Order of the Pantocratorian Empire

From NSwiki, the NationStates encyclopedia.
Jump to: navigation, search

The Excellent Order of the Pantocratorian Empire is a Pantocratorian chivalric order created by Emperor Manuel IX Capet in 1872. It was the first Pantocratorian order of chivalry able to be conferred upon both men and women - previously, chivalric orders were the exclusive dominion of Pantocratorian men. Intending the Order of the Pantocratorian Empire as an order of chivalry to which any ordinary person could aspire, regardless of gender or class, Emperor Manuel IX specified in the Order's charter that "any manner of person, having been deemed worthy by the Sovereign of the Order, regardless of any particular of that person in regards to birth, career, creed, age or gender" was eligible to be admitted into the Order. Subsequently, the Order of the Pantocrator has admitted women, but the Order of the Pantocratorian Empire remains unique amongst Pantocratorian orders of chivalry in that there are no religious, military, or social requirements for admission - in fact, a recipient does not even have to be an Imperial Citizen.

The Emperor of Pantocratoria is the Sovereign of the Order, who appoints from amongst the Order's members its Grand Master. The present Grand Master of the Order of the Pantocratorian Empire is His Grace Mathieu, Twenty-Ninth Duke of Adrienople. Its first recipient was Empress Theodora II Comnena, who was made a Dame Grand Cross and Co-Sovereign of the Order by her son on her deathbed. The Empress was the only co-sovereign of the order. Although not excluded from receiving the Order due to its charter, it is general practice not to award members of the Order of the Pantocrator with the Order of the Pantocratorian Empire, nor to award the Order for military service (for which the Order of Saint Louis exists). The Order has five classes:

  • Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GPE)
  • Knight/Dame Commander (KPE or DPE)
  • Commander (CPE)
  • Officer (OPE)
  • Member (MPE)