The Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen

• Time Period: Pre World War I
• Institution: 1764
• Country: Austria, Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia

The Order of Saint Stephen (or “Szent István rend” in Hungarian) was an order of knighthood founded by Maria Theresa in 1764 and named after Hungary’s most famous king, Stephen I, who reigned between 997 and 1038. Membership was available to various members of the Hungarian nobility.

Stephen I consolidated the monarchy, established of the medieval state of Hungary and adopted Christianity as the state religion. He was canonized by Pope Gregory VII in 1083 along with his son Imre. Saint Stephen is considered the patron saint of “Hungary, kings, the death of children, masons, stonecutters, and bricklayers.”

In 1938, Miklós Horthy took the rights and activities of Grand Master as Regent of Hungary, changing its name to The Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen. The Order was terminated at the time of the proclamation of the Republic of Hungary in 1946, but recreated again in 2011 as the Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, and to this day remains the highest order in Hungary.

The Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen Design

The Grand Cross

For ceremonial purposes, a full set of crimson and green robes, lined with ermine, were prescribed (or a sash for every-day wear). A collar of gold was worn about the neck and shoulders, with the badge of the Order suspended from the collar. During the waning days of the monarchy, a less formal option was also authorized: a miniature of the breast star that could be affixed to the center of the ribbon of an ordinary knight’s cross and was worn on the left breast with other orders and military medals, in order of precedence.

Knights Commander

The informal wear of the miniature, gold, Crown of Saint Stephen was worn on an ordinary knight’s cross and worn on the left breast with other orders and military medals, in order of precedence.

Knights

Wore the badge of the Order, suspended from a tri-fold ribbon of crimson, edged in green, on the left breast with other orders and military medals, in order of precedence.