Equestrian Order of the Golden Hart (Inc.)

Pope Urban VI elected Pope and crowned April 18, 1378.

Creation of the County of Primavese and the Count of Primavese installed.

Count of Primavese creates the Ordo Equester Aurei Cervi, supposedly to raise troops for the defence and protection of Pope Urban VI. The Count of Primavese proclaims himself Grand Master of the Order. Supposedly, the Order received official sanction from Pope Urban VI.

By this time the Order had grown to some degree, rules being incorporated for the governance of its members, which included minor knights many from poorer families, from what is now Austria, Germany, England, Ireland, Saxony, Flanders and Italy. The Order also consisted of Men-At-Arms and Crossbowmen.

H.E. Grand Master the Count of Primavese continues to form the Ordo Equester Aurei Cervi, it membership continuing to expand. During this time, it is led into Battle by the Grand Master in defence of Pope Urban VI and offers other services to the Pope, including assisting the poor in the Popes name, while leading a crusade against supporters of the excommunicated Pope Clement VII.

Pope Urban VI dies and is succeeded by Boniface IX. The Count of Primavese once again swears loyalty to the new Pope and the loyalty of the Ordo Equester Aurei Cervi. By this time, the Order is involved in the work of assisting the poor in the community with its increased financial support from membership and the Church.

The Order’s works grow and where Chapters have grown up the order now assists the poor with food and medical treatments (as they were) while continuing to lead a crusade against the followers of the now excommunicated Pope Benedict XIII. Around 1401 Geoffrey Boucicaut, brother of the Marshal of France laid siege to Avignon. Pope Boniface, seeing a chance to rid the world of the false and excommunicated Pope Benedict XIII and rectify the Schism in the Church, instructs the Count of Primavese, as H.E. Grand Master of the Order, to lead the Ordo Equester Aurei Cervi into France and assist Geoffrey in his siege. The Order participates in this siege until 1403 when it is lifted. The Order returns to the Holy Roman Empire and Primavese, and continues in its aid to the poor and its crusade against the followers of Benedict XIII.

Pope Boniface IX dies and is succeeded by Innocent VII. The Grand Master of the Order again swears loyalty to the new Pope and the loyalty of the Order is once again given.

The Order continues is work with the poor and its crusades against the followers of Benedict XIII.

Pope Innocent VII dies and is succeeded by Gregory XII. The Grand Master of the Order again swears loyalty to the new Pope and the loyalty of the Order is once again given.

The Orders contributions to the poor continue, but the crusade against the followers of Benedict XIII wane as of a direct request from Pope Gregory XII to the Grand Master of the Order and a support of Benedict XIII wanes.

The Council of Pisa is called. Knights of the Order join in the procession to the Council as guards to Gregory XII’s representatives. Were John XXIII was elected Pope at this Council, leaving Europe torn by the crisis of having three claimants to the throne of St. Peter at once.

Complete mayhem reigns. The Order, while still involved in assisting the poor, is asked to wage a hard crusade against the supporters of the John XXIII and his supporters. This occurs until 1411, when Pope Gregory XII, sickened by the bloodshed being caused in the name of the Church but really for the glorification of petty and power hungry princess of the Church, asks the Grand Master to cease the Crusade against John XXIII and Benedict XIII and their supporters, and asks the Grand Master, where possible, to have the Order intervene in disputes and quell the unrest, and provide aid, shelter and support to those involved in any catastrophes, especially due to the violence caused by the war between John and Benedict. This aid, shelter and support is given and continues until 1414.

The Council of Constance occurs. John XXIII is deposed, Gregory XII abdicates and Benedict XIII is dismissed.

Pope Martin V is elected the new Pope and the Great Schism is ended.

H.E. the Grand Master, the Count of Primavese, swears loyalty to Martin V, and the Order’s loyalty is transferred to Martin V also. Martin accepts the Order’s loyalty, and confirms the lands and Titles of the Count of Primavese.

Pope Martin V, asks the Grand Master of the Order to disband its military forces, keeping only its Knightly ranks and staff to continue its assistance and medical aid to the poor.

The demobilisation of the Order’s non-chivalric elements was completed, with only Knights being given access to the prestige of the Order, with staff employed to man hospices and poor houses, granting food, aid and medical assistance to the poor.

Pope Martin V grants the Order the ability to operate as an independent and Sovereign Order, under the leadership of H.E. Grand Master, the Count of Primavese.

The Order further commenced its decline in membership from this time to 1600 as a military force. It was heavily involved in aid to the poor, including hospices. It was also involved in trade. Many of its members were only members of the Nobility throughout Europe however most were from the Holy Roman Empire , although there were members from other European Countries. By about 1600, the Order started to grow once again into a military force, with troubles and potential war in the area. Its membership was mainly members of the Nobility and Merchants in Austria , which Primavese was in the location of. Once again, the Order started to recruit troops, mainly Catholics. The Order only accepted Catholics into its Ranks.

At the commencement of the Thirty Years War, its membership containing not just members of the Nobility and Burghers, it also contained Catholic Soldiers, and employed Mercenaries. During the Thirty Years War, the Order strongly supported the German Hapsburgs. This occurred mainly because of it original Papal support and the fact that the German Hapsburgs wished to return Catholicism to the region and they were faithful Catholics.

After the Thirty Years War, the Order once again commenced disbanding its troops, and became more of an Order of Prestige rather than a fully operating and military Order, available only to Catholics of Noble Birth or High Ranking Burghers and Wealthy Merchant Families ( those who could afford to pay ). At some point in between these years it changed its name to the Hunting Order of the Golden Stag and became predominantly a Hunting Order of Chivalry. It still maintained its works of assisting the Poor with aid and running Hospices for them, but on a much smaller scale.

By the commencement of the Napoleonic Wars started many of the Austrian and German Nobility were members of the Order, with Members of the Army also involved, with the Count of Primavese still its Grand Master, having received further titles from the Emperors over the centuries. Their Hereditary right to the position was established through the Papal grants earlier during the Great Schism and at its end, as well as from a Hereditary perspective.

During the Napoleonic Wars, many of the new members of the Order were Doctors, assisting in the Hospices, not just for the poor, but more specifically for wounded soldiers.

During this period, the Order early on returned to its original name of the Ordo Equester Aurei Cervi, still only accepting Catholics into its Ranks into full membership as a Prestigious Order, but including not just members of the Nobility, but Men of Status in the Government, Trade as well as Doctors etc.

During this period, after World War I, Membership of the Order started to decline. Less work was done aiding the Poor due to lack of financial input and support.

The decline of the Order worsened still further, to the point of its membership being extremely limited. Aid to the poor was non-existent and the Order really did become a purely Prestige Order, not that it held much prestige any more.

During this period of the Order's History, Membership was opened up to Non-Catholics in an attempt to bolster its Membership again, however with little success in Europe . The Order looked like dying out completely, the last Count of Primavese having no family relatives to be able to pass the Grand Mastership onto, and their only being approximately 6 members.

While visiting Australia , the Count of Primavese was introduced to a large group of people interested in forming a group / organisation involved in aiding the Poor and sponsoring support to the poor, either directly or through other support mechanisms. H.E. the Grand Master, the Count of Primavese, at that moment offered the Grand Mastership to a member of the Group in the hope that the Order would once again grow and continue its support and aid to the poor. The condition was that the Order, when it had built itself up, would return to doing this, as well as a condition applied that the remaining members of the Order in Europe, all elderly men in the 60s – 80s, hold their Ranks within the Order until they died. This was agreed upon by all in the Group and the Australian Grand Master was officially oath sworn and Knighted in March 1992. From this date, the Ordo Equester Aurei Cervi was officially Head Quartered in Victoria , Australia .

Last Modified: 06/12/08.