Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ
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The Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ or Order of the Eagle of Georgia. is one of the dynastic orders of knighthood of the Royal House of Georgia
, originally founded by the Saint Queen Tamar of Georgia
and later revived by HRH Prince Irakli Bagration of Mukhrani
in 1939. The Grand Mastership of the Order has remained with the successors of Prince Irakli and the current Grand Master is HRH Prince David
.
in the early 13th century.
The naming and symbolism of the Order are tied to the traditional origins of the Royal House of Georgia, as it claims descent from the line of David. The use of the seamless robe of Jesus
as the main symbol is part of that tradition.
The Order having been inactive for centuries, was revived in 1939 by HRH Prince Irakli Bagration of Mukhrani
in his attempt to organize the expatriate Georgians (who had fled the Communist regime) with the goal of restoring the monarchy in Georgia.
, religion
or gender
for recognition of services to Georgia, the Royal House or the monarchical cause.
The grades of the Order are
regulations related to how to display their insignia with their coat of arms
. Permission to display their insignia is granted via the Royal College of Arms of Georgia that also regulates all heraldry for the Royal House.
Specifically, these are the rules:
House of Mukhrani
The house of Mukhrani is a Georgian princely family, a collateral branch of the former royal dynasty of Bagrationi of which it sprung early in the 16th century, and received in appanage the domain of Mukhrani located in Kartli, central Georgia...
, originally founded by the Saint Queen Tamar of Georgia
Tamar of Georgia
Tamar , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was Queen Regnant of Georgia from 1184 to 1213. Tamar presided over the "Golden age" of the medieval Georgian monarchy...
and later revived by HRH Prince Irakli Bagration of Mukhrani
Irakli Bagration of Mukhrani
Irakli Bagration-Mukhraneli was a Georgian prince of the Mukhrani branch of the former royal dynasty of Bagrationi....
in 1939. The Grand Mastership of the Order has remained with the successors of Prince Irakli and the current Grand Master is HRH Prince David
David Bagration of Mukhrani
David Bagrationi of Moukhrani, David Bagration de Moukhrani y de Zornoza, or Davit' Bagration-Mukhraneli is a claimant to the headship of the Royal House of Georgia and to the historical thrones of Georgia, succeeding on the death of his father Jorge de Bagration on January 16, 2008.-Early...
.
Original founding and restoration
Tradition holds that Queen Tamar created this order to organize Georgian knights in her effort to provide aid to the Empire of TrebizondEmpire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...
in the early 13th century.
The naming and symbolism of the Order are tied to the traditional origins of the Royal House of Georgia, as it claims descent from the line of David. The use of the seamless robe of Jesus
Seamless robe of Jesus
The Seamless Robe of Jesus is the robe said to have been worn by Jesus during his crucifixion...
as the main symbol is part of that tradition.
The Order having been inactive for centuries, was revived in 1939 by HRH Prince Irakli Bagration of Mukhrani
Irakli Bagration of Mukhrani
Irakli Bagration-Mukhraneli was a Georgian prince of the Mukhrani branch of the former royal dynasty of Bagrationi....
in his attempt to organize the expatriate Georgians (who had fled the Communist regime) with the goal of restoring the monarchy in Georgia.
Membership
Membership in the Order may be bestowed upon individuals of any citizenshipCitizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
or gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
for recognition of services to Georgia, the Royal House or the monarchical cause.
The grades of the Order are
- Knight/Lady of the Grand Collar
- Knight/Lady Grand Cross
- Knight/Lady Grand Officer
- Knight/Lady Commander
- Knight/Lady
Notable members
Some of the more notable personalities that have accepted membership in the Order of the Eagle are:- King Umberto II of ItalyUmberto II of ItalyUmberto II, occasionally anglicized as Humbert II was the last King of Italy for slightly over a month, from 9 May 1946 to 12 June 1946. He was nicknamed the King of May -Biography:...
- Tsar Boris III of BulgariaBoris III of BulgariaBoris III the Unifier, Tsar of Bulgaria , originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver , son of Ferdinand I, came to the throne in 1918 upon the abdication of his father, following the defeat of the Kingdom of Bulgaria during World War I...
- Infante Jaime, Duke of SegoviaInfante Jaime, Duke of SegoviaInfante Jaime of Spain, Duke of Segovia, Grandee of Spain , was the second son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and his wife Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg...
- Leka, Crown Prince of AlbaniaLeka, Crown Prince of AlbaniaLeka, Crown Prince of Albania was the only son of King Zog of Albania and his queen, Géraldine Apponyi de Nagyappony. He was called Crown Prince Skander at birth...
- Catholicos-Patriarch of All GeorgiaCatholicos-Patriarch of All GeorgiaCatholicos–Patriarch has been the title of the heads of the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1010. The first Catholicos–Patriarch of All Georgia was Melkisedek I...
Ilia II - Infante Miguel, Duke of ViseuInfante Miguel, Duke of ViseuThe Infante Miguel, Duke of Viseu is the second son of Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza and his wife Princess Maria Francisca of Orleans-Braganza...
- Crown Prince Nicholas II of Montenegro
- Don Carlos Gereda y de BorbonDon Carlos Gereda y de BorbonHis Excellency Don Carlos Gereda y de Borbón, Marqués de Almazán, 49th Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem , was born on 24 January 1947 in Montevideo, Uruguay to Don Nicolás Gereda y Bustamante and his wife Dona María Luisa de Borbón y Pínto. He is the...
, Marqués de Almazán - Francisco de Borbón y Escasany, 5th Duke of SevilleFrancisco de Borbón y Escasany, 5th Duke of SevilleFrancisco de Borbón y Escasany, 5th Duke of Seville is the current Duke of Seville and a distant relative of the Spanish Royal Family. Currently, he works as a banker.-Early life:...
- H.I.H. Archduke Andreas Salvator of Habsburg-Lorraine, Prince of Tuscany
- HIRH Archduke Carlos of Habsburg-Lorraine and Bourbon
- HIRH Archduke Francis Joseph of Habsburg-Lorraine and Bourbon, Bourbon-Seville
- Duke Francisco de Borbón y de Borbón
- Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople
Heraldry
Knights and dames of the Order have specific heraldicHeraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
regulations related to how to display their insignia with their coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
. Permission to display their insignia is granted via the Royal College of Arms of Georgia that also regulates all heraldry for the Royal House.
Specifically, these are the rules:
- Knights Grand Collar and Knights Grand Cross may encircle their arms with the Collar of the Order
- Knights Grand Officer may use a circular ribbon 3/4 around their arms
- Knights Commander and Knights may drape the medal of the Order beneath their arms
See also
- Origin of the Bagratid dynastiesOrigin of the Bagratid dynastiesThe Origin of the Bagratid dynasties – Bagratuni in Armenia and Bagrationi in Georgia – were the longest-reigning royal families in the Caucasus , starting as princely houses and attaining to the royal status in both countries in the 9th century...
- Order of the Saint Queen TamarOrder of the Saint Queen TamarThe Order of the Saint Queen Tamar is a dynastic order of knighthood of the Royal House of Georgia, originally founded in 1915 by Georgians while in exile.-History:...
- Order of the Crown of GeorgiaOrder of the Crown of GeorgiaThe Order of the Crown of Georgia is the premier dynastic order of knighthood of the Royal House of Georgia.The Order was created to recognize the supporters of the Georgian monarcy and the Royal House...