Sovereign
Constantinian Order of Saint George of the Imperial Princes Amoroso d'Aragona; headed by "Prince" don Francesco
Amoroso Comneno Angelo Flavio Lascaris Paleologo d'Aragona. The American branch
is based in Rhode Island and seems to be directed by Dominic A. Vavala, a
lecturer in health sciences and nutrition at Johnson and Wales University since
1973 who lives at Oaklaw Avenue, Cranston, RI. He is also "Magnificent Rector"
of "The Constantinian University" which, he boasted in 1991, then had
only one member but would soon have a second. This "university"
presents an annual award to an outstanding culinary student at Johnson and
Wales University. In 1965 Prince Francesco appointed Vavala "minister
plenipotentiary" in the United states with a diplomatic
"passport".
The
Military Order of the Collar of Saint Agatha of the Paternò. The Order of Saint Agatha of San
Marino is a legitimate and recognized body, awarded by the Republic for
meritorious services. It has nothing to do with the self-styled "Order of
Saint Agatha of the House of Paternò" which has emerged in the post-war
era, founded by don Francesco Maria Paternò Castello, a cadet member of the
ancient Sicilian noble family of Paternò Castello, Dukes of Carcaci. Successive
heads of the Paternò and Paternò Castello family have refused to have anything
to do with this body and the founder's uncle, Frà Ernesto Paternò Castello,
Lieutenant of the Grand Magistery of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in
the 1950's, likewise denounced it.
Nonetheless, like so many
similar organizations it has found a following amid the twilight world of
pseudo-Orders and fantasy titles best exemplified by its Welsh based factotum,
Louis-Paul "de Bourbon-Condé", [5]
"Marshal" of the Order. This gentleman (who died in December 1996)
was also "consigliere della Corona and Minister Plenipotentiary for Foreign
Affairs" of the "Real Casa d'Aragona". In a
"statement" dated May 3, 1994, issued from the Palazzo Brunaccini,
Messina, Mr Bourbon-Condé, styling himself "Duke of Serra Molino",
disassociated his group from the "alleged claims to the Imperial Russian
Throne by one Alexis Brimeyer, who falsely styles himself Prince Alexis d'Anjou
Romanov Dolgorouky .......The Royal House of Aragon ....... recognizes .... the
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna .... as de jure Empress of All the
Russias". One may be sure that the Grand Duchess will be indifferent to
the support of these nonentities and that it will not make one iota of
difference to her chances of enjoying her dynastic inheritance! A series of
letters were addressed to various persons in 1994 and 1995 by "Prince
Louis-Paul" from an address in Wales: Hawthorn House, Four Crosses,
Llanymynech, when an unsuccessful attempt was made to hold an investiture of
this Order in the Brompton Oratory, London. In a letter dated January 18, 1994,
"Prince" Louis-Paul, "Il Maresciallo", stated that
"the House of Paternò specifically recognizes only the Sovereign Military
Order of Malta as the continuing Order ...... and will have no relation with
any of the so-called Orders of St John alleging descent from the former Russian
Hereditary (sic) Commanderies. Likewise it will have nothing to do with the
numerous bodies which claim to be orders of chivalry". This statement
seems rather surprising since don Roberto is himself self-styled "Grand
Master" of a notorious so-called "Order of St John" (see 11,
under "self-styled Orders of Saint John above) and "Prince"
Louis-Paul uses an assumed title that belonged to a now extinct branch of the
Royal House of France (Bourbon). In 1970 the Malta Year Book stated that
the "Minister to H.R.H." is the same Mr Vella Haber involved with two
self-styled Orders of Saint John described on this site in Self-Styled
Saint John Orders and the 1992 edition lists Roberto Paternò Castello's
Order of Saint John along with the names of its officers.
The "Order"
claims to have been revived in 1851 but nowhere is there shown to be any prior
historical record of the existence of such an institution. It is also claimed
that on March 30, 1853, King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies recognized this
as a Dynastic Order of Chivalry of the House of Paternò. [6]
Unfortunately, the original of this document has never been produced, but only
rather poor photocopies of a printed text and the whereabouts of any purported
original has never been explained. At best, it seems that this
"recognition" was at a local administrative level and was not made in
an act signed by the King. Even if it had been recognized in 1853, the heir of the
then head of the Family was neither the late don Francesco Maria nor his son
don Roberto.
Neither of the two
claimants to the Headship of the Royal House of the Two Sicilies have
recognized this "Order". Nor has the Republic of Italy given any such
recognition to the "Order of Saint Agatha of the House of Paternò"
under the provisions of Italian law [7]
by which the President can authorize Italian citizens to accept the award of
what are defined as "non-national Orders". [8]
Nonetheless, in a letter dated April 7th, 1994, "Prince Louis-Paul de
Bourbon-Condé" states that the "Courts of the Italian Republic on
more than one occasion have upheld the dynastic rights of Don Roberto".
Under Italian law, only the President of the Republic can accord any kind of
recognition to dynastic Orders and neither Don Roberto Paternò Castello nor his
father received any such recognition. Since the Constitution of the Italian
Republic prohibits the recognition of titles of nobility, no declaration by an
Italian court can have any bearing on such matters as they are not competent to
determine matters of nobiliary succession.
The "Grand
Master", Don Roberto Paternò Castello dei Duchi di Carcaci, born Feb 16,
1937, is the only son of Don Francesco Paternò Castello dei Duchi di Carcaci
(1913-1968), by his wife, a Miss Angela Rihouet. Don Francesco was the only son
of Don Roberto Paternò Castello (1876-1956), himself the fifth son of don
Francesco, Duke of Carcaci (1850-1912), by his wife and cousin, D. Eleonora
Paternò Castello Guttadauro. She was descended through the female line from the
ancient Guttadauro family, whose title of Prince of Emmanuel (assumed
improperly by don Roberto) had passed to the Bonaccorsi family. [9]
A 1969 publication of this body, in detailing the marriage of don Roberto
(d.1956) to Donna Eleonora, describes her as Eleonora Guttadauro, omitting her
paternal family name of Paternò Castello, to give the impression she was a
direct Guttadauro heiress, whereas she was actually descended through the
female line. This statement also pretends that the claim to the throne of the
Balearic Islands passed from the House of Aragon to the Ayerbe family, although
the latter never claimed it, and from thence to the Paternò family. It then records
that in 1968 "His Royal Highness (sic) Don Roberto Paternò Castello di
Carcaci, Prince of Emmanuel, .... was proclaimed as Chief of Name and Arms of
the Royal House and Grand Master of its dynastic Orders" ignoring the fact
that his grandfather, through whom he makes these preposterous claims, was the
fifth, and not the eldest son of the head of the Carcaci branch of the family.
The Paternò Castello di Carcaci line is a cadet of the Paternò family, whose
head by primogeniture descent is presently the Duke of Roccaromana, and neither
the latter nor any of the heads of line of the Paternò or Paternò Castello
family will have anything to do with don Roberto's so-called "Order".
As a junior member of a junior branch of the family don Roberto has no right to
claim any prerogative pertaining to its chief, whether or not such prerogative
actually exists.
As this body does not claim
to be the successor of a Catholic Order of Knighthood it has not been included
in the list of such bodies condemned by the Vatican.
The
Imperial Supreme Military Orthodox Dynastic Constantinian Order of Saint George: A pseudo version of the genuine
Constantinian Order whose history is given elsewhere. Its head is Mr Henri Vigo
Paleologo, otherwise styled "Prince Henri Vigo Aleramico Lascaris
Paleologus" or various combinations of that name with other defunct
Byzantine dynasties. The purported descent of Mr Vigo is a wonderful invention
on which he has worked enormously hard; unfortunately not only has he been
unable to produce the necessary documents to prove his descent generation by
generation from the Emperors of Byzantium, but even from the alleged
great-grandfather who, he claims, was recognized by the Roman Senate in 1869.
Mr Vigo asserts that the genuine Constantinian Order is a false Order (despite
having been awarded by reigning European Sovereigns from 1699 until 1861 and
then by their successors, Princes of the Royal House of Bourbon), and that his
invention is in fact the true successor of the original Byzantine foundation
(whose origins are uncertain anyway). Individuals recruited into this body are
the Metropolitan of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch in the United States
and Canada, Archbishop Athanasius Y. Samuel, the Rajah of Patelia (who is
illustrated in one of Vigo's publications kneeling to receive
"investiture"), and self-styled "Count" Juliusz
Nowina-Sokolnicki, self-proclaimed President of the Republic of Poland in
exile. A Colorado Priory of this group is headed by James "Baron"
Durward of Brusa (who describes himself as FSA Scott sic), Doyle
"Skip" Stansbury, George Noon, Dennis Gribble, Robert Tracy, and Rev
David R. Clarke.
The
Imperial Institute of Chivalry: While not
strictly claiming to be an Order of Knighthood, this body based in Bermuda, [10]
assists would be candidates into numerous pseudo-Orders. Among these are Saint
Lazarus, St Constantine the Great, the Spanish Imperial Order of Charles V,
Patriarchal Order of St Blaise and St Mary in Palestine, Order of the
Commonwealth, Order of St Andrew of Jerusalem, Order of the Senoria de Torre
Molina, Order of the Griffin, Order of Cordon Bleu du Saint Esprit, Order of St
Eugene of Trebizond, Confraternity of Ricoshombres de Mesnada, and at least one
self-styled St John Order.
The Order
of Saint Stanislas. A
pseudo history of this institution, in fact a revival of the originally Polish
and later Russian-Polish Order of that name, can be found on the Internet at http://www.finearts.sfasu.edu/uasal/sts.html.
It is given in five classes by "His Serene Highness Prince" (recently
upgraded from self-styled Count) Julius Nowina-Sokolnicki who claims to have been
Grand Master since June 9, 1979. The Order has not been awarded since the end
of the Russian Empire when Poland regained its independence and freedom. The
details of Mr Sokolnicki's claim to the Presidency of Poland are too complex to
be given here; suffice it to say that the present Polish government does not
regard him as one of those in succession to the titular Presidency from 1939
onwards. [Note:A statement from the State Secretary of the President, Andrzej
Drzycimski, published in Dziennik Polski,,, London 7 September 1994, reads
"Article 11 of Bill of 25 October 1991 ..... recognizes this power as
being bestowed by the Authority of the Polish republic up to 22 December 1990.
The phrase 'the Authority of the Polish Republic' should be understood to mean
the organs of the state institutions aboard based on the Polish Constitution of
23 April 1935. It therefore recognizes as Presidents of the Polish Republic
General Winiawe-Dlugoszowski, W. Raczkiewicz, A. Zaleski, S. Otrowski, E.
Raczynski, K. Sabbat, and R. Kacorowski, as well as the state organs appointed
by them. According to the Constitution of 23 April 1935 and historical fact
they are the successors of President Ignacy Moscicki........ With this in mind,
it should be stated that Mr Julius Nowina Sokolnicki did not possess the
authority of the Polish Republic and therefore his activities purporting to be
actions of the state (as a result of him calling himself President-in-exile of
the Polish Republic) cannot be honored, and according to Article 11 of Bill 1,
the ranks granted by him are not recognized".]
Sokolnicki's
"Order" and its claims have been discussed in a chapter on this
so-called "Order"
on "Orders of Chivalry" Web site. They are ready to extract payment
for this dubious honor even from clergyman - one professed Benedictine was
persuaded to part with $1000 to receive Saint Stanislas. Sokolnicki lives
modestly at 9 York Place, Castle Gardens, Colchester, Essex (tel & fax 01206-865591)
- on his stationary in addition to descrribing himself as former President of
the Polish Republic, and Grand Master of Saint Stanislas, he is also Commander
for Poland of the Order of Saint Lazarus (yet another dubious connection of
this "Order"), Grand Cross of the Ordo e Lillio (quite what this is I
have not discovered), and Order of the Palmetto (SC). The "Grand
Commander" is a Lt-Gen George M. Seignious, and Col Michael Michaelski
Costs is "Treasurer of the St Stanislas Foundation and Archivist of the
Order" - he lives at 101 Timbergate Drive, Lexington, South Carolina
29071-9009. Sokolnicki claims to have given the Grand Collar of his Order to
the Pope - a letter from the retired Bishop of Koszalin-Kolobrzeg diocese dated
April 4, 1995, confirmed that he was given several gifts to pass on to His
Holiness on the occasion of his 1991 Polish visit, including a "Diploma
and Insignia of the Order of St Stanislas". The Bishop states that he
"gave all those gifts to the Vatican delegation ... some were taken to
Rome some were left in Koszalin. Grand collar of the Order was left in Koszalin
and it is in diocesan collection of Holy Father visit souvenirs". Saint
Stanislas also has branches across the world and, for some reason, appears to
be particularly active in new Zealand where a Michael Subritsky-Kusza plays a
prominent role as a "Grand Cross" of this Order. This group has been
sufficiently successful to justify the publication of a news letter. The 1991
issue includes mention of the conferral on Sokolnicki of the title of
"Prince" by no lesser person than "H.S.H. Prince August von
Hohenstaufen" who may or may not have a connection with an astonishing
group to be found on the Internet!
Sokolnicki also used to
award the great Polish Order of Polonia Restituta, again without legitimate
authority.
The Order
of Saint Joachim,
is a modern "revival" of an Order whose legitimacy was in question
from its foundation. Promoted by a British writer on Orders (1802), who claimed
that Admiral Lord Nelson had accepted the "Grand Magistery" - the
Admiral being Britain's greatest hero at the time - but there is no historical
evidence that Lord Nelson ever took up these duties. The Order ceased to
function early in the 19th century. The present
"Order" has been revived under the "Grand Magistery" of
a certain Helmut
von Braundle-Falkensee (this family is not included in the Genealogische
Handbuch der Adeligen Häuser, the principal reference source on German noble
houses).[11]
It is run, however, by a certain L. H. . Rosan "Lord of Haverhill,"
(who has acquired by purchase the Lordship of the Manor of that name),
"GCJ", MCBA. MNAVA. FIPLA. FIPCS, self-styled "Grand
Chancellor" who has established the Order's headquarters at "ST.
JOACHIM HOUSE," 144-150 LONDON ROAD, CROYDON, SURREY, ENGLAND, CR0 2TD, a
business district in South London. This appears to be a body genuinely
dedicated to charitable works, and the small sum required for membership (£15
sterling) is so modest that no-one could be fooled into believing this was any
more than a charitable association which has assumed the guise of an order,
rather than a body which seriously pretends to be an Order of Knighthood in
order to defraud.
The
Sovereign Order of the Knights of Saint Dennis of Zante: Originally
founded by the notorious "Count" Pericles Voultsos, this is now
apparently run by "H.S.H. Count Thomas JohnTaglianetti". This Order
claims among its members former President George Bush, yet another example of
how these groups send their award to a prominent individual and then claim him
for a member. It is closely associated with a Mr Lowell Barker, who calls
himself Bishop Mikhail of the Ukranian Orthodox Church.
The
Military Order of Saint Bridget of Sweden. This flourished in the 1960's through 1980s but
has not been much heard of recently. Its factotum and "grand master"
was a certain Count Abbate di Castello Orleans who seems to have disappeared
from sight.
The
Imperial Order of Saint Eugene of Trebizond: The North American Exarchate of this extravagantly named organization is
headed by a Mr Russell R. Fritz. [12]
Byzantine
Order of the Holy Sepulcher: This self-styled Order of the Holy Sepulcher which has nothing to do
with the genuine Catholic Order of that name, is headed by a pseudo "Grand
Duke Dimitrij X. Dimitrievic of Russia, head of the Rurik Dynasty", as
"Hereditary Prince High Patron", and a "Prince" (etc)
Alfred Josef Baldacchino Dimitrevic of Gagry as "Hereditary Prince Grand
Master". A completely invented history of a supposed involvement by
knights of the Holy Sepulcher with Russia, and the "absorption of many
noble Houses and Chivalric Orders founded during the Byzantine Empire".
According to a history published in The Malta Year Book 1992 (whose
editors presumably take no responsibility for the entries submitted by bodies
like this), the high patron on December 5th, 1986 "broke with tradition in
the absence of direct heirs and nominated the Lieutenant Grand Master Alfred
Joseph Baldacchino as "Prince Grand Master". On October 12th, 1989,
the patron apparently adopted Mr Baldacchino "thus ensuring the dynastic
succession of the Order". The year book lists twenty individuals, some
with self-assumed titles, as holders of various "Supreme" or
"Grand" officers.
Sovereign
Military Hospitaller Order of Saint George of Carinthia. A 1950's revival of an ancient chivalric Order
long extinct, this found a willing head in the person of the Archduke Franz
Josef of Austria-Tuscany, sometime "Carlist" claimant to the Spanish
throne who for a while distributed his own "Order of the Golden
Fleece". Along with an Italian Marquess, this body was directed by a
former officer in Mussolini's elite "black brigade", but after
numerous court actions it seems to have become dormant.
The Royal
Portuguese Orders: With
the exception of the Royal Orders of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
and the Order of Santa Isabel (for ladies) all the Portuguese Orders were taken
over by the Republic. The heir to the Crown of Portugal is HRH Dom Duarte de
Bragança, Duke of Bragança. A completely invented claim by a purported secret
descendent of one of the last Portuguese Kings also awarded these Orders. An
announcement in the London Times read as follows: "...death on 29 December
1996 of the 44 year old 'D. Antonio João da Costa Amado Noivo, Marquess of
Santo Amado d'Aire, Duke of Saxe-Coburgo-Bragança, and of Guimaraes, formerly
Grand Master of the Royal Order of D. Carlos Primeiro, formerly Vice-Grand
Master of the Royal Portuguese Orders.' A Requiem Mass is to be held at St
Etheldreda's, Ely Place, on 28 January 1997." This claim was entirely
spurious. [My thanks to Patrick Cracroft-Brennan for this information]. The
deceased was the homosexual husband of the late Dona Maria de
Saxe-Coburgo-Braganca, who claimed to be the daughter of the (childless) last
reigning King, and who earned a living out of the sale of worthless honors and
titles. This pretension has now been assumed by an Italian, who has been even
more energetic than his predecessor.
Royal Order
of Saint Bartholomew: Under investigation.
Military
and Hospitaller Order of St Thomas Acon: Modern revival
of long extinct Crusader Order, headed by Captain, The "Baron" Victor
J. Macdonald-Evans, "23rd Laird of Denovan" and
"Grand Master of the Order." This gentleman, runs his affairs from a
modest address in Scotland, 28 North Bridge House, Edinburgh EH1 1QG. He is
also self-styled Chief of Clan Iain Mhoir, and has been exposed in the British
tabloid newspaper The News of the World, June 22, 1997
for selling extinct "titles" under the business name
"Escutcheon". The genuine Order of this name was merged with The
Order of Our Lady of Bethlehem, and the latter incorporated subsequently into
the Order of Saint John (information supplied by a correspondent).
The Order
of Saint Catherine of Sinai: one of the Lowell Barker stable of
Orders with an American Priory and many members from the Military.
The
Knightly Association of Saint George the Martyr: another Lowell Barker group established in
November 1980 as an "association of persons who have received the honor
and dignity of knighthood". It is difficult to imagine why someone who has
received a genuine Order would want to be connected in any way with such a
group. -
The Ancient
and Honorable Sovereign and Independent Order of Richard Lionheart of Jerusalem: headed by
a "H.S.H. Count Frederick St Pierre, Prince Grand Master". This has
advertised for members in various magazines, offering the rank of knight, etc.
Sovereign
Order of the Oak:
Typical of the many fantasy Orders is this self-styled Order whose history (and
some amusing photographs of the nonentities who run it) is given on the
internet at: http://
www.eee.org/bobfaw/web/oak. This "history" omits the inconvenient
fact that the Order of the Oak (never Sovereign - indeed no Order other than
the Sovereign Military Order of Malta has ever been Sovereign) was one of many
such short-lived organizations which disappeared soon after its foundation. The
document cited which purports to justify its claim to "sovereignty"
of course says nothing of the sort. The idiotic claim that the Order was
founded in the eighth century apparently relies on a seventeenth century source
(some nine hundred years later) and there is neither documentary or
archeological evidence of any kind to support his assertion. Even more comical
is the supposed succession of Grand Masters. Apparently, after somehow passing
through the Paternò family - although there is no documentary or historical
evidence of any kind to support this (or any other of the other assertions made
on behalf of this wholly invented claim) - the governance of this
"Order" ended up, after a hiatus of several hundred years from
1397-1981, in the person of a Mr Agazzi and from whom to someone who describes
himself under the entertaining alias of "H.S.H. George I, Prince Montis
Regalis".
Knights of Africa
Sovereign Order: A
ridiculous hoax invented by a certain "His Serene Highness, Prof. Sir
Vincent Abukuse Mbirika" who calls himself "Sovereign
Grandmaster". This "Order" is a prime example of the stupidity
of psuedo-Afr-centrist ideas, where Beethoven is claimed as an
"African" on the basis that his broad nose is evidence of negroid
ancestry (such considerations were used by the Nazis to identify those
supposedly of Jewish descent). According to the author of this site, presumably
the self-styled Grand master of the Order, other famous Africans mis-identified
included Emperor Pedro I of Brazil (a Braganza), the Virgin Mary and Jesus
Christ. The text of this ramble later states: "In chivalry, Africans
taught everyone else what it was all about. Even as late as 1040 A.D, before
the advent of Christian chivalry, it was an African Caliph of Egypt, North
Africa, named Abu Tamin, who gave permission to the merchants of Amalfi,
Southern Italy, to build an inn and a hospital for the travel-weary pilgrims
and the sick and wounded, a stone's throw from the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
That movement grew up to what became The Sovereign Order of the Hospitallers of
Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as "Knights of Malta". It
then became clear, Knights of Africa will be fulfilling those ceremonial
responsibilities and charitable activities once performed by the Hospitallers
of Saint John of Jerusalem. Hence, it was necessary to reform and incorporate
the remaining positive activities of Knights of Malta into Knights of Africa
under the Grandmastership of His Serene Highness, Prince Abukuse Vincent
Mbirika. The Grandmaster was elevated to the rank of Duke of Africa earlier in
1993, before being appointed by Knights of Malta Grand Priors meeting in
Florence in 1994, to take over and lead them as Grandmaster." No more
needs to be said but for more entertainment, visit: http://hometown.aol.com/ambirika/myhomepage/index.html
*************************
Global
Money Consultants, who also maintain
an Internet site,
promise to deliver memberships in a pseudo Saint John Order which they claim is
part of the "Ecclesiastical Government of the Holy Episcopal
Ecclesiarchate" and which offers the title of "Knight" or
"Dame" to those foolish enough to subscribe. They also promise Noble
titles, academic degrees, diplomatic appointments, "camouflage"
passports, drivers licenses and I.D.'s, press I.D.. cards, off-shore banking,
etc. Indeed, they seem to specialize in serving the needs of those who would
prefer to be outside official scrutiny - for reasons one can only imagine.
Patriarchate
of Antioch:
(London branch!),
"the Lord Alexander II, Patriarch of Antioch, the Great City of God, Of
Syria and The Lebanon, of Silesia, the Hellenes, Anatolia, Illyria and of all
the Country Evangelized by St Paul and St Mark, and of All the East, Pastor of
Pastors". Aided by "Antonio, Duke of Campobello and Gibrassaro",
who is apparently based at Queensgate Associates Ltd, National House, Isle of
Man [13],
this Patriarch created the titles of "Prince of Andravida" and
"Count of Sergiana" as a "rehabilitation" by letters patent
written in English dated March 31st, 1992, for a Mr Erik James Meldal-Johnsen. [14]It
is not know what consideration was given for this dubious honor.
[1] In Pope Clement V's own
words to the Church Council in Vienne (Dauphiné).
[2] The New Knighthood:
A History of the Order of the Temple, Cambridge University Press 1994, pp.
317-318.
[3] Barber, Op. cit.
supra 1994, p.. 330.
[4] Barber, Op. cit.
supra 1994, p. 334.
[5] It is not known whether
he is related to Bruce Chalmers, the self-styled "Prince" who changed
his name to Bourbon-Condé (see earlier under 8C, the Brimeyer Order of Saint
John, note ..., for this gentleman's history).
[6] Bourbon-Condé wrote on April
7th, 1994, that "successive Kings of the Two Sicilies" have given
"repeated recognition of the dynastic rights of the House of
Paternò". The supporters of don Roberto, however, have only been able to
produce one document purporting to recognize this Order and no act signed by
any King of the Two Sicilies. Ferdinand II had only one successor, Francis II,
who certainly never recognized the Order; neither did his successors as Heads
of the Royal House of the Two Sicilies.
[7] Law of March 3, 1951,
articles 7,8 & 9, by which the President of the Republic, on the advice of
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, may issues decrees authorizing the use of the
decorations of non-national Orders (i.e. Orders not awarded by the Government
of Italy, nor by a foreign Head of State).
[8] Members of the Two
Sicilies Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Tuscan Order of Saint
Stephen have been authorized by the President of the Republic to accept and
wear the decorations of these Orders under the provisions of this law.
[9] This family obtained
permission to convert to the title of Prince of Reburdone and still hold it
today.
[10] PO Box HM1721,
Bermudan Road, Hamilton, Bermuda HMGX.
[11] Mr von
Braundle-Falkensee was described as "Count" in a communication to
this writer from a member of the Order, however the author has since received a
letter (dated 26 Sep 1999) from the Order's "Grand Capitular", a
"Chev" Norman Kerr (of 144=150 London road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 2TD,
Tel: 0181-688-1123/4; fax: 0181-681-3284) stating that "at no time has our
Grand Master ever called himself a Count and the Grand Master has many honours
and decorations and does not need for any dubious titles, i.e. Count. We would
also state that not only do we claim to have members across the glove, we do
have members throughout the world, including Canada, America, Japan, Bahrein,
Norway, Sweden, Germany and England.
[12] PO Box 151282, Los
Angeles, CA 90015-1282.
[13] Tel: 44-0624-824555;
fax 823949.
[14] Resident at 8
Welwitschia Avenue, Glen Anil 4051, Republic of South Africa.