The Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Januarius (Italian: Insigne Reale Ordine di San Gennaro) is a Roman Catholic order of knighthood bestowed by the head of the Royal House of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies. It was the last great dynastic collar order to be constituted as a chivalric fraternity, with a limitation to Roman Catholics, and a direct attachment to the dynasty rather than the state. The founder of the Order, Charles VII of Naples, ruled from 1734 until 1759.
Originally the order had four principal officers, whose duties were to administer its affairs:
ChancellorSecretaryTreasurerMaster of CeremoniesA reform of August 17, 1827, limited these duties to certain ceremonial roles at the installation of knights, and no successors were appointed to the then-holders of these offices.
The order continues to be awarded today by the two claimaints for the headship of the royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria and Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro.
Since 1960, the order has been awarded sparingly and total membership has not exceeded eighty, most of the knights being members of royal houses, senior officers of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George or Italian grandees.
As of 2016 the Knights appointed by Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria, his father and grandfather, were:
HM King Juan Carlos I of Spain, 19-2-1960.HM King Simeon II of the Bulgarians, 30-3-1960.HRH Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, 2-10-1990.HRH Alexander Karageorgevich of Serbia, 8-1-1991.HIRH Archduke Simeon of Austria, 4-11-2002.Don Vincenzo-Capasso Torre, XVI Count delle Pastène and V Conte of Caprara,14-6-1960.Don Iñigo de Moreno e Arteaga, 1 Marquess of Laserna, 6-1-1961Hervé Pinoteau, Baron Pinoteau, 13-4-1963.Don José-Maria de Palacio y Oriol, IV Marquess of Villarreal de Alava, 19-9-1972Guy Stair Sainty, 19-9-1979HE Don Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, 19th Duke of Alba de Tormes, Berwick, Liria and Xerica, Grandee of Spain, 2-10-1990.Count Don it:Agostino Borromeo, 25-9-2002.Don Roberto Dentice di Accadia, Marquess of Accadia, 25-9-2002.Prince Don Alberto Giovanelli, 25-9-2002.HSH Prince and Marquess Don Maurizio Ferrante Gonzaga di Vescovato, 5-9-2002.Noble Don Alesandro of the Counts Mariotti Solimani, 25-9-2002.Nobile Don Lorenzo de' Notaristefani, 25-9-2002.Ambassador Don Giuseppe Bonanno, Prince of Linguaglossa, (... 2003).HEm Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos, April 2016.As of 2014 the Knights appointed by Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, his father and grandfather, were
Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro and Grand Master,Antonio Maria of Bourbon Two SiciliesFrancesco Maria of Bourbon Two SiciliesGennaro Maria of Bourbon Two SiciliesLuigi Alfonso Maria of Bourbon Two SiciliesAlessandro Enrico Maria of Bourbon Two SiciliesCasimiro Maria of Bourbon Two SiciliesMatthew Festing, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta,Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza,Renato Raffaele Cardinal MartinoCount Andrzej Ciechanowiecki +2015Ambassador Count Carlo Marullo di Condojanni, Prince of Casalnuovo,Duke and Count Don Ferdinando Gaetani dell’Aquila d’Aragona, Prince of Piedmont, Duke of Laurenzana, Count of Alife,Duke Francesco d’Avalos, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Marquess of Pescara and Vasto,Prince Filippo Massimo, Prince of Arsoli and Duke of Anticoli Corrado,Prince Carlo Cito Filomarino, Prince of Rocca d’Aspro, Prince of Bitetto, Marquess of Torrecuso,Prince Gregorio Carafa Cantelmo Stuart, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Prince of Roccella, Duke of Bruzzano,Don Roberto Caracciolo, Duke of San Vito,Prince Giovanni Battista de’Medici, Prince of Ottajano, Duke of Casalnuovo,
