|title=The Constantinian Order of Saint George: and the Angeli, Farnese and Bourbon families which governed it|date=2018-12-01|publisher=Boletín Oficial del Estado|isbn=978-84-340-2506-6|pages=58|language=en}}</ref> Their family remained grand masters of the order until 1698 when [[Giovanni Andrea II Angeli|Giovanni Andrea II]], who also claimed the titles of "Prince of [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]]", "Duke of [[Thessaly]]" and "Count of [[Drivasto]], [[Durazzo]] etc." as the last male member of his family,  transferred the grand mastership of the order  to [[Francesco Farnese, Duke of Parma|Francesco Farnese]], the [[duke of Parma]].<ref>{{The Immortal Emperor: The Life and Legend of Constantine Palaiologos, Last Emperor of the Romans|page=119}}</ref>

Outside the generally recognized line of grand masters from its origin in the 17th century to the present day, there have been various claims to the title of grand master by imposters hoping to gain support for invented lines of descent from various Byzantine dynasties.<ref name=":0" />

===Farnese family, male primogeniture===
Its incorporation as a religious order of the Catholic Church hereditary in the [[House of Farnese]] and its heirs, the [[Bourbons]], dates from the transfer to Francesco Farnese on 11 January 1698, an act confirmed in an imperial diploma, "Agnoscimus et notum facimus", of the emperor, Leopold I, dated 5 August 1699, and the apostolic brief, "Sincerae Fidei", issued by [[Pope Innocent XII]] on 24 October 1699. [[File:Francesco Farnese.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Francesco Farnese, Duke of Parma|Duke of Parma]] wearing the ceremonial robes of the order]] These confirmed the succession of the grand magistry to the Farnese family and its heirs as an ecclesiastical office (therefore limited to males) and, crucially, did not tie it to tenure of sovereignty of the Duchy of Parma. Among the first major acts of the Farnese grand magistry were revised, amended and expanded statutes, issued on 25 May 1705 and confirmed in a papal brief dated 12 July 1706; both these confirmed the requirement that the grand magistry should pass by male primogeniture. Following the order's contribution to Prince Eugene of Savoy's campaign to drive the Turks from the Balkans between 1716 and 1718, [[Pope Clement XI]], a former cardinal protector of the order, confirmed the order as a religious order of the Catholic Church in the bull, "Militantis Ecclesiae", of 27 May 1718.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}

[[File:Divisa.Ord.Costantiniano-Napoli.png|thumb|Knight, Knight Commander, Knight Grand Cross]]

===Claim by the House of Two Sicilies===

With the death of the last male of the [[House of Farnese]] on 30 January 1731, the grand magistry was inherited by [[Charles III of Spain|Charles]], eldest son of [[Elisabeth Farnese]] and King [[Philip V of Spain]]; Charles also inherited the duchies of Parma and Piacenza from the Farnese. After becoming king of Naples and Sicily in 1734, Charles was forced to surrender Parma to Austria in 1736, but he retained the Constantinian grand magistty and continued to exercise control of the Order even after his younger brother became duke of Parma in 1748. On 16 October 1759, Charles abdicated the grand magistry (ten days after abdicating from his Italian realms) to his second surviving son, King Ferdinand IV and III of Naples and Sicily (from 1815 [[Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies]]). The administration of the order was transferred from Parma to Naples in 1768.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}} although the Order in Parma continued to be under Neapolitan control until 1797 when the estates of the Order were seized by the French. 

[[File:Constantinien barcelone.jpg|thumb|Arms of the [[House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]] as [[Grand master (order)|grand masters]]  of the Constantinian Order, [[Cathedral of Barcelona]]]]

With the French occupying the kingdom of Naples from 1806, the Order was confined to Sicily but with the expulsion of the French it was not only restored to its former position but continued to function under Ferdinand I and his successor heads of the [[House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]] as a religious military Order with an expanding membership and the addition of many new commanderies.  The independence of the Order assured its survival after the unification of Italy, confirmed in a declaration of the Procurator-General of the new kingdom of Italy and an 1871 decision of the highest Italian court. A decree of King Ferdinand dated 8 March 1796, stated: "In his (the king's) royal person there exists together two very distinct qualities, the one of monarch of the Two Sicilies, and the other of grand master of the illustrious, royal and military Constantinian Order, which though united gloriously in the same person form nonetheless at the same time two separate independent lordships".

Some of the Parmesan nobility had resented the Order being controlled by an absent monarch but when in 1748, Charles III's younger brother [[Philip, Duke of Parma|Philip]] succeeded as duke of Parma, he explicitly recognised his brother Charles and later his nephew Ferdinand as grand master in a series of decrees and official acts. Philip's son [[Ferdinand I, Duke of Parma|Ferdinand]], after becoming duke of Parma, sent an emissary to the Spanish court to try to persuade the king of Spain to intervene with the king of Naples and Sicily and persuade the latter to give up the grand mastership, but without success.

===Separate Parmesan Order from 1817===
[[File:Marie Louise of Austria, duchess of Parma.jpg|thumb|[[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma]], wearing the sash of the order, 1835]][[File:Herzog von Reichstadt auf dem Totenbett.jpg|thumb|[[Napoleon II]] wearing the cross of the order in his deathbed, 1832]]

The Parmesan Constantinian Order was a new foundation, instituted by [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma]], in 1817 and following her death [[Charles I, Duke of Lucca]], heir to the Bourbon-Parma succession, became duke of Parma under the terms of the [[Congress of Vienna]] and assumed the grand mastership which is today claimed by [[Prince Carlos, Duke of Parma]]. See the historical note authored by Paolo Conforte,{{Full citation needed|date=January 2024}} a senior officer of the Parma dynastic order, who maintains that the Parma Order, despite its late foundation, is the successor of the original order; this view was explicitly rejected by the Holy See in 1860 and in 1913 the Holy See did not respond to a request from the Parma ducal family to accord their order similar privileges to those granted to the order of which [[Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta]] was grand master.{{fact|date=January 2024}}

===The Order under the House of Two Sicilies===

[[File:Giuseppe Martorelli - Ritratto di Francesco I.jpg|thumb|Portrait of [[Francis I of the Two Sicilies]], king of the Two-Sicilies, wearing the collar of the order]]

In 1910, [[Pope Pius X]] appointed the first of three successive cardinal protectors and, in 1913, approved a series of privileges for the chaplains of the order. In 1915, [[Pope Benedict XV]] dedicated the Constantinian chapel in the basilica of Santa Croce al Flaminio, which had been built with donations from the knights, who included Monsignor [[Eugenio Pacelli]], later [[Pope Pius XII]]. In 1916, the pope restored the church of Saint Anthony Abbot to the Order - this church had originally been given to the Constantinian order along with the properties of the religious order of that name in 1777, but had been put under the direction of the archdiocese of Naples in 1861.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}

In 1919, new statutes received papal approval and [[Vittorio Ranuzzi de' Bianchi|Cardinal Ranuzzi de' Bianchi]] was appointed cardinal protector, the last to hold this post. Following the intervention of the grand magistry of the [[Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus]] in 1924, whose grand master, the king of Italy, objected to the awarding of the order to leading Italian noblemen, the Holy See felt the close relationship with [[Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta]] might prove an obstacle to settling the [[Roman question]]. It was, therefore, decided not to reappoint a successor to Cardinal Ranuzzi de' Bianchi at his death in 1927.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}

=== Juridical recognition ===
The Italian Republic recognises the order as an [[Order of chivalry|Order of Chivalry]] under Law n° 178 of 1951;  the authorisation to Italian citizens awarded the Constantinian decorations to wear was confirmed in a decision of the Italian State Council (number 1869/81), at first limited to awards made by the junior line claimant, Prince Ferdinand, but in 2004 extended to the awards by the Infante Don Carlos. Therefore those citizens lawfully awarded with Constantinian decorations can request permission to wear them on the territory of the Italian Republic by Presidential Decree or Decree of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By a 1973 Decree of the President of the Republic, a National Italian Association of the Knights of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George was formed by Prince Ferdinando (whose father Prince Ranieri had died that year) <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Italian State - Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George |url=https://constantinianorder.net/the-constantinian-order-and-the-italian-state/?lang=en |access-date=2022-09-19 |website=Sito Ufficiale del Sacro Militare Ordine Costantiniano di San Giorgio - Official Site of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George {{!}} Site Officiel de l’Ordre Sacré et Militaire Constantinien de Saint-Georges {{!}} Sitio official de la Sagrada Orden Militar Constantiniana de San Jorge {{!}} Die offizielle Webseite des heiligen konstantinischen Ritterordens vom Heiligen Georg |language=en-US}}</ref> The order is on the [[Orders, decorations, and medals of Italy]] list.

=== Disputed succession, further schism of the Order ===
{{POV section|date=October 2021}}
The succession to the grand magistry of this order has been disputed among as many as three branches of Bourbons since 1960. The dispute is rooted in different interpretations of the so-called "Act of Cannes" of 14 December 1900 in which the count of Caserta's second son, [[Carlos, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies|Prince Carlo]] (grandfather of [[Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria]]), promised that he would renounce his eventual succession to the crown of the [[Two Sicilies]] in execution of the "Pragmatic Decree" of 1759.{{sfn|Lecanda Crooke|2012|p=475}} This decree required that if the king of Spain, or his immediate heir, should inherit the Two Sicilies crown, he would renounce the latter to the next in line. Whether the "Pragmatic Decree" applied to Prince Carlo's situation in 1900, and whether the grand magistry of the order was included in such a renunciation, are both issues in dispute, yet within the world of academia, the latter has been, almost without exception, ruled in favour of the Hispano-Neapolitan branch.{{sfnm|1a1=Stair Sainty|1y=2018|1pp=363-363|2a1=Lecanda Crooke|2y=2012|2pp=481–483|3a1=de Palacio|3y=1964|3pp=58-69|4a1=España|4y=1987|4pp=70-77}} The Act of Cannes literally states:
{{blockquote|Before Us, Don Alfonso de Borbón, Count of Caserta... Head of the Royal House and Dynasty of the Two Sicilies... His Royal Highness Prince Don Carlos, our beloved Son, appears and declares that, having to marry HRH Infanta María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias, and assuming by such marriage the nationality and quality of Spanish Prince, understands to renounce as by this Act solemnly renounces, by himself and by his heirs and successors, all the right and reason to the eventual succession to the Crown of the Two Sicilies and to all the assets of the Royal House that are in Italy and elsewhere, and this according to our Laws, constitutions and Family customs, in execution of the Pragmatic Sanction of King Charles III, our Augustus ancestor, of October 6, 1759, the prescriptions of which he freely and spontaneously declares to subscribe and obey.

He also declares, in particular, to renounce for himself, his heirs and successors to the assets and values existing in Italy, Vienna and Monaco (Bavaria) and destined by His Majesty King Francis II (may God have welcomed his soul), to the foundation of a majorat for the Head of the Dynasty and of the Family of the Two Sicilies and for the constitution of an endowment fund in favor of the Royal Princesses and granddaughters of our August Father King Ferdinand (may God have welcomed his soul), of marriageable age; but preserving his rights to the part of the assets that were bequeathed to him by his late uncle King Francis II, in the event that the Italian Government, which improperly retains them, makes the due restitution and the same everything that may arrive to him by other testamentary legacies.|Cannes, December 14, 1900{{sfn|Lecanda Crooke|2012|p=475}}}} This act was signed despite an official statement in the Spanish parliament (Cortes) by the minister of justice that no renunciation was necessary and if one was made it would be null and void. 

Supporters of the late Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria and his only son and heir, [[Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria]] assert that Prince Carlo's renunciation was conditional on his actually inheriting both the Spanish and Two Sicilies crowns and/or that, even in that circumstances, such a renunciation did not include the position of grand master of the Constantinian order, which they regard as separate from the crown. When [[Charles III of Spain]] abdicated as king of Naples and Sicily after succeeding to their throne of Spain, he renounced the dignity of "primogeniture Farnese heir" and with it the grand mastership of the Constantinian Order in a separate act, ten days later. Indeed, the Act of Cannes never mentioned the order at all, although most authors argue that even if it had, its grand magistry is by nature a Farnesian family legacy that is not linked to the throne of the Two Sicilies.{{sfn|de Palacio|1964|pp=58-69}}  The Two Sicilies crown descends by semi-salic law, meaning that in the event of the extinction of the male line descended from Ferdinando II the crown would pass to the nearest princess to the last male, whereas the grand mastership of the Order would pass to the Parma line. This same point is made on official Spanish branch website{{where|date=November 2016}}, headed by Prince Pedro, which asserts that the renunciation was conditioned on facts that never arose, and that the order and the crown are governed by separate rules. Further, supporters of Infante Carlos argue that the "Act of Cannes" was legally defective and thus void.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}} The Infante Don Carlos died on the 5 October 2015 and was succeeded by his only son, [[Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria]].

Supporters of [[Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro]] reject all three positions advanced by Infante Carlos' supporters, and claim that the rival claimant's ancestor validly renounced both the crown of the Two Sicilies and the grand magistry.<ref>[http://www.realcasadiborbone.it/uk/archiviostorico/cs_09.htm ''History'' asserting that the "Act of Cannes" was a fully valid act of renunciation], Realcasadiborbone.it; accessed 13 November 2016.</ref>

Each branch appoints a Catholic cardinal as grand prior.  On 16 October 2012, the Vatican [[Secretariat of State (Holy See)|Secretary of State]] renewed its position that the [[Holy See]] does not recognise any order except the seven [[Papal Orders]] listed on their statement; this repeated a text issued by the Italian conference of Bishops which, in a note, had excluded those Orders authorised under the 1951 Italian law.  The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George was included under the Italian 1951 law but was not one of those orders listed in the Vatican document.<ref name="Vatican16Oct2012">{{cite web|title=Note of Clarification from the Secretariat of State|url=http://www.news.va/en/news/note-of-clarification-from-the-secretariat-of-stat|work=news.va|publisher=Pontifical Council for Social Communication|access-date=27 November 2012|date=16 October 2012|quote=Vatican City (VIS) - In response to frequent requests for information concerning the recognition by the Holy See of Equestrian Orders dedicated to the saints or to holy places, the Secretariat of State considers it opportune to reiterate what has already been published, namely that, other than its own Equestrian Orders (the Supreme Order of Christ, the Order of the Golden Spur, the Pian Order, the Order of Saint Gregory the Great, and the Order of Pope Saint Sylvester), the Holy See recognises and supports only the Sovereign Military Order of Malta - also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta - and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. The Holy See foresees no additions or innovations in this regard. All other orders, whether of recent origin or mediaeval foundation, are not recognised by the Holy See. Furthermore, the Holy See does not guarantee their historical or juridical legitimacy, their ends or organisational structures. To avoid any possible doubts, even owing to illicit issuing of documents or the inappropriate use of sacred places, and to prevent the continuation of abuses which may result in harm to people of good faith, the Holy See confirms that it attributes absolutely no value whatsoever to certificates of membership or insignia issued by these groups, and it considers inappropriate the use of churches or chapels for their so-called "ceremonies of investiture".}}</ref> Nonetheless, the Hispano-Neapolitan Order's use of a chapel in Barcelona Cathedral has twice been confirmed by the Apostolic Penitentiary <ref>By decree of 9 April 2003, Protocol no. 127/02/1 and decree of Grand Penitentiary Cardinal [[Manuel Monteiro de Castro]] of 30 March 2012, Protocol no. 542/11/1</ref> and the Hispanio-Neapolitan Order's Masses have been celebrated by the Order's Grand Prior Cardinal [[Gerhard Ludwig Müller]] in the Major [[Basilica of Saint Mary Major]], Rome, as well as in Naples, Palermo, London, and Philadelphia, while other senior Roman Curia cardinals <ref>Including Cardinal [[Dominique Mamberti]], Cardinal [[Giovanni Battista Re]], Cardinal [[George Pell]] and Cardinal [[Gianfranco Ravasi]], who are members of the Order</ref> have also celebrated at investitures and other religious ceremonies of the Order.

===Version led by Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria (Hispano-Neapolitan branch)===
[[File:Ordre constantinien.jpg|thumb|Knights of the Hispano-Neapolitan branch in the robes of the order greeting [[Darío Castrillón Hoyos|Cardinal Castrillón]], 2009]]Spaniards and Italians who have been granted the Constantinian Order by Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria and his heir Prince Pedro have applied for, and received, authorisation to wear the decorations of the order.<ref>Gregor Gatscher-Riedl, '' In hoc signo vinces. Zwischen religiösem Mythos und politischem Anspruch von Byzanz nach Neapel. Die Geschichte des Heiligen Konstantinischen Ritterordens vom Heiligen Georg'', Vienna 2012, p. 173 {{in lang|de}}<!--ISSN/ISBN needed--></ref>

In 1983 King [[Juan Carlos I]] instructed the head of the royal household, the [[Nicolás Cotoner, 23rd Marquess of Mondéjar|Marquess of Mondéjar]] to request five high Spanish institutions to determine to "whom should descend the Headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies". The first of these to report was the Institute of Genealogy "Salazar y Castro" of the "Superior Council of Scientific Investigation" on 8 March 1983, followed by the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation on 6 May 1983. The next was the Department of Protocol, Chancery and Orders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that reported on 1 June 1983, followed by the Division of Grandeeships and Titles of the Ministry of Justice, on 18 October 1983 that in its conclusions also included the succession to the grand mastership of the Constantinian Order in its mandate. The final and longest report, summing up the other four and detailing its own conclusions was that of the Council of State, dated 2 February 1984. The reports were then conveyed in a letter from the Marquess of Mondejar, to "S.A.R. Don Carlos de Borbón, Duque de Calabria" stating "In the interests of historical truth and with the intention of clarifying the problem of to whom corresponds the Headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and the Grand Mastership of the Constantinian Order of St George, by order of His Majesty the King, and as Head of His Household, I have received the declarations and opinions of (then names the five institutions)... The unanimous agreement of the opinions and reports issued by the highest authorities and corporations of the Spanish State competent in the matter, recognise in the person of Your Royal Highness the title of the Headship of the House of Bourbon Two Sicilies and of the Grand Mastership of the Constantinian Order of Saint George."
[[File:Mondejar.tif|thumb|Letter from the Head of the [[Royal Household of Spain|household of the King of Spain]] to the late Infante (title he received in 1994) Don Carlos, Duke of Calabria, regarding his succession to the Headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Grand Master of the Constantinian Order]]

In a decree of the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Spain)|Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] by the Introductor de Embajadores, 28 November 2014, the Ministry stated that along with the [[Sovereign Military Order of Malta]], the Equestrian [[Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic)|Order of the Holy Sepulchre]] and the Royal [[Order of Saint Januarius]] (of which Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria, is also Grand Master) "... la Sagrada y Militar Orden Constantiniana de San Jorge fueron tuteladas por la Corona de Espana o se hallan estrechamente vinculadas a su Historia, tal y como preve en este sentido el Ministerio de Defensa en su Instruccion General 06/12 sobre autorización de uso de recompensas civiles y militares."<ref>Orden Circular 4/2014 Instrucciones sobre el uso de condecoraciones extranjeras por ciudadanos espanoles. 28 de noviembre de 2014.</ref> ("...the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, came under the protection of or were linked to the Crown and history of Spain, as set forth by the Ministry of Defence in its General Instruction 06/12, on permission to wear civil and military awards"). The status of the Constantinian Order was again defined in a statement by the Introductor de Embajadores, dated 2 June 2017 and issued in Spanish, French and English - the latter read: "...Hereby Certifies That the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Royal Order of Saint Januarius are officially recognized by Spain as Orders historically tied to the Crown of Spain, pursuant to the Ministry's Circular Order 4/2014 of 28 November. The use of the insignias of these two Orders is subject to the appropriate authorization, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as stipulated by the Royal Decree of 5 June 1916, signed by the Introducer of Ambassadors, Ambassador-Secretary of the [[Order of Isabella the Catholic]] and the Order of Civil Merit." The Constantinian Order awarded by Prince Pedro is explicitly authorised to be worn by the governments of [[Italy]] and [[Mexico]] and citizens of [[the Netherlands]] have also been authorised to wear it. The [[United States Department of the Army]] has included the Order among those for which authorisation may be given to wear the decorations on the official list of such awards, under Spain.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HRC Homepage |url=https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Foreign%20Award%20Info |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=www.hrc.army.mil}}</ref>

===Version led by Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro (Franco-Neapolitan branch)===
In 1988 a letter dated 19 April 1987<ref>{{cite web | url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Siri_Pope_forgery.jpg | title=English: This was part of a campaign to persuade the public that the Holy See recognised the junior Bourbon Two Sicilies, Prince Ferdinando of Bourbon, styled duke of Castro, as grand master of the Constantinian Order | date=November 1985 }}</ref> was produced by the Neapolitan based chancery of the Franco-Neapolitan Order that purported to be the appointment of Cardinal [[Giuseppe Siri]] as personal representative of Pope John Paul II to the Order. Soon after another letter, dated 28 August 1985<ref>{{cite web | url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deskur_Pope_forgery.jpg | title=English: This was part of a campaign to persuade the public that the Holy See recognised the junior Bourbon Two Sicilies, Prince Ferdinando of Bourbon, styled duke of Castro, as grand master of the Constantinian Order | date=November 1987 }}</ref> was produced which purported to have earlier appointed Cardinal [[Andrzej Maria Deskur]] to the same post - it quickly became apparent that neither Cardinal knew anything about this and that these letters were forgeries, although the purported appointment of Cardinal Siri was published in several of the Order's publications. The then Sostituto of the Secretariat of State, Archbishop (later Cardinal) Cassidy wrote to the Nuncio in Great Britain on the 24 October 1988, stating that Cardinal Siri had not been appointed the personal representative of His Holiness, and the Nuncio in Madrid wrote Prince Don Carlos, duke of Calabria, on 31 January 1989 stating that the "pretended" autograph letter from the Pope was false. Since the Cardinal Secretary of State, Cardinal [[Agostiino Casaroli]] had written to Prince Ferdinand on 5 November 1987 to explicitly refuse the appointment of Cardinal Siri, it is difficult to understand why the claims regarding Cardinal Siri's status should have been published the following year. At the same time, another publication by the Order claimed that His Holiness had conferred the Supreme Order of Christ on Prince Ferdinand and the ''Libro d'Oro della Nobiltà Italiana ''(1988 edition) not only included the name of Cardinal Siri as personal representative of His Holiness in its listing of the royal deputation appointed by Prince Ferdinand, but stated that the then 25 year old Prince Carlo (the only son of Prince Ferdinand) had been granted the collar of the Ordine Piano, a Papal honour awarded only to heads of state (this was denied in a letter from the Nuncio in Madrid in a letter dated 29 April 1988). When asked to explain the source of this information, the editor of the ''Libro d'Oro'' (Roberto Colonello Bertini Frassoni) wrote on 5 January 1989 that it had been provided by Achille Di Lorenzo, grand chancellor of the Franco-Neapolitan Constantinian Order. In 1990 Di Lorenzo was asked to resign his post by Prince Ferdinand and two years later was expelled from the Order as a reprisal for having published a highly critical booklet attacking both Prince Ferdinand and his son. No-one has ever been publicly identified as the author of these forgeries. 

Other documents circulated included the report of a supposed commission of Cardinals (mimicking the 1950s commission appointed to report on the sovereign status of the Order of Malta) which supposedly recognised Prince Ferdinand, although all the signatures of the supposed members were forged. Another letter dated 15 October 1987 distributed at the same time and supposedly from a Curia official, Archbishop, now Cardinal [[Giovanni Battista Re]], also stated that Prince Ferdinand was the grand a master and Di Lorenzo the grand chancellor; this letter was subsequently denounced by Re as a forgery and Cardinal Re has since become a member of the Spanish Order, several times celebrating Masses of the Order. 

In the 1990s, under the authority of [[Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro]], the organization and activities of his version of the order were "revived" as the so-called "Delegation for Great Britain and Ireland of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George".{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} This version of the Order was formerly led by a British Catholic [[public relations]] advisor as its "magistral delegate", and has awarded him other honours.<ref>[http://www.ordinecostantiniano.it/great-britain/?lang=en Website of Constantinian Order, accessed 20 June 2016]</ref> In August 2016, the Vice-Grand Chancellor of the Hispano-Neapolitan branch, [[Guy Stair Sainty]] stated that the order headed by Prince Pedro had no connection with this PR advisor, nor with his business activities, nor with the order of which he is described as “delegate”.<ref>[[Guy Stair Sainty]], [http://www.constantinianorder.org/se-guy-stair-sainty---vice---grand-chancellor.html vice-grand chancellor of the Order]. As reported in http://antiguaobserver.com/catholic-order-disowns-honours-awards-to-caribbean-leaders/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627144354/https://antiguaobserver.com/catholic-order-disowns-honours-awards-to-caribbean-leaders/ |date=2018-06-27 }} Antigua Observer. August 24, 2016. "The Order purportedly revived in the UK by Bailey is described on its website as the "Delegation for Great Britain and Ireland"; however, in a follow-up email, Guy Stair Sainty, vice-grand chancellor of the Order, said it has no connection with Bailey, his business activities or the order of which he is described as "delegate". Sainty explained that the Constantinian Order concentrates primarily on its Catholic mission and never "exchanges" its membership with anyone for any reason, since this would be contrary to the statutes and character of the Order as a Catholic, chivalric, confraternal institution.

"Neither are we interested in expensive entertainments nor in constant publicity, which is why we have not issued any public statement until now, when the good name of our Order has repeatedly been the subject of so much critical commentary," he added.

Sainty went on to note that the grant of awards for "'interfaith' services or whatever" to the likes of President Assad of Syria and former President Saleh of Yemen and various state officials in other countries, including the Caribbean, has no worth.

"The self-evident conflict of interest between Mr Bailey's role as a businessman apparently acting on behalf of states for fees, yet exchanging decorations of this controversial Constantinian Order … and then claiming awards in return would appear to be entirely contrary to the spirit of this ancient Catholic institution," he said.</ref>

Italian citizens who have received the Constantinian Order from [[Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro]] may apply to the Italian ministry of foreign affairs for authorisation to wear the insignia.<ref>Gregor Gatscher-Riedl, '' In hoc signo vinces. Zwischen religiösem Mythos und politischem Anspruch von Byzanz nach Neapel. Die Geschichte des Heiligen Konstantinischen Ritterordens vom Heiligen Georg'', Vienna 2012, p. 172<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed --></ref>

In 2011, the version of the Constantinian Order headed by the Duke of Castro, became one of the 4000+ (as of 2022) <ref>{{cite web|title=Basic Facts about ECOSOC Status|url=http://csonet.org/index.php?menu=17|work=United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, NGO Branch|publisher=csonet.org|quote=Currently 3,536 NGOs enjoy consultative status with ECOSOC ... as of November 2011....•|access-date=13 November 2016}}</ref> NGO's. In 2011-12 some 600 organizations applied for consultative status. On average between 100 and 150 applications are recommended by the Committee in each of its two sessions per year non-governmental organizations to hold consultative status at the Economic and Social Council at the United Nations.<ref>{{cite book|title=List of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council as of 1 September 2011|publisher=United Nations, Economic and Social Council|location=New York|page=65|url=http://csonet.org/content/documents/E2011INF4.pdf|edition=E/2011/INF/4|access-date=27 November 2012|date=15 November 2011|quote=Sacro Militare Ordine Costantiniano di San Giorgio (2011)}}</ref> The United Nations recognises the organisation as qualifying for this status without acknowledging its historical claims or any particular character as an Order of knighthood.

In 2016, the branch of the Order led by the Duke of Castro was involved in controversy over the election of [[Patricia Scotland]] as [[Commonwealth Secretary-General]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/5668/order-denies-allegations-it-awarded-knighthoods-for-political-influence|title=Order denies allegations it awarded knighthoods for political influence|website=The Tablet|language=en|access-date=2020-03-06}}</ref> It was alleged that Scotland used the Order's awards to influence votes in her favour through reciprocal exchanges of honours.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dominicapatriot.com/corruption-a-none-issue-for-the-caribbean-just-go-to-mama-mia/|title=Corruption a none issue for the Caribbean, just go to Mama Mia!|date=2020-02-20|website=Dominica Patriot|language=en|access-date=2020-03-06}}</ref> Investigations resulted in a knighthood granted to the Duke of Castro by the Governor General of Antigua being revoked.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2836491|title = Other Notices |work=The Gazette}}</ref>

===Attempted reconciliation===
{{one source|section|date=November 2016}}
On 24 January 2014, the day before the Blessed [[Beatification]] of the Venerable Servant of God [[Maria Cristina of Savoy|Princess Maria Cristina of Savoy]] (later Queen Maria Cristina, [[List of consorts of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies|Queen Consort of the Two Sicilies]]), the two disputed heads of the house: [[Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria|Prince Pedro, Duke of Noto]] (on behalf of his father [[Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria|Prince Carlos, Duke of Calabria]]) and [[Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro]] signed an "Act of Reconciliation" at Naples' Excelsior Hotel.

This act appeared to have ended the longstanding differences over the titles used by the two branches of the House of the Two Sicilies. The signing of the act of reconciliation was done in the presence of the Duchesses of Noto and Castro, the Duke of Noto's mother, the Duchess of Calabria, the Duke of Noto's sisters, Maria and Inés, and their husbands, Archduke Simeon and Michele Carrelli Palombi, their aunt, Princess Teresa, [[Marquess of Laserna|Marchioness of Laserna]], the Duke of Castro's sister, Princess Napoleon, Prince Casimiro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and his wife Princess Margherita, and the Duke of Braganza. Owing to his state of health, the Infante Don Carlos, Duke of Calabria was unable to attend the ceremony.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Signed_Act_of_Conciliation.pdf | title=English: This was an agreement between the head of the senior and junior lines of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies to recognised the titles of the other, for themselves and their family and descendants | date=25 January 2014 }}</ref>

The Act stated that the two branches will recognize each other's titles for the present holders and their successors; the titles of the senior, Spanish line, being Duke of Calabria, Duke of Noto and Duke of Capua, and of the junior line, being Duke of Castro and Duchess of Palermo and Duchess of Capri which were accorded to the Duke and Duchess of Castro's two daughters. The final intention was to work towards a future where the two branches might co-operate together (although the revival of the Order of Francis I has never been accepted by the senior, Spanish line.){{CN|date=May 2024}}

===Renewed schism===

In May 2016 Prince Carlo unilaterally renounced the agreement {{citation needed|date=March 2019}} and subsequently conferred the titles of Duchess of Calabria and Duchess of Noto on his daughters, declaring the former to be the heiress to the headship of the Royal House and the Constantinian Grand Mastership. This act has not been recognised by members of the branch descended from [[Prince Gabriel of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]]. The legality of this has been disputed by Prince Pedro on the grounds that the succession to the Two Sicilies crown was established in two international treaties (Vienna 1737 and Naples 1759) as well as the Pragmatic Decree of 1759 and the nineteenth century Two Sicilies constitutions and therefore could not be changed by a unilateral act, even by an undisputed head of the royal house. The succession to the Constantinian Grand Mastership was confirmed by an Imperial Bull and a Papal Brief, and by the Bull Militantis Ecclesiae, and required that the Grand Mastership, an ecclesiastical office in canon law, could only be held by males and must pass by primogeniture to the heirs of the House of Farnese; the purported change to the succession by Prince Carlo has not been approved by the Holy See.

==Ranks of the Order==

===Grades===
In the 18th century, the order was divided into Knights Grand Cross, Knights of Justice ([[nobles]] with four [[quarters of nobility]]), Donats (nobles with less than four quarters), [[Priest]]s, Knights of Grace ([[commoner]]s) and [[Esquire]]s/Servants of Office.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ordine dei Cavalieri costantiniani di S. Giorgio |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=reEejUIZKz0C&pg=PA27 |title=Statuti del sacro imperial Ordine Cavalleresco e dell'inclita religione angelica, aurata Costantiniana |date=1785 |publisher=nella Stamperia Reale |language=la}}</ref> Later, it was divided in the three classes of ''Justice'' (old nobility), ''Grace'' (new nobility), and ''Merit'' (commoners).

==== Hispano-Neapolitan branch ====
The name ''Grace'' was changed to ''Jure Sanguinis'' by [[Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria]], when Grand Master.
* Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Justice
* Knight Grand Cross of Justice
* Knight Grand Cross ''Jure Sanguinis''
* Knight Grand Cross of Merit
* Knight of Justice
* Knight ''Jure Sanguinis''
* Knight of Merit
* Knight of Office (cross of merit)
* Chaplain

==== Franco-Neapolitan branch ====

===== Special Class =====
* Sovereign Knight Grand Cross with Collar
* Knight Grand Cross, Special Class

===== Justice =====
* Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Justice with Collar
* Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Justice
* Knight/Dame Grand Cross of Justice
* Knight/Dame Grand Officer of Justice
* Knight/Dame Commander of Justice, [[jus patronatus]]
* Knight/Dame Commander of Justice
* Knight/Dame of Justice
[[File:Kruis en ster van de Constantinische Orde.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Lithography]] of the breast star and Grand Cross (for Bailiffs) of the order, 1893]]

===== Grace =====
* Knight/Dame Grand Cross of Grace, or Jure Sanguinis
* Knight/Dame Grand Officer of Grace
* Knight/Dame Commander of Grace, [[jus patronatus]]
* Knight/Dame Commander of Grace
* Knight/Dame of Grace or Jure Sanguinis

===== Merit =====
* Knight/Dame Grand Cross of Merit
* Knight/Dame Grand Officer of Merit, Special Class
* Knight/Dame Grand Officer of Merit
* Knight/Dame Commander of Merit, [[jus patronatus]]
* Knight/Dame Commander of Merit
* Knight/Dame of Merit
* Knight/Dame of Office

===== Medal =====
* Gold, silver or bronze
* Special Class
* 1st Class
* 2nd Class

{|align=center class=wikitable width=60%
|colspan=7 align="center"|'''Insignia'''
|-
|width=33,33% valign=top align=center|[[File:ESP Collar de Sagrada Orden Militar Constantiniana de San Jorge.svg|160px|center]]
|width=33,33% valign=top align=center|[[File:ESP Banda de Caballero de la Sagrada Orden Militar Constantiniana de San Jorge.svg|180px|center]]
|width=33,33% valign=top align=center|[[File:ESP Lazo de Dama de la Sagrada Orden Militar Constantiniana de San Jorge.svg|180px|center]]
|-
|width=33,33% valign=top align=center|<small>Collar</small>
|width=33,33% valign=top align=center|<small>Knight sash</small>
|width=33,33% valign=top align=center|<small>Dame ribbon</small>
|-
|}

{|align=center class=wikitable width=60%
|colspan=5 align="center"|'''Ribbon bars'''
|-
|width=20% valign=top align=center|[[File:ESP Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George Justicia BAR.svg|100px|center]]<small>Justice Grand Cross</small>
|width=20% valign=top align=center|[[File:ESP Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George Gracia BAR.svg|100px|center]]<small>Grace Grand Cross</small>
|width=20% valign=top align=center|[[File:ESP Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George Mérito BAR.svg|100px|center]]<small>Merit Grand Cross</small>
|width=20% valign=top align=center|[[File:ESP Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George BAR.svg|100px|center]]<small>Knight/Dame of Office</small>
|width=20% valign=top align=center|[[File:ESP Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George Knight of Office BAR.svg|100px|center]]<small>Medal</small>
|}

==== Parma branch ====

* Senator Grand Cross with Collar
* Senator Grand Cross 
* Knight/Dame Commander
* Knight/Dame 1st class
* Knight/Dame 2st class

=== Recipients ===
{{Div col|colwidth=15em|rules=|gap=4em}}
;Bailiffs Grand Cross
* Emperor [[Napoleon II]]
* Emperor [[Franz Joseph I of Austria]]
* Emperor [[Pedro II of Brazil]]
* Tsar [[Alexander II of Russia]]
* Tsar [[Ferdinand I of Bulgaria]]
* King [[Paul of Greece]]
* King [[Constantine II of Greece]]
* [[List of titles and honours of Juan Carlos I of Spain|King Juan Carlos I]]
* King [[Boris III of Bulgaria]]
* King [[Letsie III]]
* [[Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]], former King of Bulgaria
* [[Archduke]] [[Simeon von Habsburg]]
* [[Archduke John of Austria|Archduke Johannes of Austria]]
* [[Archduke Louis of Austria|Archduke Ludwig of Austria]]
* [[Archduke Joseph Karl of Austria|Archduke Josef Karl of Austria]]
* Crown Prince [[Otto von Habsburg]]
* [[Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia]]
* [[Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples]]
* [[Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Prince of Venice]]
* [[Prince Gabriel of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]]
* [[Prince Georg of Bavaria]]
* [[Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany]]
* [[Robert Hugo, Duke of Parma]]
* [[Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza]]
* [[Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza]]
* [[Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza#Issue|Infante Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Coimbra]]
* [[Prince Carlos, Duke of Parma]]
* [[Infante Jaime, Duke of Segovia]]
* [[Eduard, Prince of Anhalt]]
* [[Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz]]
* [[Carl, Duke of Württemberg]]
* [[Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia]]
* [[Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern]]
* [[Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern]]
* [[Prince Rupert Loewenstein]]
* [[Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, 19th Duke of Alba]]
* [[Jean, Count of Paris]]
* [[Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto|Fra' Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto, Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta]]
* Count [[Andrzej Ciechanowiecki]]
* Cardinal [[Gilberto Agustoni]]
* Cardinal [[Angelo Bagnasco]]
* Cardinal [[William Wakefield Baum]]
* Cardinal [[Anthony Bevilacqua]]
* Cardinal [[Giacomo Biffi]]
* Cardinal [[Carlo Caffarra]]
* Cardinal [[Antonio Cañizares Llovera]]
* Cardinal [[Darío Castrillón Hoyos]]
* Cardinal [[Fernando Cento]]
* Cardinal [[Giovanni Cheli]]
* Cardinal [[Dominik Duka]]
* Cardinal [[Willem Jacobus Eijk]]
* Cardinal [[Józef Glemp]]
* Cardinal [[Zenon Grocholewski]]
* Cardinal [[James Michael Harvey]]
* Cardinal [[Antonio Innocenti]]
* Cardinal [[Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo]]
* Cardinal [[Gerhard Ludwig Müller]]
* Cardinal [[Vincent Nichols]]
* Cardinal [[Pietro Palazzini]]
* Cardinal [[George Pell]]
* Cardinal [[Giovanni Battista Re]]
* Cardinal [[Gianfranco Ravasi]]
* Cardinal [[Carlos Osoro Sierra]]
* Cardinal [[Jean-Claude Hollerich]]
* Cardinal [[Dominique Mamberti]]
* Cardinal [[Arcadio Larraona Saralegui]]
* Cardinal [[Eduardo Martínez Somalo]]
* Cardinal [[Antonio María Rouco Varela]]
* Cardinal [[Carlos Amigo Vallejo]]
* [[Andrew Bertie|Fra' Andrew Bertie, Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta]]
* Prince [[Dominique de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel]]
* Archbishop [[Antonio Mennini]]
* Archbishop [[J. Michael Miller]]
* Archbishop [[Gabriel Montalvo Higuera]]
* Archbishop [[George Stack]]
* [[Vicente de Cadenas y Vicent]], [[Cronista Rey de Armas]]
* [[Guy Stair Sainty]], Grand Chancellor
;;Dames Grand Cross of Justice
* Queen [[Isabella II of Spain]]
* [[List of titles and honours of Queen Sofía of Spain|Queen Sofía of Spain]]
* Queen [[Maria Theresa of Austria (1816–1867)]]
* [[Frederica of Hanover]], Queen of Greece
* [[Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg]], Queen of Spain
* [[Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg]]
* [[Leonida Bagration of Mukhrani|Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna Romanova of Russia]]
* [[Infanta Alicia, Duchess of Calabria]]
* [[Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria]]
* [[Infanta Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz]]
* [[Princess Anne, Duchess of Calabria]]
* [[Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]
* [[Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba]]
* [[Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark]]
* [[Princess Michael of Kent]]
* [[Princess Béatrice of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]]
* [[Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies]]
* [[Princess Isabel Alfonsa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]]
* [[Princess Marie des Neiges of Bourbon-Parma]]
* [[Princess María de los Dolores of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]]
* Princess María de la Esperanza of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
* [[Princess Maria di Grazia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]]
* [[Princess Maria Ludwiga Theresia of Bavaria]]
* [[Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]]
* [[Princess Urraca of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]]
* [[Princess Maria Adelaide of Savoy-Genoa]]
* Dame [[Cécile La Grenade]]
* [[María Clemencia Rodríguez Múnera]], former First Lady of Colombia
;Dames Grand Cross of Merit
* Ambassador [[Barbara Tuge-Erecińska]]
* [[Marta Linares de Martinelli]]
* [[Mary McAleese]], President of Ireland
* [[Mireya Moscoso]], President of Panama
;Dame Grand Officer of Justice
* [[Georgina Fitzalan-Howard, Duchess of Norfolk]]
;Knights Grand Cross of Justice
* [[Prince Adalbert of Bavaria (1886–1970)]]
* [[Prince Seeiso of Lesotho]]
* [[Prince Imperial of Brazil|Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza]]
* [[Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza]]
* [[Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Prince of Venice]]
* [[Archduke Franz Karl of Austria]]
* [[Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen]]
* [[Archduke Albrecht, Duke of Teschen]]
* [[Archduke Rudolf of Austria (1919–2010)]]
* [[Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria]]
* [[Archduke Stephen of Austria (Palatine of Hungary)|Archduke Stephen of Austria]]
* [[Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse]]
* [[Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia]]
* [[Infante Alfonso, Duke of Galliera]]
* [[Prince Eugenio, Duke of Genoa]]
* [[Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Castro]]
* [[Georg, Duke of Hohenberg]]
* [[Carlo Emanuele Ruspoli, 3rd Duke of Morignano]]
* [[Afonso, Prince of Beira]]
* [[Prince Laurent of Belgium]]
* [[Leopold, Prince of Salerno]]
* [[Albert, 12th Prince of Thurn and Taxis]]
* [[Prince Louis, Count of Trani]]
* [[Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz]]
* [[Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples]]
* [[William Albert, 1st Prince of Montenuovo]]
* Prince [[Klemens von Metternich]]
* Count [[Agostino Borromeo]]
* Count [[Christopher de Paus]]
* Count [[Géraud Michel de Pierredon]]
* [[John de Salis, 9th Count de Salis-Soglio]]
* [[Carlos Gereda y de Borbón]], Marquis of Almazán
* Sir [[Conrad Swan]]
* Cardinal [[Desmond Connell]]
* Cardinal [[Timothy M. Dolan]]
* Cardinal [[Edoardo Menichelli]]
* Cardinal [[Cormac Murphy-O'Connor]]
* Cardinal [[Mario Nasalli Rocca di Corneliano]]
* Cardinal [[Giuseppe Pizzardo]]
* Cardinal [[Luigi Poggi]]
* Cardinal [[Ugo Poletti]]
* Cardinal [[Norberto Rivera Carrera]]
* Cardinal [[Luigi Traglia]]
* Cardinal [[Augusto Vargas Alzamora]]
* Cardinal [[Thomas Winning]]
;Knights Grand Cross of Merit
* Justice [[Samuel Alito]], United States Supreme Court Justice<ref>https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/justice-alitos-royalist-cosplay.html</ref>
* [[Carlos Abascal]]
* [[János Áder]], President of Hungary
* [[Bertie Ahern]], Taoiseach of Ireland
* [[John Bruton]], Taoiseach of Ireland
* Senator [[Salvatore Cuffaro]]
* [[Arnaldo Forlani]], former Prime Minister of Italy
* [[Giustino Fortunato (1777–1862)]], Prime Minister of the Two Sicilies
* [[Nicholas Liverpool]], President of Dominica
* Colonel [[Elmar Mäder]]
* [[Ricardo Martinelli]], President of Panama
* Dr [[Joaquín Navarro-Valls]]
* [[Abel Pacheco]], President of Costa Rica 
* [[Juan Manuel Santos]], President of Colombia
* [[José Sarney]], President of Brazil
* [[Charles Savarin]], President of Dominica
* Cardinal [[Gianfranco Ravasi]]
* Bishop [[Fernando Arêas Rifan]]
* Monsignor [[Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo]]
* Archbishop [[Giovanni Tonucci]]
;Knight Commanders of Justice
* [[Alfredo Acton|Alfredo Acton, 1st Baron Acton]]
* Professor [[Mark Watson-Gandy]]
* [[Charles Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank]]
* Sir [[Nicholas Mander]]
* [[Charles Stourton, 26th Baron Mowbray]]
* [[Evan Morgan, 2nd Viscount Tredegar]]
;Knights of Merit
* Senator [[Gabriele Albertini]]
* [[David Alton|David Alton, Baron Alton of Liverpool]]
* [[Giulio Andreotti]], Prime Minister of Italy
* Counsellor [[Matthäus Casimir von Collin]]
* Professor [[Erich Feigl]]
* [[Gino Lupini]]
* Professor [[Vincent McBrierty]]
* [[Paul Murphy, Baron Murphy of Torfaen]]
* Ambassador [[Nicolae Petrescu-Comnen]]
* Professor [[Giuseppe Resnati]]
* [[Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz]]
* [[Enrico Salati]], Chief Minister of Parma
* Monsignor [[Thomas Adamson (priest)|Thomas Adamson]]
* Archbishop [[Bernard Barsi]]
* Monsignor [[John D. Faris]]
;Grand Priors
* Cardinal [[Gerhard Ludwig Müller]]
* Cardinal [[Darío Castrillón Hoyos]]
* Cardinal [[Antonio Innocenti]]
* Cardinal [[Domenico Pignatelli di Belmonte]]
* Cardinal [[Renato Martino]]
* Cardinal [[Mario Francesco Pompedda]]
* Cardinal [[Albert Vanhoye]]
{{Div col end}}

==See also==

*[[Order of Saint Januarius]]
*[[Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit]]
*[[Order of Saint George and Reunion]]
*[[Royal Order of Francis I]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==

* {{cite book |last=España|first=Gobierno de|title=Informes Emitidos por Ministerio de Justicia, Real Academia de Jurisprudencia y Legislación, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Instituto "Salazar y Castro" (C.S.I.C.) y Consejo de Estado Relativos al Título de Jefe de la Casa Real de Borbón Dos Sicilias y al Gran Maestrazgo de la Sagrada Militar Orden Constantiniana de San Jorge|year=1987|publisher=Gráficas Arias Montano, Móstoles|isbn=}}
* {{cite journal |last=Lecanda Crooke|first=Íñigo|title=Análisis jurídico de la legitimidad en la Jefatura de la Casa Real de Borbón Dos-Sicilias y el Gran Maestrazgo de sus Órdenes|year=2012|journal=Anales de la Real Academia Matritense de Heráldica y Genealogía|publisher=Real Academia Matritense de Heráldica y Genealogía|url=https://www.ramhg.es/images/stories/pdf/anales/15_2012/06_lecanda.pdf}}
* {{cite book |last=Stair Sainty|first=Guy|title=The Constantinian Order of Saint George|year=2018|publisher=[[Boletín Oficial del Estado]]|isbn=978-84-340-2506-6|url=https://www.boe.es/biblioteca_juridica/abrir_pdf.php?id=PUB-DH-2019-149_2}}
* {{cite book |author-link=José María de Palacio y de Palacio |last=de Palacio |first=José María |title=La Maison Royale des Deux Siciles, l'Ordre Constantinien de Saint Georges et l'Ordre de Saint Janvier |year=1964 |publisher=Altamira Talleres Gráficos |isbn=}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://ordenconstantiniana.org/en/ Hispano-Neapolitan branch website] (Grand Master: Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria)
* [https://constantinianorder.net/?lang=en Franco-Neapolitan branch website] (Grand Master: Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro)
* [http://www.borboneparma.it/index.php/it/home/ordini-dinastici/ordine-costantiniano-di-san-giorgio Sacred Angelic Imperial Constantinian Order of Saint George] (Grand Master: Prince Carlos, Duke of Parma)
** [http://www.borboneparma.it/images/Foto_articoli/Ordini/Castantiniano.pdf Bourbon-Parma branch's history of the order] (PDF file in Italian)

{{Orders of Italian States before unification}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sacred Military Constantinian Order Of Saint George}}
[[Category:House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]]
[[Category:Orders, decorations, and medals of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]]
[[Category:Catholic orders of chivalry]]
[[Category:1540s establishments in Italy]]