The prestigious Order of the Golden Fleece is one of the most illustrious Orders of Chivalry in History, which will be awarded to a Queen Consort for the first time in its 600-year history today when it will be presented to Queen Sofia in a ceremony marking over five decades of service to the Spanish Crown and People!
Founded by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal in 1430 in Brugges, the Order of the Golden Fleece passed to the House of Habsburg when Mary of Burgundy married Emperor Maximilian I in 1477 and was headed by the King of Spain until the War of Spanish Succession in 1711, since when there are two branches of the order: Archduke Karl von Habsburg heads the Austrian Order while the current Grand Master of the Spanish branch is King Felipe VI of Spain.
While the Austrian branch inherited the Treasure of the Order since they possessed the old Burgundian Habsburg territories, the Spanish Branch of the Golden Fleece became one of the most prestigious and historic orders of chivalry, and in 1789 it was written that
the number of knights of the Golden Fleece is very limited in Spain, and this is the order, which of all those in Europe, has best preserved its ancient splendour”
The badge of the order, in the form of a sheepskin, is suspended from a jewelled collar of firesteels in the shape of the letter B, for Burgundy, linked by flints; with the motto Pretium Laborum Non Vile “no mean reward for labours” engraved on the front of the central link, and Philip’s motto Non Aliud “I will have no other” on the back. The badge is usually suspended from a scarlet ribbon worn at the neck (for men) or from a bow (for ladies).
The Order’s emblem is the golden ram’s fleece associated with Jason in Greek mythology; the Order’s jewel is called the Toison (“fleece” in French) and it is known as the Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro in Spanish.
For centuries, the Order of the Golden Fleece was only given to the Spanish Sovereign and Heir, in addition to Infante’s and Foreign Sovereigns as well as members of the Spanish Nobility. While Spanish Queens Regnant have been the Sovereigns of the Order, females, only Foreign Monarchs until now, only got awarded the Order in 1985, making Queen Sofia the first Queen Consort to be given the prestigious Order.
The Spanish Royal Family
(1981)
(2015)
(1941)
Foreign Sovereign Knights
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
(1983)
(1985)
Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands
(1985)
(1985)
(1994)
(1995)
(2004)
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
(2006)
Deceased Knights
King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand
(2006)
(1988)
(1985)
(1983)
(1982)
(1964)
(1960)
Emperor Hirohito of Japan
(1928)
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