Royal Order of Francis I

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The Royal Order of Francis I (properly 'The Royal Order of Francis I of the Two Sicilies') has since 1999 been awarded as an inter-religious order although it was founded on 28 September 1829 to reward civil and military merit and services to industry, agriculture, and the arts to the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Although this was a state Order of Merit and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ceased to exist in 1860, the Order continued to be awarded by the exiled King Francis II and his brother and successor Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta, although the latter did so for the last time in 1920 soon after which date he effectively ended an active pretension to the Crown. His successor as head of the Dynasty, Prince Ferdinand Pius, Duke of Calabria who was head of the family from 1934-1960 accepted the de facto existence of the Italian State and abandoned an active pretension to the throne, considering the Order to be extinct, as have his direct heirs and successors by male primogeniture, Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria and the present Head of the Two Sicilies dynasty, Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria. The head of the next surviving line of the family, descended from Prince Ranieri of the Two Sicilies has since the Order's revival in 1999, claimed the title of Grand Master and awarded the Order to a wide variety of persons not necessarily having any connection to the Two Sicilies; since the death of Prince Ferdinand of the Two Sicilies on 20 March 2008, the claimant has been Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro.

[edit] Ranks

The order is now divided into eight Ranks (the modern revival has allowed the award to ladies):

• Knights Grand Cross,
• Knights Grand Cross with fess,
• Knights Grand Cross cross and star;
• Ladies of Grand Cross, with ribbon with bow edged in gold and covered with fleurs-de-lis;
• Knights Commanders, with neck ribbon and cross;
• Ladies Commanders with ribbon with bow edged in gold and cross;
• Knights, with ribbon and cross at the buttons;
• Ladies, with ribbon with bow and cross.

[edit] External links

• [1]]
• Royal Order of Francis I
• Royal Order of Francis I at twosicilies.org
• Decree of Foundation of the Order

[edit] See also

• Order of Saint Januarius
• Order of Saint George and Reunion
• Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit
• Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George