History of the Order


	The Equestrian, Secular and Chapterial Order of Saint Joachim was established on the 20th of June, 1755 by fourteen nobles and distinguished military leaders of the Holy Roman Empire. Having seen the terrible consequences of ongoing religious wars in Europe, our founders dedicated themselves to "worship the Supreme Being, show tolerance towards all religions, loyalty towards their princes, support the needs of their military, the poor, widows and orphans." The Order was uniquely composed of both Protestant and Catholic nobles and leaders at a time when religion violently divided Europe and the German states within the Holy Roman Empire, and other knightly orders allied themselves exclusively with one faith or the other. The Order was headed by His Serene Highness Prince Christian Franz von Sachsen-Coburg Saalfeld, son of reigning Duke Franz Josias. Prince Christian Franz was installed as our first Grand Master on June 20th, 1756, a position he held until 1773. In addition to Prince Christian Franz, the other founding members of the Order in 1755 were: Duke Karl Friedrich of Württemberg-Oels Prince Piccolomini Count Josef von Clary und Aldringen Baron Friedrich Karl von Eib Ritter Michel Fachner von Trauenstein Keck von Schwarzbach Count Procop von Kollowrat-Krakowsky Baron Johann Philip Schutzbar von Milchling Baron Moser von Filseck Count Johann Wilhelm von Nostitz Baron Anselm Josef Reichlin von Meldegg Johann Josef Wiedersperger von Wiedersperg Baron Friedrich von Zobel von Giebelstadt When the Order was founded in 1755, it was originally with the name The Knights of the Order of Jonathan, Defenders of the Honour of Divine Providence. In 1767 the Grand Master and a majority of the Grand Chapter decided to remove the reference to Jonathan from the name. Finally, in 1785 a further change was made, and the Order's constitution was revised by the General Chapter to rename it The Equestrian, Secular and Chapterial Order of Saint Joachim, which it has remained to this day. The original Statutes and Rules of the Order published in 1756 and 1768 still exist. Our first Grand Master was followed by Franz Xaver, Graf von Montfort and a noble of the Holy Roman Empire, who remained Grand Master until his death in 1780. The Grand Master's position next fell to successive generations of the Counts of Leiningen - Westerburg - Neuleiningen, who were related to the Sachsen-Coburg Saalfelds and the British Royal Family. *The Order of Saint Joachim* was recognized by many contemporary sovereigns and states. His Apostolic Majesty Leopold II, King of Hungary and Bohemia formally acknowledged and sanctioned the wearing of the insignia of the Order on May 23, 1790 with a document of Royal Concession. A few months later he was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, succeeding his brother Joseph II. One of his first acts was to appoint Comte Christian von Leiningen, a knight of The Order of Saint Joachim and relative of the Grand Master, to be Chamberlain of the Imperial Palace. On the 27th of April, 1791 King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia issued a similar Royal Grant recognizing the legitimacy of our Order and permitting the wearing of the insignia of The Order of Saint Joachim on Prussian officers' military uniforms. The Order of Saint Joachim was also closely examined at the request of the British Crown before Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson was allowed to accept the award of the Cross of a Knight Grand Commander. The Order of Saint Joachim passed the strict scrutiny and requirements for a knightly order set down by the English College of Arms, which was confirmed by the King's Warrant in 1802, and granted Nelson permission to accept and wear the honour. Some of Nelson's correspondence displays his affection and high sense of honour he felt at being admitted to The Order of Saint Joachim. Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson was wearing the breast cross of a Knight Grand Commander of The Order of Saint Joachim when he fell mortally wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The Royal Warrant of King George III was also issued for three other English contemporaries of Admiral Nelson to accept and wear the insignia of a Knight Grand Commander of The Order of Saint Joachim. These included Viscount Merton, General Sir Charles Imhoff, and Philippe D'Auvergne, Prince de Boullion, Rear Admiral of the Blue. Philippe d’Auvergne cut a dashing figure in the time of the French Revolution as a spymaster and organiser of Royalist resistance in France from his base in the Island of Jersey, where he was Governor. General Sir Charles Imhoff was granted the Royal Warrant to accept and wear the Grand Cross of The Order of Saint Joachim on May 18, 1807 on the recommendation of the English College of Arms. The Order of Saint Joachim and the use of the post-nominal "K.J." by its knights is evidenced in several contemporary English references, including Debrett's and various guides to the British Parliament. In fact, Knights of Saint Joachim were recognized in England and were entitled to the use of the title "Sir" until the 1820s, when legislation was passed to limit the recognition of foreign knighthoods generally. At the beginning of the 19th Century, Napoleon's wars in Germany resulted in the creation of the Confederacy of the Rhine as a French puppet state. As ruler of Leinigen our sitting Grand Master was imprisoned and Napoleon's own brother-in-law, Joachim Murat, was made the Grand Duke of the newly created "Duchy of Berg and Cleves". Joachim Murat, a Marshal of France, was appointed Grand Duke of Berg and Cleves on March 15, 1806 and held this title till August 1, 1808, when he left to become King of Naples. During this time he declared himself the Grand Master of The Order of Saint Joachim. He was painted by the famous court painter Gerard wearing the breast star of the Order, and revised the Order's statutes to extend membership in the Order to any member of the French Legion of Honour. He also made changes to the Order's insignia, including a rosette on the ribbon and a variation of the breast star, seen here. Murat's leadership of The Order of Saint Joachim was rejected by the existing members, and the legitimate Grand Master's line remained with the son of the previous Grand Master, the next Count of Leiningen. In fact, when Philippe D'Auvergne, Prince de Boullion, found that Murat had declared himself Grand Master of the Order, he resigned his membership, but changed his mind when he was assured that the legitimate leadership of the Order rested in the Count of Leiningen, who opposed Napoleon. Murat left to become King of Naples in 1808 and was eventually executed in 1815. Something unique that distinguishes The Order of Saint Joachim from other orders of chivalry is that by the mid 1800s it did not owe its existence to a royal or noble house, although it counted such people among its members. It derived its authority from its ancient charter, much the same way many of the original knightly orders did during the Crusades. Being chapterial, the Order's Grand Master was elected by the Grand Chapter of its knights, and was not a hereditary position. Writing in 1843, G.L. De Rochement and J. Bischoff (Ridderorden: Amsterdam, p. 27) observed that The Order of Saint Joachim "does not owe its origins to any crowned head, even so it is recognized both on the European mainland and in Great Britain as an Order of knighthood." Nonetheless, various books, references and encyclopedia continued to erroneously describe The Order of Saint Joachim as belonging to the Ducal House of Sachen-Coburg until almost the end of the 1800s. (See: Goffredo di Crollalanza's "Enciclopedia Araldico-Cavalleresca", 1878). Early references to the Order can be found in The History of European Knightly Orders by Levett Hanson (1803), and A Historical Collection of Still Existing Knight Orders of Different Nations by A.M. Perrot (1821). Many of the Order's documents, including copies of its earliest records, went missing at the end of World War II. They were likely taken from the public offices or private archives of Carl Eduard, Duke of Albany and Duke of Sax-Coburg Gotha (1884-1954), who served during the war as President of the German Red Cross. They were looted and removed from Germany by the Soviet Red Army and placed in the archives of the NKVD (later KGB), where they only reappeared in the last decade. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the archives were "privatised" as a for-profit business venture and placed in the hands of the Russian Institute of Economic Security, a company with close ties to the Russian security establishment which provides corporations and individuals with "economic and business intelligence". Attempts so far to retrieve The Order's documents have proven unsuccessful. The Order of Saint Joachim had a presence in both England and Germany in the turbulent first half of the 20th Century. The conflicts and politics of pre- and post World War II resulted in the reorganisation of the Order in both 1929 and 1948. More information about the history of The Order of Saint Joachim can be found through the following links: The House of Sachsen-Coburg Saalfeld; Counts of Leiningen - Westerburg - Neuleiningen; Sir Levett Hanson; and, The Enlightenment. Reproductions of some of the Order's original 18th century documents can be seen here: Statutes and Rules of 1756; and Statutes and Rules of 1768. The Order commemorated the 250th anniversary of its founding with a book: *NOBLE HEARTS: The Order of Saint Joachim. The book is an examination of the early history of the Order through original documents and references. Reproduced in this illustrated and heavily annotated volume are several articles about The Order of Saint Joachim's* early history, including an inquiry into its founding members, its early rules and regulations, and how an approach by the Order to George Washington inadvertently shaped the young American nation. Also included is the complete text of Sir Levett Hanson's 1802 chapter about the Order's history and its ceremonies. Today the Order provides for the establishment of Chapters or Commanderies in any country of the world under the control and authority of the Grand Chapter, and under the authority of the Grand Master who is the Order's titular head. There is a Commandery in the United Kingdom, where the Order operates as a registered charity. The Canadian Commandery operates as a federally incorporated not-for-profit corporation. There is also a United States Commandery. Wherever it has a presence, the Order continues its long history of service and charitable works, principally in the areas of children's charities, the homeless and the support of ex-servicemen. The Order of Saint Joachim celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2005. © 2008 The Order of Saint Joachim

The Equestrian, Secular and Chapterial Order of Saint Joachim was established on the 20th of June, 1755 by fourteen nobles and distinguished military leaders of the Holy Roman Empire. Having seen the terrible consequences of ongoing religious wars in Europe, our founders dedicated themselves to "worship the Supreme Being, show tolerance towards all religions, loyalty towards their princes, support the needs of their military, the poor, widows and orphans." The Order was uniquely composed of both Protestant and Catholic nobles and leaders at a time when religion violently divided Europe and the German states within the Holy Roman Empire, and other knightly orders allied themselves exclusively with one faith or the other.

The Order was headed by His Serene Highness Prince Christian Franz von Sachsen-Coburg Saalfeld, son of reigning Duke Franz Josias. Prince Christian Franz was installed as our first Grand Master on June 20th, 1756, a position he held until 1773. In addition to Prince Christian Franz, the other founding members of the Order in 1755 were:

Duke Karl Friedrich of Württemberg-Oels
Prince Piccolomini
Count Josef von Clary und Aldringen
Baron Friedrich Karl von Eib
Ritter Michel Fachner von Trauenstein
Keck von Schwarzbach
Count Procop von Kollowrat-Krakowsky
Baron Johann Philip Schutzbar von Milchling
Baron Moser von Filseck
Count Johann Wilhelm von Nostitz
Baron Anselm Josef Reichlin von Meldegg
Johann Josef Wiedersperger von Wiedersperg
Baron Friedrich von Zobel von Giebelstadt

When the Order was founded in 1755, it was originally with the name The Knights of the Order of Jonathan, Defenders of the Honour of Divine Providence. In 1767 the Grand Master and a majority of the Grand Chapter decided to remove the reference to Jonathan from the name. Finally, in 1785 a further change was made, and the Order's constitution was revised by the General Chapter to rename it The Equestrian, Secular and Chapterial Order of Saint Joachim, which it has remained to this day. The original Statutes and Rules of the Order published in 1756 and 1768 still exist.

Our first Grand Master was followed by Franz Xaver, Graf von Montfort and a noble of the Holy Roman Empire, who remained Grand Master until his death in 1780. The Grand Master's position next fell to successive generations of the Counts of Leiningen - Westerburg - Neuleiningen, who were related to the Sachsen-Coburg Saalfelds and the British Royal Family.

The Order of Saint Joachim was recognized by many contemporary sovereigns and states. His Apostolic Majesty Leopold II, King of Hungary and Bohemia formally acknowledged and sanctioned the wearing of the insignia of the Order on May 23, 1790 with a document of Royal Concession. A few months later he was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, succeeding his brother Joseph II. One of his first acts was to appoint Comte Christian von Leiningen, a knight of The Order of Saint Joachim and relative of the Grand Master, to be Chamberlain of the Imperial Palace.

On the 27th of April, 1791 King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia issued a similar Royal Grant recognizing the legitimacy of our Order and permitting the wearing of the insignia of The Order of Saint Joachim on Prussian officers' military uniforms.

The Order of Saint Joachim was also closely examined at the request of the British Crown before Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson was allowed to accept the award of the Cross of a Knight Grand Commander. The Order of Saint Joachim passed the strict scrutiny and requirements for a knightly order set down by the English College of Arms, which was confirmed by the King's Warrant in 1802, and granted Nelson permission to accept and wear the honour. Some of Nelson's correspondence displays his affection and high sense of honour he felt at being admitted to The Order of Saint Joachim. Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson was wearing the breast cross of a Knight Grand Commander of The Order of Saint Joachim when he fell mortally wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

The Royal Warrant of King George III was also issued for three other English contemporaries of Admiral Nelson to accept and wear the insignia of a Knight Grand Commander of The Order of Saint Joachim. These included Viscount Merton, General Sir Charles Imhoff, and Philippe D'Auvergne, Prince de Boullion, Rear Admiral of the Blue. Philippe d’Auvergne cut a dashing figure in the time of the French Revolution as a spymaster and organiser of Royalist resistance in France from his base in the Island of Jersey, where he was Governor. General Sir Charles Imhoff was granted the Royal Warrant to accept and wear the Grand Cross of The Order of Saint Joachim on May 18, 1807 on the recommendation of the English College of Arms.

The Order of Saint Joachim and the use of the post-nominal "K.J." by its knights is evidenced in several contemporary English references, including Debrett's and various guides to the British Parliament. In fact, Knights of Saint Joachim were recognized in England and were entitled to the use of the title "Sir" until the 1820s, when legislation was passed to limit the recognition of foreign knighthoods generally.

At the beginning of the 19th Century, Napoleon's wars in Germany resulted in the creation of the Confederacy of the Rhine as a French puppet state. As ruler of Leinigen our sitting Grand Master was imprisoned and Napoleon's own brother-in-law, Joachim Murat, was made the Grand Duke of the newly created "Duchy of Berg and Cleves". Joachim Murat, a Marshal of France, was appointed Grand Duke of Berg and Cleves on March 15, 1806 and held this title till August 1, 1808, when he left to become King of Naples. During this time he declared himself the Grand Master of The Order of Saint Joachim. He was painted by the famous court painter Gerard wearing the breast star of the Order, and revised the Order's statutes to extend membership in the Order to any member of the French Legion of Honour. He also made changes to the Order's insignia, including a rosette on the ribbon and a variation of the breast star, seen here. Murat's leadership of The Order of Saint Joachim was rejected by the existing members, and the legitimate Grand Master's line remained with the son of the previous Grand Master, the next Count of Leiningen. In fact, when Philippe D'Auvergne, Prince de Boullion, found that Murat had declared himself Grand Master of the Order, he resigned his membership, but changed his mind when he was assured that the legitimate leadership of the Order rested in the Count of Leiningen, who opposed Napoleon. Murat left to become King of Naples in 1808 and was eventually executed in 1815.

Something unique that distinguishes The Order of Saint Joachim from other orders of chivalry is that by the mid 1800s it did not owe its existence to a royal or noble house, although it counted such people among its members. It derived its authority from its ancient charter, much the same way many of the original knightly orders did during the Crusades. Being chapterial, the Order's Grand Master was elected by the Grand Chapter of its knights, and was not a hereditary position. Writing in 1843, G.L. De Rochement and J. Bischoff (Ridderorden: Amsterdam, p. 27) observed that The Order of Saint Joachim "does not owe its origins to any crowned head, even so it is recognized both on the European mainland and in Great Britain as an Order of knighthood." Nonetheless, various books, references and encyclopedia continued to erroneously describe The Order of Saint Joachim as belonging to the Ducal House of Sachen-Coburg until almost the end of the 1800s. (See: Goffredo di Crollalanza's "Enciclopedia Araldico-Cavalleresca", 1878).

Early references to the Order can be found in The History of European Knightly Orders by Levett Hanson (1803), and A Historical Collection of Still Existing Knight Orders of Different Nations by A.M. Perrot (1821).

Many of the Order's documents, including copies of its earliest records, went missing at the end of World War II. They were likely taken from the public offices or private archives of Carl Eduard, Duke of Albany and Duke of Sax-Coburg Gotha (1884-1954), who served during the war as President of the German Red Cross. They were looted and removed from Germany by the Soviet Red Army and placed in the archives of the NKVD (later KGB), where they only reappeared in the last decade. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the archives were "privatised" as a for-profit business venture and placed in the hands of the Russian Institute of Economic Security, a company with close ties to the Russian security establishment which provides corporations and individuals with "economic and business intelligence". Attempts so far to retrieve The Order's documents have proven unsuccessful.

The Order of Saint Joachim had a presence in both England and Germany in the turbulent first half of the 20th Century. The conflicts and politics of pre- and post World War II resulted in the reorganisation of the Order in both 1929 and 1948.

More information about the history of The Order of Saint Joachim can be found through the following links: The House of Sachsen-Coburg Saalfeld; Counts of Leiningen - Westerburg - Neuleiningen; Sir Levett Hanson; and, The Enlightenment. Reproductions of some of the Order's original 18th century documents can be seen here: Statutes and Rules of 1756; and Statutes and Rules of 1768.

The Order commemorated the 250th anniversary of its founding with a book: NOBLE HEARTS: The Order of Saint Joachim. The book is an examination of the early history of the Order through original documents and references. Reproduced in this illustrated and heavily annotated volume are several articles about The Order of Saint Joachim's early history, including an inquiry into its founding members, its early rules and regulations, and how an approach by the Order to George Washington inadvertently shaped the young American nation. Also included is the complete text of Sir Levett Hanson's 1802 chapter about the Order's history and its ceremonies.

Today the Order provides for the establishment of Chapters or Commanderies in any country of the world under the control and authority of the Grand Chapter, and under the authority of the Grand Master who is the Order's titular head.

There is a Commandery in the United Kingdom, where the Order operates as a registered charity. The Canadian Commandery operates as a federally incorporated not-for-profit corporation. There is also a United States Commandery. Wherever it has a presence, the Order continues its long history of service and charitable works, principally in the areas of children's charities, the homeless and the support of ex-servicemen.

The Order of Saint Joachim celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2005.