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Grand Master of the Order of Saint Lazarus (statuted 1910)

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Grand Master of the Order of Saint Lazarus — The grand master of the Order of Saint Lazarus (statuted 1910) is the leader of a confraternal order claiming legacy and contingency to the medieval Catholic military order known as the Order of Saint Lazarus. The Holy See does not recognize any other organization using the name "Order of Saint Lazarus" as a legitimate order of chivalry outside of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus of the House of Savoy.[1]

During the period from 1814 to 1841, the order was under the direction of a Council of Officers, with King Louis XVIII (1814–1824) and King Charles X (1824–1831) as protectors of the order. It was then passed on, evolving into the current list of grand masters.

Council of Officers

The order lost its royal protection in 1831 but continued to function under the direction of the Council of Officers.[2]

Order Name Image Title Date installed Term ended Term of office Comments Notes
Claude-Louis, Prince de la Châtre File:Lefebvre - Claude-Louis de La Châtre.jpg Administrator General de Ordres Royaux, Militaires et Hospitaliers de Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel et de Saint-Lazare de Jérusalem Réunis 1814 1824 9–10 years
Jean-Louis de Beaumont, Marquis d'Autichamp File:Jean Thérèse Louis de Beaumont, marquis d’Autichamp.jpg President of the Council of Officers de Ordres Royaux, Militaires et Hospitaliers de Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel et de Saint-Lazare de Jérusalem Réunis 1824 1831 6–7 years Members of the Council of Officers (1831-1841): Father Picot, Comte Vincent Vienot de Vaublanc, Baron de Silvestre.
Members of the Council of Officers de Ordres Royaux, Militaires et Hospitaliers de Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel et de Saint-Lazare de Jérusalem Réunis 1831 1841 9–10 years Members of the Council of Officers: Father Picot, Comte Vincent Vienot de Vaublanc, Baron de Silvestre.

Order of Saint Lazarus in the modern era

The period following the loss of temporal protection by the French Royal Family in 1831 until 1910 was controversial. Some argue that the order did not survive, while others argue that the period is, at best, shrouded in mystery, as no contemporary documentation appears to have survived.

The issue was resolved, on the one hand, by H.R.H. Henri d'Orléans, Count of Paris, Duke of France, Head of the Royal House of France, who in 2004 reinstated the temporal protection of the Royal House of France over the Order of Saint Lazarus, and on the other hand by the Melkite Patriarch of Antioch Gregory III Laham, who on 27 May 2012 confirmed the uninterrupted protection of the Melkite Patriarchs of Antioch over the Order of Saint Lazarus from 1841 onwards.

Modern tradition of the order maintains that, after 1841, the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchs assumed the leadership of the order, as Hospitaller Nobles of Saint Lazarus.[3]

Order Name Image Title Date installed Term ended Term of office Comments Notes
Patriarch Maximos III Mazloum File:Maksymos III Mazloum.jpg Administrator General of the Order of the Hospitallers of Saint Lazarus 1841 1855 13–14 years
Patriarch Clement Bahous 1856 1864 7–8 years
Patriarch Gregorios II Youssef-Sayour File:Gregory II Youssef.jpg 1864 1898 33–34 years
Patriarch Peter IV Geraigiri File:Peter IV Geraigiry.jpg 1898 1902 3–4 years
Patriarch Cyril VIII Geha File:Cyril VIII Geha.jpg 1902 1910 7–8 years
Protector of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem 1910 1916 5–6 years In 1910, new statutes were promulgated whereby the management was assumed by the Council of Officers, while the Melkite Patriarch assumed the position of Protector. In 1935, a new Grand Master was appointed. [4]
Patriarch Dimitrios I Cadi File:Demetrius I Quadi.jpg 1919 1925 5–6 years
Patriarch Cyril IX Moghabghab 1925 1935 9–10 years
44 Francisco de Borbón y de la Torre,
Duke of Seville (jure uxoris) 		File:Francisco de Paula de Borbon y de la Torre, duke of Seville, grand of Spain.jpg Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem 1935 1952 16–17 years Grand Bailiff of Spain, nominated as Lieutenant General of the Grand Magistry in 1930, then elected as Grand Master in 1935.
45 Francisco de Borbón y Borbón File:Blason fr Anjou Saint Lazare.svg 1956 1967 10–11 years Son and Coadjutor of Francisco de Borbón y de la Torre. Nominated as Lieutenant General of the Grand Magistry, then elected as Grand Master in 1956.
46 Prince Charles-Philippe d'Orléans,
Duke of Nemours, First Prince of the Blood of France 		File:Charles Philippe, Duke of Nemours.jpg 1967 1970 2–3 years Also served as Bailiff of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
In 1969, internal strife split the Order into two fractions: the Malta Obedience and the Paris Obedience.
Each had its own separate administrators and Grand Masters.

Malta obedience

Order Name Image Title Date installed Term ended Term of office Comments Notes
47 Francisco de Borbón y Borbón File:Blason fr Anjou Saint Lazare.svg Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem in Malta 1973 1995 21–22 years Also served as Bailiff of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
48 Francisco de Borbón y Escasany,
5th Duke of Seville 		File:Francisco de Borbon, duc de Séville.JPG 1996 2008 11–12 years Son of Francisco de Borbón y Borbón; appointed Grand Master Emeritus in 2008.

Paris obedience

Order Name Image Title Date installed Term ended Term of office Comments Notes
47 Pierre de Cossé,
12th Duke of Brissac 		File:Pierre de Cosse Duc de Brissac.jpg Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem in Paris 1969 1986 16–17 years Previously served as Administrator General (1956–1969).
48 François de Cossé,
13th Duke of Brissac 		File:Blason Maison de Cossé-Brissac.svg 1986 2006 19–20 years Son of Pierre de Cossé; appointed Grand Master Emeritus.
In 2004, strife within the Paris Obedience led to a further split that was to assume the name of the Orleáns Obedience.
In 2008, the old Malta and Paris Obediences reunited under a new Grand Master, with the previous Grand Masters being appointed emeriti.
The Melkite Patriarch Gregory III Laham remained the Spiritual Protector of the Order until he was succeeded by Patriarch Youssef Absi.

Malta-Paris obedience (reunification of the former Malta and Paris obediences)

Order Name Image Title Date installed Term ended Term of office Comments Notes
49 Carlos Gereda y de Borbón,
Marqués de Almazán (jure uxoris) 		File:Don Carlos Gereda de Borbon, Marques de Almazan, 49th Prince Grand Master.jpg Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem 2008 2017 17–18 years He took the solemn oath in Manchester Cathedral, England. [5][6]
50 Francisco de Borbón Graf von Hardenberg File:Francisco de Borbon von Hardenberg.jpg 2018 incumbent 7–8 years Son of Francisco de Borbón y Escasany; elected and installed as Grand Master in Madrid on May 5, 2018. [7]

Orléans obedience (since 2004)

Order Name Image Title Date installed Term ended Term of office Comments Notes
49 Charles-Philippe d'Orléans File:CharlesPhilippedOrleans.jpg Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem in Orleáns 2004 2010 5–6 years Re-established the temporal protection of the Head of the Royal House of France. Resigned; now Grand Master Emeritus. [6][8]
50 Count Jan Dobrzenský File:Portrait of Jan Dobrzenský.jpg 2010 2023 15–16 years Resigned; now Grand Master Emeritus. [8]
51 François d'Orléans File:Arms of Michel dEvreux.svg 2023 Incumbent 2–3 years Installed as Grand Master at Maredsous Abbey in Belgium on September 16, 2023. [9]

References

  1. Back to citation "Note of Clarification from the Secretariat of State", 2012. The note explicitly states: "The Holy See confirms that it does not recognize any other Orders... whether of recent institution or derived from a medieval original."
  2. Back to citation Almanach Royale for 1830.
  3. Back to citation Patriarch Gregory III Laham, H.B. (27 May 2012). Declaration on the Ninth Centenary of the Royal Recognition of the Order St. Lazarus of Jerusalem. Kevelaer, Germany.
  4. Back to citation de Jandriac (November 1913). "Les chevaliers Hospitaliers de Saint Lazare de Jerusalem et de Notre Dame de la Merci". Rivista Araldica (in French). XI (11): 679–683.
  5. Back to citation "H.E. Don Carlos Gereda de Borbon, Marquis de Almazan, 49th Grand Master". Structure: Persons: Grand Master. Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem. Archived from the original on 12 May 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  6. Back to citation occurrence 6.0 Back to citation occurrence 6.1 "A Brief History of the Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem". The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem (Australia). Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  7. Back to citation "The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem – Senior International Officers". St-lazarus.net. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  8. Back to citation occurrence 8.0 Back to citation occurrence 8.1 "Grand Master". The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem. 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  9. Back to citation "The Grand Master". Order of Saint Lazarus. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
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