The Council of the Dynastic Orders of Portugal is a Cultural Institution, of Academic nature, dedicated to the study of Orders in general, and in particular to the study of Orders instituted by the Kings of Portugal and the Dynastic Members of the Royal House of Portugal, namely the Most Serene House and Dynasty of Bragança, promoting the recognition and registration of Portuguese and Foreign Dynastic Orders (granted by the non-reigning Royal Houses), promoting, accordingly, the registration of persons or institutions awarded with these Dynastic Orders. It is also responsible for providing the Defense and Safeguarding of Historical Memory and Symbolic Heritage, bequeathed by the Kings of Portugal to their Heirs, as well organize and promote cultural and civic events in order to study and disseminate the History of Portugal.
The COUNCIL recognizes as Dynasty Members of the Royal House of Portugal and the Serene House and Dynasty of Bragança, the Most Serene Dukes of Loulé and His Sons, for being in the immediate succession line of the Throne of Portugal, and holding the Legitimacy of Jure in Succession of the Royal House after the death of El-King Dom Manuel II (which took place on 2 July 1932), as Portuguese descendants of El-King Dom João VI, who retained all rights to the Crown Succession, as prescribed by the Old Laws of the Kingdom, the Constitutional Charter of the Portuguese Monarchy, and other legislation in force until October 5, 1910.
The COUNCIL recognizes as Dynastic Orders of Portugal those Orders established by the Kings of Portugal or by the Representatives of the Dynastic Branches of the Royal House of Portugal, which have not been incorporated into the Portuguese State since the proclamation of the Republic, namely the Royal Order of the Trinity and the Military Order. of S. Sebastian, said of th Arrow.
REAL ORDEM DA TRINDADE (ROYAL ORDER OF THE TRINITY)
From 1730, King D. João V conceived, as a personal initiative, a new national institution of Chivlaryy, based on the conceptual and functional model of the french Order of the Holy Spirit, assuming a dynastic and graceful character, although related to evangelization – as expressed in the diplomatic reports of Francisco Mendes de Góis and Duvernay, in the Memorial of Estevão Álvares Bandeira and the Political Instructions of D. Luís da Cunha[1].
This institution, under the invocation of the Holy Trinity, would be called the Order of the Trinity[2] – whose denomination expresses a higher religious patronage than the Order of Christ, the most important of all Portuguese knight militias – it is represented in a polychrome watercolor sketch of an insignia of a large enamelled golden necklace (dated circa 1732), attributed to the artistic authorship of the royal architect João Frederico Ludovice, and centered monogrammatically on the crowned royal figure of King John V as the imperial dignity of his heraldry with King of Portugal and the Algarves.
Most likely, this royal project – resulting from the direct relationship with the person of King D. João V, based on the symbolic providentialism of the “Quinto Império” (Fifth Empire -a global Portuguese empire with spiritual and temporal power, based on an interpretation of Daniel 2 and the Book of Revelation – a world of peace and understanding ) – reflected on the admirable monument of the Royal Mafra Building (sacred in 1730) – was eventually left behind by the inconvenience of an eventual secondization of the military Order of Christ.
On July 10, 2003, the Most Serene Dom Filipe, Count of Rio Grande, using the prerogatives conferred by His August Father, theMost Serene Duke de Loulé (Dom Alberto), Head of the Constitutional Dynastic Branch of the Royal House of Portugal (as representative of the personal and dynastic rights that fell in line with Her August Grandmother – H.R.H Princess Dona Ana de Jesus Maria de Bragança and Bourbon, daughter of the King Dom João VI and Queen Dona Carlota Joaquina de Bourbon), it was well, according to the plan of his Grandfather – the King D. João V- to establish the Order of the Trinity as Order of His House.
This Order, established in Honor and Invocation of the Holy Trinity, has the denomination of Royal Order of the Trinity, and the dignity of Order of Necklace, according to the use and style of the Royal Houses of Europe. It has the character of a Dynastic-Family Order, and its Government is exercised by a Council superiorly headed by a Dynastic Member of the Royal House of Portugal, who bears the title of Grand Master / Governor. This dignity currently belongs to the Most Serene Dom Filipe, Count of Rio Grande, as member of the Dynastic Branch that is at the front line for the sucession of the Crown of Portugal.
According to its Statutes, the Order recognizes as Dynastic Members of the Royal House of Portugal and of the Most Serene House of Bragança, to the Most Serene Dukes of Loulé, His Sons and Grandchildren, who are in the first line of succession of the Crown of Portugal, by de Jure’s legitimacy in the succession of the Royal House after the death of King Dom Manuel II (July 2, 1932), as the Portuguese descendants of El-King Dom João VI, who retained all rights to the succession of the Crown. , as prescribed by the Old Kingdom Laws, the Constitutional Charter of the Portuguese Monarchy, and other legislation in force until October 5, 1910.
The badge of this Order of Necklace is that which was conceived by El-King D. João V, according to the old project outlined by the Royal-Architect João Frederico Ludovice – Necklace centered on the crowned monogram of El-King D. João V, of which hangs a blue enamel “Molina” cross, loaded, at the center of it, with the mystical triangle of the Holy Trinity of radiant white gold enamel, finishing its arms in a seraph head; and formed by links interspersed with a corner, which is repeated between letters of a Castle and anoother of a radiating Crowned Orb, surmounted by a book (alluding to the Portuguese Universal Empire).
The festive and solemn days of the Order are the Day of the Holy Trinity (mobile feast) and October 22 (birth of King D. João V).
[1] D. Luís da Cunha, Instruções Políticas, Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses, Lisboa, 2001, pp. 358 a 360
[2] António Filipe Pimentel, “A Honra e os seus Ícones – Sobre a joalharia de função”, Ourivesaria luso-brasileira do ciclo do ouro e dos diamantes, in Revista Oceanos, n.º 43 – Julho/Setembro, Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses, Lisboa, 2000, pp. 94 a 110
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ROYAL ORDER OF SAINT SEBASTIAN, said OF THE ARROW
The Military Order of Saint Sebastian, also called of the Arrow, was founded by King Dom Sebastião (1554-1578), in honour of the Patron Saint of his name, to whom he was much devoted. The King was born on the 20th January 1554 (the day of the liturgical celebration of Saint Sebastian), which was the reason why he was baptised with this name.
This Order, according to several historians, was set up in 1576. We know that, back in 1571, King Dom Sebastião, applied for permission from His Holiness the Pope Pius V, to change the statutes of the three Portuguese Military Orders: Christ, Santiago (Saint James) and Avis. He wished to add, to the cross on their gowns, an arrow (frecha), in memory of the weapon with which the Saint of his name had been made a martyr. This distinction would be granted only to the Knights who would become remarkable for deeds in War.
In the History of the Military Order of Saint Sebastian, also called of the Frecha, there are two separate periods. The first is the period of its foundation and brief existence, which took place between 1574-1576 and 1578. The second period is that of its dynastic restoration, which took place in 1994.
During the first period, the Order of the Frecha, or Military Order of the Arrow of Saint Sebastian, as referred by Doctor Alexandre Ferreira, in his work the “History of the Military Orders which existed in the Kingdom of Portugal”, and Manuel de Faria e Sousa, in his work “Europa Portugueza”, was created by King Dom Sebastião, as a result of his great devotion for the patron Saint of his name. It took the nature of a Military Order or of Chivalry, with the purpose of defending the Faith and widening Christianity.
This can be confirmed in the magnificent piece of writing in one of the old Customs houses in Setubal where, together with the insignias of the three military orders, also turns up the sign of three arrows representing this Order.
The second period starts from January 1994, when the Order was restored by Most Serene Dom Filipe, under express authorisation and powers granted by his August Father, . Most Serene Dom Alberto, Duke of Loulé, promoting its registration before the official entities and keeping since then, the name of Military Order of São Sebastião, said of the Frecha. On the 20th (day of St. Sebastian) of that same month and year, a mass was celebrated in honour of the Patron Saint and of the King Founder of the Order, which has been repeated every year, on the same day.
By a letter dated the 19th July 1999, the Duke of Loulé (Dom Alberto) confirmed in writing the authorisation granted years before, to his son, Dom Filipe, so that he would deal with its registration and ensured the activity of the “Old Order of São Sebastião, said of the Frecha”, expressly declaring “that him (Dom Filipe) and his successors shall be the perpetual Administrators, as Representatives of a Branch of Our House which is in the first line of Succession to the Crown of Portugal”. This document clarifies any doubt about the legitimacy of the “Fons Honorum” underlying the restoration of the Order (See James J. Algrant y Cañete, “El Fons Honorum”, in the magazine “Revista Ibero-Americana de Heráldica”, Colégio Heráldico de España y de las Indias, Madrid, nº 3, January 2004, pages 65-78).
From 1996 to 2003, the Order remained inactive, until, by Letter of the 20th January 2004, Dom Filipe resumed its activity to award and to distinguish those who deserved it by remarkable Distinguished Services to the Common Good and to his House, granting it new statutory dispositions.
The Government of the Order is entrusted to the H.S.H. Dom Filipe, Count of Rio Grande, etc., who was born in Lisbon on the 16th April 1967, the third male son of the H.H. Dom Alberto (1923-2003), 5th Duke and 6th Marquess of Loulé, 13th Count of Vale de Reis, Count of Rio Grande, etc., the Head of the Constitutional Dynastic Line of the Royal House of Portugal, as representative of the personal and dynastic rights that belonged to his August Mother, H.H. Dona Constança (1889-1967), Duchess of Loulé and Countess of Vale de Reis (through her great grand mother – Her Royal Highness the Infanta Dona Ana de Jesus Maria de Bragança e Bourbon (1806-1857),daughter of King Dom João VI and the Queen Dona Carlota Joaquina de Bourbon, Infanta of Spain), after the death without children of the last King of Portugal, His Most Faithful Majesty, Dom Manuel II, which took place on the 2nd July 1932.
The festivity of the Order is celebrated yearly on the 20th January, the liturgical day of the Patron Saint (Saint Sebastian) and the day of birth of the King Grand Master and Founder (Dom Sebastião).
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Casa de S.A. o Sereníssimo Senhor D. Filipe, Conde do Rio Grande 