Rome – 25 June 2019. His Most Eminent Highness Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto, 80th Prince & Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), received the Grand Master of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George, HRH The Duke of Castro, at the Magistral Palace in Rome.
During the meeting, HRH The Duke of Castro as Head of the Royal House and Grand Master of the Dynastic Orders, conferred on His Most Eminent Highness the Insignia of Knight of the Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Januarius and promoted him within the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George with the Collar decoration.
The ceremony took place in February 2019 in the presence of the Grand Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Order of Malta, HE Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, Knight Grand Cross of Justice since 1993, the Receiver of the Common Treasury HE János Conte Esterházy de Galántha, HE the Prelate Jean Laffitte and the Secretary General of Foreign Affairs of the Order of Malta, HE Ambassador Stefano Ronca.
HRH The Duke of Castro was accompanied to the meeting by the Grand Prefect of the Constantinian Order HRH Princess Beatrice of Bourbon Two Sicilies; the Grand Prior His Eminence Renato Raffaele Cardinal Martino; Grand Chancellor HE Prince Francesco Ruspoli; the Delegate of Rome HH Prince Lelio Niccolò Orsini d’Aragona; the Ambassador of Italian Republic to the Holy See and to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta HE Ambassador Pietro Sebastiani; the Counselor of the Royal House HE Ambassador Umberto Vattani and the Secretary General of the Constantinian Order HE Dr Giampaolo Grazian.
The Constantinian Order enjoys an excellent relationship with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and this dates back to the time when the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies historically enjoyed a close relationship with the island of Malta, with which it maintained a treaty granting military protection.
Since 1878, every Prince & Grand Master of the Order of Malta has been a senior member of the Constantinian Order. As well as the 80th and current Prince & Grand Master, HMEH Frà Matthew Festing, who served as 79th Prince & Grand Master between 2008 and 2017 held a long association with the Constantinian Order having been first invested as a Knight of Justice of the Constantinian Order in 1991. The 78th Prince & Grand Master HMEH Frà Andrew Bertie, (1988-2008) and the 77th Prince & Grand Master HMEH Frà Angelo de Moiana, (1962-1988) were also longstanding and senior members of the Constantinian Order.
The Constantinian Order’s Grand Master, HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Castro, who first entered the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in May 1983, was promoted in February 2004 to the grade and dignity of Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion. He was further honoured in December 2013 with the bestowal of the Grand Cross Special Class of the Order pro Merito Melitensi. Today there are many knights and dames in both the Order of Malta and the Constantinian Order across the world.