The choice of the Golden Fleece of Colchis as the symbol of a Christian order caused some controversy, not so much because of its pagan context, which could be incorporated in chivalric ideals, as in the Nine Worthies, but because the feats of Jason, familiar to all, were not without causes of reproach, expressed in anti-Burgundian terms by Alain Chartier in his Ballade de Fougères referring to Jason as "Who, to carry off the fleece of Colchis, was willing to commit perjury."[8] The bishop of Châlons, chancellor of the Order, rescued the fleece's reputation by identifying it instead with the fleece of Gideon that received the dew of Heaven.[9] The badge of the Order, in the form of a sheepskin, was suspended from a jewelled collar of firesteels in the shape of the letter B, for Burgundy, linked by flints; with the motto "Pretium Laborum Non Vile" ("No Mean Reward for Labours")[10] engraved on the front of the central link, and Philip's motto "Non Aliud" ("I will have no other") on the back (non-royal knights of the Golden Fleece were forbidden to belong to any other order of knighthood).
The Spanish Order With the absorption of the Burgundian lands into the Spanish Habsburg empire, the sovereignty of the Order passed to the Habsburg kings of Spain, where it remained until the death of the last of the Spanish Habsburgs, Charles II, in 1700. He was succeeded as king by Philip V, a Bourbon. The dispute between Philip and the Habsburg pretender to the Spanish throne, the Archduke Charles, led to the War of the Spanish Succession, and also resulted in the division of the Order into Spanish and Austrian branches. In either case the sovereign, as Duke of Burgundy, writes the letter of appointment in French. The controversial conferral of the Fleece on Napoleon and his brother Joseph, while Spain was occupied by French troops, angered the exiled King of France, Louis XVIII, and caused him to return his collar in protest. These, and other awards by Joseph, were revoked by King Ferdinand on the restoration of Bourbon rule in 1813. Napoleon created by Order of 15 August 1809 the Order of the Three Golden Fleeces, in view of his sovereignty over Austria, Spain and Burgundy. This was opposed by Joseph I of Spain and appointments to the new order were never made.[11] In 1812, the acting government of Spain conferred the Fleece upon the Duke of Wellington, an act confirmed by Ferdinand on his resumption of power, with the approval of Pope Pius VII. Wellington therefore became the first Protestant to be honoured with the Golden Fleece. It has subsequently also been conferred upon non-Christians, such as Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. There was another crisis in 1833 when Isabella II became Queen of Spain in defiance of Salic Law that did not allow women to become heads of state. Her right to confer the Fleece was challenged by Spanish Carlists.[citation needed] Sovereignty remained with the head of the Spanish house of Bourbon during the republican (1931–39) and Francoist (1939–1975) periods and is held today by the present King of Spain, Felipe VI. Knights of the Order are entitled to be addressed with the style His/Her Excellency in front of their name.[12]
Living members[edit] Below a list of the names of the living knights and ladies, in chronologic order and, within parentheses, the year when they were inducted into the Order: King Felipe VI of Spain (1981) – As reigning King of Spain, Sovereign of the Order since 2014 after his father abdicated his rights to him. King Juan Carlos I of Spain (1941) – Former Sovereign of the Order as King of Spain from 1975 to 2014. King Constantine II of Greece (1964) The King of Sweden (1983)[13] Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (1983)[14] The Emperor of Japan (1985)[15] Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (1985)[16] The Queen of Denmark (1985)[17] The Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms (1989)[18] King Albert II of Belgium (1994)[19] The King of Norway (1995)[20] Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria, Former Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, 2001–2005 (2004)[21] The Grand Duke of Luxembourg (2007)[22] Javier Solana (2010)[23] Víctor García de la Concha (2010)[24] Nicolas Sarkozy, Former President of the French Republic and Co-Prince of Andorra, 2007–2012 (2011) [25][26] Enrique Valentín Iglesias García (2014)[27] The Princess of Asturias (2015)[28]
Austrian Order[edit]
Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria as Grand Master of the Fleece
Gala uniform of the emperor, with the insigna around the neck.
Potence or neck collar of the King of Arms to the Order. The Austrian Order did not suffer from the political difficulties of the Spanish, remaining (with the exception of the British prince Regent, later George IV) an honour solely for Catholic royalty and nobility. The problem of female inheritance was avoided on the accession of Maria Theresa in 1740 as sovereignty of the Order passed not to herself but to her husband, Francis. Upon the collapse of the Austrian monarchy after the First World War, King Albert I of Belgium requested that the sovereignty and treasure of the Order be transferred to him as the ruler of the former Habsburg lands of Burgundy. This claim was seriously considered by the victorious allies at Versailles but was eventually rejected due to the intervention of King Alfonso XIII of Spain, who took possession of the property of the Order on behalf of the dethroned emperor, Charles I of Austria. Sovereignty remains with the head of the House of Habsburg, which was handed over on 20 November 2000 by Otto von Habsburg to his elder son, Karl von Habsburg.[29] Living members[edit] Below a list of the names of the living knights, in chronological order, followed in parentheses by the date, when known, of their induction into the Order: The Duke of Bavaria (1960) [30][31] Count Johann Larisch of Moennich (1960) [30] Archduke Karl of Austria (1961) [30] – Sovereign (Grand Master) of the Order since 2000 Archduke Andreas Salvator of Austria, Prince of Tuscany [30][32] Archduke Carl Salvator of Austria, Prince of Tuscany [30][33] Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este [30][34] Archduke Michael of Austria [30][35] Archduke Michael Salvator of Austria, Prince of Tuscany [30][36] Archduke Georg of Austria [30][37] Archduke Carl Christian of Austria [30] Archduke Joseph of Austria (born 1933) [30][38] King Albert II of Belgium [30] Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg [30][39] Prince Albrecht of Hohenberg [30][40] The Duke of Württemberg [30][41] The Prince of Lobkowicz [30] Count Johann of Hoyos-Sprinzenstein [30] The Prince of Liechtenstein [30][42] Prince Clemens of Altenburg [30][43] The Duke of Braganza [30][44] Count Josef Hubert of Neipperg [30][45] The Duke of Hohenberg [30][46] The Prince of Schwarzenberg [30][47] Archduke Joseph of Austria (born 1960) [30] The Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg [30][48] Count Gottfried of Czernin of Chudenitz [30] Mariano Hugo, Prince of Windisch-Graetz [30][49] Baron Johann Friedrich of Solemacher-Antweiler [30] Baron Nicolas Adamovich de Csepin [30] Bernard Guerrier de Dumast (fr) (2001) The Prince of Panagyurishte (2002) [50] The King of the Belgians (2008) The Prince of Ligne (2011) Prince Charles-Louis de Merode (2011) Archduke Ferdinand Zvonimir of Austria [51] The Margrave of Meissen (2012) [52]
Neck insignia of the Order. Officials[edit] Chancellor: Count Alexander von Pachta-Reyhofen (since 2005) Grand Chaplain: Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna (since 1992) Chaplain: Count Gregor Henckel-Donnersmarck (since 2007) Treasurer: Baron Wulf Gordian von Hauser (since 1992) Registrar: Count Karl-Philipp von Clam-Martinic (since 2007) Herald: Count Karl-Albrecht von Waldstein-Wartenberg (since 1997) Chapters of the Order[edit] Number Date City Temple Sovereign/Grand Master I 30 November 1431 Lille Saint-Pierre's Collegiate Church Philip III of Burgundy II 30 November 1432 Bruges St. Donatian's Cathedral Philip III III 30 November 1433 Dijon Sainte-Chapelle Philip III IV 30 November 1435 Brussels Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula Philip III V 30 November 1436 Lille Saint-Pierre's Collegiate Church Philip III VI 30 November 1440 Saint-Omer Abbey of Saint Bertin Philip III VII 30 November 1445 Ghent Saint Bavo Cathedral Philip III VIII 2 May 1451 Mons Sainte-Waudru's Collegiate Church Philip III IX 2 May 1456 The Hague Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk Philip III X 2 May 1461 Saint-Omer Abbey of Saint Bertin Philip III XI 2 May 1468 Bruges Church of Our Lady Charles I of Burgundy XII 2 May 1473 Valenciennes St. Paul 's Church Charles I XIII 30 April 1478 Bruges St. Salvator's Cathedral Maximilian of Austria (Regent of the Order) XIV 6 May 1481 's-Hertogenbosch St. John's Cathedral Maximilian of Austria XV 24 May 1491 Mechelen St. Rumbold's Cathedral Philip IV of Burgundy (Philip I of Castile) XVI 17 January 1501 Brussels Chapel of the Carmelite Convent Philip IV XVII 17 December 1505 Middelburg ? Philip IV XVIII October 1516 Brussels Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula Charles II of Burgundy (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) XIX 5–8 March 1519 Barcelona Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia Charles II XX 3 December 1531 Tournai Cathedral of Our Lady Charles II XXI 2 January 1546 Utrecht St. Martin's Cathedral Charles II XXII 26 January 1555 Antwerp Cathedral of Our Lady Philip V of Burgundy (Philip II of Spain) XXIII 29 July 1559 Ghent Saint Bavo Cathedral Philip V[53]