The Order
  |
Heraldic Regulations
The practice of according particular heraldic additions or devices to the arms of members of orders of knighthood is an ancient one. There are for example a lot of thirteenth century funeral monuments on tombs of members of the Order of St. John that provide early evidence of this. The badges of orders were added to arms as a matter of custom almost as soon as arms themselves were used by nobles and knights. For knights of St. John the arms of the order were quartered with their personal arms in the same fashion as bishops quartered their arms with those of their diocese. Later codified the privilege of quartering the arms of the order was restricted to the highest ranks, while knights surround their arms with the plain ribbon with the badge suspended therefrom. Knights of Justice and of Obedience of St. John may superimpose the shield on the cross of the order, Bailiffs may place the order's arms in chief.
The privilege of placing the shield on the cross of the Order later was assumed by members of other religious-military Orders like the Johanniter Order, the Most Venerable Order of St. John or the Teutonic Order, although generally restricted according to their rank in the Order. Same applies to place the Order's arms in chief ("chief of religion" ).
REGULATIONS FOR THE RECORDING AND USE
OF HERALDRY WITHIN THE ORDER
(MAGISTERIAL DECREE NO. 06/04)
See also "Registration of Arms within the Order"
Last Modified: 06/12/08.
- PUBLIC NOTICES - |
- ORDER GAZETTE - |
- EVENTS -
- ADS -
