Orders of Knighthood

Orders of Knighthood and Merit is an illustrated reference to fifty of the most significant honours in history — the chivalric orders, religious brotherhoods, dynastic collars, and national orders of merit that have marked distinction across nearly a thousand years. From the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, born of a hospital in 1099, to the national orders of the modern republics, each entry is presented as a considered plate: its founding and founder, its motto in the original and in translation, the full ladder of its grades, its notable recipients, and a narrative history that places the order in its age. A description of the insignia itself, the badge, star, ribbon, and collar, accompanies each, alongside a single memorable fact drawn from its story. Browse the catalogue by name or country, search the full collection instantly, and filter by type, chivalric, merit, religious, or…