Order of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis ("ordre royal et militaire de Saint Louis") was a French military Order of Chivalry founded on April 5, 1696 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis. After the French Revolution, the Order of Saint Louis was introduced for use in Pantocratoria by the Emperor Louis I Capet, who was King Louis XVII of France in name only.
The Pantocratorian Emperor in his capacity as titular King of France is the Grand Master of the order, and the Dauphin is automatically part of it as well. Within the Order, there are eight Grand-Croix (Grand Cross), 28 Knight Commanders and a variable number of Knights.
Ranks and Insignia
The ranks and their abbreviations, in descending order, are as follows:
- Grand Master (GML) / Grand-Maître (GML)
- Grand Cross (GCL) / Grand-Croix (GCL)
- Knight Commander (CL) / Chevalier Commandeur (CCL)
- Knight (KL) / Chevalier (CL)
The medal includes a portait of Saint Louis surrounded by the motto "LUDOVICUS MAGNUS INSTITUIT 1693" ("Louis the Great instituted it in 1693"). The general assembly of the Order is held on August 25, the feast day of Saint Louis, in the residence of the Emperor, usually at the Imperial Court of Christ Pantocrator.
Conditions of Entry
In order to be awarded the Order, a recipient must be a Catholic who has served for ten or more years in the King's military (which is to say, in any of the Pantocratorian armed services). The Order is notionally only awarded to outstanding officers, however, as in France, it has become practice in Pantocratoria to award the medal to most long serving officers, especially those drawn from the nobility.
