Talk:Order of the Holy Spirit

post-1830 history

It says legitimist pretenders continue to make appointments. I assume this includes both the Comte de Chambord and the Carlist line that a few legitimists recognized after his death. What about the Orléanist line after 1883? One presumes that the Count of Paris would have claimed sovereignty over the order, just as he claimed the legitimist succession to the throne (having abandoned the original Orléanist pretensions in 1873). Have Orléanist pretenders since 1883 awarded the Order of the Holy Spirit? Or do they avoid it in the way they typically avoid giving out titles of pretense formerly used by the senior line? john k (talk) 14:54, 9 September 2010 (UTC)

There are more details in the corresponding French article, at fr:Ordre du Saint-Esprit#Liste de l'ordre dynastique. It says there that after the death (in 1883) of the count of Chambord, the Spanish House of Bourbon-Anjou inherited the Legitimist claim. The present Legitimist pretender is Louis of Bourbon, Duke of Anjou whom Legitimists recognize as "Louis XX"; he has been seen wearing the Order and his predecessor James of Spain, Duke of Segovia and Anjou, at least, is known to have awarded it in the few years preceding his death in 1975. Louis of Anjou wore the Order's insignia, among other occasions, on a visit to pope Benedict XVI in november 2008. In the Orleanist line, the present pretender is John of Orleans, Count of Paris ("John IV" in English, or "Jean IV" in French). The French article doesn't say if any of the four latest Orleanist pretenders (since 1926) awarded the Order.

Of course, Orleanists don't recognise any of the Spanish Bourbons as "senior" in line of succession to the throne of France; some of them might barely concede that Louis of Anjou is head of the descendants of Hugh Capet but the Orleanist Henri, Count of Paris (1933–2019) tried in 1987 (without success) to have a French tribunal condemn the Legitimist Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz for "illegal use of his coat of arms" (namely, the undifferenced French azure and fleurs-de-lys). The tribunal's decision was that in France, coats of arms are an appendix to the family name, and that brisures such as labels, if customary for cadets and cadet branches, are not mandatory. The plaintiff having failed to provide proof of harm from an already almost century-old use, the case was thus dismissed. (See Henri, Count of Paris (1933–2019)#Legal cases or, for more details, fr:Henri d'Orléans (1933-2019)#Port des armes pleines de France.) — Tonymec (talk) 04:20, 15 February 2024 (UTC)

'members had to be Roman Catholic'

This statement is misleading as the order was in the early 19th century awarded to several non-French Protestants such as the Orthodox Tsar Alexander II and British Anglicans such as the Duke of Wellington (whose efforts helped the Bourbon restoration) and several sons of George III including the future King George IV. Was there a waiver of the condition in law? It would be useful for perspective to mention this.Cloptonson (talk) 10:51, 25 January 2020 (UTC)

Post-1830 appointments

How many knights were appointed after the order was suppressed in 1830 and when was the most recent knight appointed (not including members of the French royal family)?187.73.191.2 (talk) 20:31, 19 April 2021 (UTC)