The Order of Saint-Charles (French: Ordre de Saint-Charles) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in Monaco on 15 March 1858.
This order rewards service to the State or Prince. In particular cases, it may be granted to foreigners. It is awarded by the current Grand-Master, Prince Albert II.
Except for Members of the Princely Family and foreigners, one can only receive the Order first with the rank of Knight. To be awarded the following higher ranks, one must keep the lower rank for a set length of time:
Officer: four years as a KnightCommander: three years as an OfficerGrand Officer: four years as a CommanderGrand Cross: five years as a Grand OfficerNominations belong to the Grand-Master. The Chancellor proposes promotions. According to the Prince's orders, the Chancellor proposes the projects of nomination and promotion ordonnances. The grantees must be received in the Order before wearing the decorations. The Grand-Master receives the Grand Crosses, Grand Officers and Commanders. The Chancellor receives the Officers and Knights. One exception : the foreigners will be admitted in the Order, but not received.
Commanders, Officers and Knights are honoured in the choir of the church and warded by four carabiniers in ceremonial uniform and weapon commanded by a Sub-Officer.Grand Crosses and Grand Officers are honoured outside the church, at the beginning and end of the funeral ceremony, by 24 carabiniers in ceremonial uniform and weapon commanded by an Officer.Knight Grand Cross
The Knight Grand Cross wears the badge of the order on a sash and the star of the order on the left of the breast. There is a golden necklet that is attached to the Order. It has small empty egg-shaped sections that form the necklet. The badge is sometimes worn attached to this collar instead of the sash.
Grand Officer
The Grand Officer wears a badge and a star. The Star of the Order of St. Charles is made of silver. The badge of the Order of St. Charles is worn on a chest ribbon with rosette or on a bow. The star is worn on the right side of the chest.
Commander
The Commander of the Order of St. Charles wears the badge on a ribbon around the neck or on a bow on the left shoulder.
The Officer of the Order of St. Charles wears the badge on a chest ribbon with a rosette. The cross has a thinner laurel-wreath than the Knight of the Order of St. Charles.
The Knight of the Order of St. Charles wears the badge of the order on a chest ribbon without rosette.
Sovereign Ordonnance of 16 January 1863 about the Order of Saint-Charles (modified) : Text (French)Sovereign Ordonnance of 16 January 186 establishing the statutes of the Order of Saint-Charles (modified) : Text (French)Sovereign Ordonnance n° 125 of 23 April 1923 concerning the insignias of dthe Order of Saint-Charles : Text (French)Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, Head of the Royal Italian Family—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 15702 of 1 March 2003.Mireya Moscoso, President of Panama—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 15902 of 25 July 2003 (Grand Officer on 26 November 2002).Albert II, King of Belgium—Sovereign OrdonnanceAlejandro Toledo, President of Peru—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 16063 of 21 November 2003.Abel Pacheco de la Espriella, President of Costa Rica—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 16064 of 21 November 2003.Georgi Parvanov, President of Bulgaria—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 16518 of 26 November 2004.Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, President of Italy—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 331 of 13 December 2005.Janez Drnovšek, President of Slovenia—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 531 of 31 May 2006.Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, President of Tunisia—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 680 of 7 September 2006.Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 1622 of 25 April 2008.Stjepan Mesić, President of Croatia—Sovereign Ordonnance n°2164 of 16 April 2009.Traian Băsescu, President of Romania—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 2165 of 16 April 2009.Fra' Matthew Festing, Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 2405 of 14 October 2009.Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 2457 of 9 November 2009.Francesco Mussoni and Stefano Palmieri, Captains Regent of San Marino—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 2654 of 5 March 2010.Danilo Türk, President of Slovenia—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 3076 of 11 January 2011.Michel Suleiman, President of Lebanon—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 3077 of 13 January 2011.Amadou Toumani Touré, President of Mali—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 3668 of 13 February 2012.Joachim Gauck, President of Germany—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 3839 of 9 July 2012.Charlene, Princess of Monaco—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 4038 of 17 November 2012 -- "Photo". 17 November 2012. .Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 4251 of 3 April 2013.Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 4.491 of 27 September 2013.Vladimir Putin, President of Russia—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 4504 of 4 October 2013.François Hollande, President of France—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 4575 of 14 November 2013.Patrick Leclercq, Minister of State of Monaco—Sovereign Ordonnance n°15560 of 18 November 2002.Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Heir Prince of the Royal Italian Family—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 15703 of 1 March 2003.Jean-Paul Proust, Minister of State of Monaco, dead overnight on 7/8 April 2010—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 2694 of 25 March 2010.Dalia Grybauskaite, President of Lithuania—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 3987 of 15 October 2012 Bronisław Komorowski, President of Poland—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 3989 of 17 October 2012 (French)Anna Komorowska, his wife—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 3990 of 17 October 2012Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) -- Sovereign Ordonnance n°15534 of 12 October 2002.Max Mosley, Former President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 526, 27 May 2006.Bernie Ecclestone—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 528 of 27 May 2006.Serge Telle, Ambassador of France in Monaco—Sovereign Ordonnance n° 1140 of 6 June 2007.Paul Hieronymussen, "Orders, medals and decorations of Britain and Europe", London 1975
