London, 24 May 2016. His Excellency Mr János Áder, President of the Republic of Hungary, was invested by the Grand Master, HRH The Duke of Castro into the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George as a Knight Grand Cross with Gold Star within the Special Category of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order.
The Constantinian Order has a long association with Hungary and was formally recognised by the Hungarian Government by decree of the President of the Republic in 2011.
The ceremony took place on 24 May 2016 at Drapers’ Hall in London and was held in the presence of HE Dr Anita Herczegh, First Lady of Hungary, HRH Princess Camilla of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duchess of Castro and other members of European Royal Houses, Their Eminences Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and Primate of Hungary, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Prior of the Delegation of Great Britain and Ireland, Lord Carey of Clifton, 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury, the Delegate Anthony Bailey, the Rt Hon Oliver Letwin, MP, members of the Diplomatic Corps, members of both Houses of Parliament, as well as civic and religious leaders and many knights and dames of the Order.
President Áder paid tribute to the longstanding charitable work of the Constantinian Order across the world and said he was delighted to have become a part of such an ancient and important religious Order committed to good works and the needs of others.