Order of Merit of the Portuguese Royal House

Order of Merit of the Portuguese Royal House
Grand Cross set of insignia.
Type	Dynastic Order
Country	Portugal
Royal house	House of Braganza
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic
Grand Master	Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa Order of Saint Isabel
Next (lower)	None
Ribbon of the order

The Order of Merit of the Portuguese Royal House (Portuguese: Ordem do Mérito da Casa Real Portuguesa or Ordem do Mérito da Causa Monárquica) is a dynastic order of knighthood for extraordinary services rendered to the Portuguese Royal House and for outstanding Merit in the Monarchist Cause.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The Order, also conferred the Medal of dedication to the Monarchist Cause, Youth Medal of dedication to the Monarchist Cause and Youth Medal of Fidelity, though these are now suppressed through a reform carried out by the Grand-Master.^[2]^[4]

The Royal Patron is the Head of the Portuguese Royal House. The Chancellor of the Order is Dr. José António da Cunha Coutinho, Baron of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira.^[2]

History

The Order was founded by decree of 12 April 1993 by Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza.^[1]^[2]^[5] as a way to reward extraordinary services rendered to the Portuguese Monarchical Cause and for exceptional merit in the Monarchical Cause between 1973 and 1993.

The Order confers the following traditional ranks of Knighthood of the Knights and Dames of the Portuguese Royal House of Braganza namely:

Grand Collar
Grand Cross
Commander
Knight/Dame
Medal of Honour

Recipients

1993: Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
2016: King Yuhi VI of Rwanda^[6]
2020: Marek Vareka ^[7]
2022: Ambassador Dario Item^[8]
2016: King Kigeli V of Rwanda^[9]
2016: Prince Osman Rifat Ibrahim Prince of Egypt and Prince in Turkey^[10]
2016: Prince Davit Bagrationi of Georgia^[11]

Gallery

Grand Cross sash and badge (obverse).
Grand Cross set of insignia in case.
Grand Cross breast star and miniature.

References

^ ^a ^b "Cruz de Mérito da Casa Real Portuguesa" (in Italian). Real Academia Sancti Ambrosii Martyris. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Chanceler da Ordem da Cruz de Mérito da Casa Real Portuguesa - Dr. José António Cunha Coutinho, Barão de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira". familiacunhacoutinho. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
^ "Ordem de Mérito da Casa Real". APAM (in European Portuguese). 19 April 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
^ "Order of Merit Portuguese Royal House / Ordem de Mérito". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
^ "Ordem de Mérito da Casa Real". APAM (in European Portuguese). 19 April 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
^ Administrator, King Yuhi VI. "His Majesty receives the Order of Merit of the Royal House of Portugal - H.M. Yuhi VI". royalhouseofrwanda.org. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
^ "O... - Order of Merit Portuguese Royal House / Ordem de Mérito". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
^ Burrow, Stephen (19 January 2024). "Antigua & Barbuda's Foreign Affairs Minister praises Ambassador Dario Item as a game changer". Dominica News Online. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
^ "O... - Order of Merit Portuguese Royal House / Ordem de Mérito". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
^ "O... - Order of Merit Portuguese Royal House / Ordem de Mérito". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
^ "O... - Order of Merit Portuguese Royal House / Ordem de Mérito". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 17 April 2022.

Orders, decorations, and medals of Portugal

Honours of the
Portuguese Republic

Insignia of Office	Sash of the Three Orders
Ancient Military Orders	Order of the Tower and Sword Order of Christ Order of Aviz Military Order of Saint James of the Sword
National Orders	Order of Prince Henry Order of Liberty Order of Camões
Orders of Civil Merit	Order of Merit Order of Public Instruction Order of Entrepreneurial Merit
Extinct	Sash of the Two Orders Order of the Colonial Empire

Honours of the
Autonomous Regions

Azores	Autonomic Insignia of Valour Autonomic Insignia of Acknowledgment Autonomic Insignias of Merit Autonomic Insignia of Dedication
Madeira	Medal of Merit of the Autonomous Region of Madeira Autonomic Insignia of Valour Autonomic Insignia of Distinction Autonomic Insignia of Good Services