| Order of Isabella the Catholic | |
|---|---|
 Breast star of the Order | |
| Awarded by theMonarch | |
| Type | Order of merit,Knighthood |
| Established | 1815; 210 years ago (1815) |
| Motto | A LA LEALTAD ACRISOLADA (To Proven Loyalty) and POR ISABEL LA CATÓLICA (For Isabella the Catholic) |
| Awarded for | Actions in benefit to Spain and the Crown |
| Status | Currently constituted |
| Grand Master | King Felipe VI |
| Grand Chancellor | José Manuel Albares,Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Chancellor | Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs |
| Grades |
|
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | De facto, there is no higher civil order.De jure, theOrder of Charles III is the higher civil honour; however, it is almost exclusively granted to government ministers. |
| Next (lower) | Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise |
| Equivalent | Order of Civil Merit (for civic virtues) |
  The Ribbons of the Order | |
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TheRoyal Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spanish:Real Orden de Isabel la Católica;Abbr.:OYC) is aknighthood and one of the three preeminentorders of merit bestowed by theKingdom of Spain, alongside theOrder of Charles III (established in 1771) and theOrder of Civil Merit (established in 1926). It recognizes extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations and cooperation with other nations, with a particular focus on the territories of the formerSpanish Empire. By law, its Grand Master is the King of Spain, and its Grand Chancellor is the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Order is open to both Spaniards and foreigners, particularly from the Spanish-speaking world.
The Order was created in 1815 by KingFerdinand VII in honor of QueenIsabella I as theReal y Americana Orden de Isabel la Católica ("Royal and American Order of Isabella the Catholic") with the intent of "rewarding the firm allegiance to Spain and the merits of Spanish citizens and foreigners in good standing with the Nation and especially in those exceptional services provided in pursuit of territories in America and overseas."[1] The Order was reorganized by royal decree on 26 July 1847, with the name "Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic", reflecting the secession of the mainland possessions in the Americas after theSpanish American wars of independence.
The great prestige that the Order of Isabella the Catholic enjoys in Spain and abroad is due to several reasons. First, it has become a powerful instrument of international relations, with awardees inducted from all over the world.[2] Second, it is a highly selective and rare honour – since its creation in 1815, only 72,398 people have received the Order of Isabella the Catholic[3] (in comparison, the also prestigious FrenchLegion of Honour has been awarded to over 1,000,000 people over the same period of time,[4] and theOrder of the British Empire has over 100,000living members[5]). Third, it is the only Spanish civil honour that conferspersonal nobility, with the right to an individualcoat of arms (withheraldic mantle and pavilion), an officialstyle of address (The Most Illustrious Sir / Ilustrísimo Señor), and full membership in nobiliary corporations (e.g., theReal Asociación de Hidalgos).[6]
The Order of Isabel the Catholic was instituted by King Ferdinand VII on 14 March 1815. The original statutes of the Order were approved by Royal Decree of 24 March, with membership made in three classes: Grand Cross, and Knights of First and Second Class. Ferdinand VII was declared the Order's Founder, Head, and Sovereign. On 7 October 1816, at the suggestion of the Chapter of the Order, the Knights of the first class were renamed Commanders and the second class were renamed Knights.
By royal decree of 26 July 1847,Isabella II reorganised the four royal orders in Spain: theOrder of the Golden Fleece, theLangues of Aragon and Castile of theOrder of Saint John of Jerusalem, theOrder of Charles III, and the Order of Isabella the Catholic. The latter was reserved to reward exclusively the services rendered in the Overseas territories. The classes of the order became Knight, Commander, Commander by Number, and Grand Cross. The concession and tests of nobility was suppressed in all the Royal Orders. By royal decree of 28 October 1851, no concessions of Grand Cross of any orders were to be made without the proposal of theCouncil of Ministers and concessions for the lower classes with the proposal of the Secretary of State.
After the establishment of theFirst Republic, the Order was declared to be extinguished by Decree of 29 March 1873 as deemed to be incompatible with the republican government. Use of the various insignias was allowed to those who possessed them. When KingAlfonso XII ascended to the throne, the Order was reestablished by Decree of 7 January 1875.
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During the minority ofAlfonso XIII, his mother and Regent,Maria Cristina, signed the royal decrees of 15 April 1889 and 25 October 1900. Among other things, they sought to impose entry into the Order by the category of Knight, to prohibit the use of decorations until the corresponding title was obtained, and to ratify the obligation that the Grand Cross be awarded with the agreement of the Council of Ministers and for conferees to be published in the Official Gazette. By Royal Decree of 14 March 1903, the Silver Cross of the Order was created, and by Royal Decree of 15 April 1907, the Silver and Bronze Medals.
In Royal Decree 1118, of 22 June 1927, the superior grade of Knights of the Collar was created, to be awarded to prominent personalities of extraordinary merit. It also provides that women can also be decorated with either thelazo orbanda.
The Provisional Government of the Republic, by decree of 24 July 1931, abolished all orders under the Ministry of State, except for the Order of Isabella the Catholic. The regulations approved by decree of 10 October 1931 introduced a new degree: Officer (Oficial). By decree of 8 August 1935, it was established that the first degree in the Order of Isabella the Catholic was that of the Grand Cross, the Collar being reserved exclusively for very exceptional cases.
In 1938,Franco, by decree of 15 June, restored the Order in its traditional meaning: to reward meritorious services rendered to the country by nationals and foreigners. The order's regulations were approved by Decree of 29 September 1938. According to the 1938 regulations, the order consisted of the following grades: Knight of the Collar, Knight Grand Cross, Commander by Number, Commander, Knight, and Silver Cross. Decree 1353/1971, of 5 June, re-incorporated the rank of Officer, placing it between the grades of Knight and Commander. Thus, the Order consisted of the following grades: Knight of the Collar, Knight of the Grand Cross,Banda de Dama (denomination of the Grand Cross when granted to ladies), Commander by Number, Commander, Officer, Knight,Lazo de Dama (the degree of Knight when it is granted to ladies), and Cruz de Plata.
The order's current regulations date from 1998 as approved by Royal Decree 2395/1998, of 6 November. Among its provisions, the categories ofBanda de Dama,Cruz de Caballero andLazo de Dama were repealed to avoid possible interpretations of there being gender discrimination. Notwithstanding this, for aesthetic and functional reasons, the ladies who are decorated use reduced versions of the insignia of each degree of the Order.
TheKing of Spain (currentlyFelipe VI) is grand master.[7] The grand chancellor is theminister of foreign affairs.[8] All deeds granting decorations of the Order must bear the signatures of both.[9] Members of the order at the rank of Cross and above enjoy personal nobility and have the privilege of adding a golden heraldic mantle to their coat of arms. Knights at the rank of Collar and Grand Cross receive the official style of "His or Her most Excellent Lord".[10] Knights at the rank of Commander by Number receive the style of "His or Her Most Illustrious Lord".[10] Knights at the rank of Commander and below receive the style of "Lord". There are currently the following grades:
Collar (CoYC[citation needed]) (Collar)
Knight Grand Cross (GYC[citation needed]) (Caballeros Gran Cruz)
Commander by Number (CnYC[citation needed]) (Encomienda de Número)
Commander (CYC[citation needed]) (Encomienda)
Officer's Cross (OYC[citation needed]) (Cruz de Oficial) Cross (+YC[citation needed]) (Cruz)
Silver Cross (Cruz de Plata)
Silver Medal (Medalla de Plata)
Bronze Medal (Medalla de Bronce)[11]
The original statutes of the order of 24 March 1815 established the order in three classes. The structure of the order has varied several times since then. The following is a summary of the history of the various grades and medals of the order:
Women appointed to an applicable grade are not called Knights (Caballeros). Women are instead appointed as Dames Grand Cross (Damas Gran Cruz) or Dame's Cross (Cruz de Damas).[11]
The decoration is a red-enameled cross, with a golden frame. The outer peaks are fitted with small gold balls. The center of the medallion contains the inscription "A La Lealtad Acrisolada" (To Proven Loyalty) and "Por Isabel la Católica" (By Isabella the Catholic) on white enamel. Above the cross is a green enameled laurel wreath with the band ring.
The ribbon is yellow with a white central stripe,[13] except the "Collar", the wearing of which can be replaced by a gold-yellow sash with white stripes on the edges.
| Insignia | ||||||
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| Collar | Collar Grade Star | Grand Cross | Grand Cross Star | Commander by Number | ||
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| Commander | Dame-Commander Bow (Optional) | Officer's Cross | Dame-Officer's Bow (Optional) | Knight's Cross | ||
 |  |  |  |  | ||
| Dame Bow (Optional) | Silver Cross | Dame's Silver Cross Bow (Optional) | Silver Medal | Dame's Silver Medal Bow (Optional) | ||
 |  | |||||
| Bronze Medal | Dame's Bronze Medal Bow (Optional) | |||||
Dedicated article:Members of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (es)
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)| International | |
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| National | |
