- Time Period: Pre World War I
- Institution: 28 November 1814
- Country: Spain
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild (or Real y Militar Orden de San Hermenegildo) is both a general military honor and a legion created by Ferdinand VII of Spain on 28 November, 1814 as a military distinction of the Spanish Cavalry at the conclusion of the Spanish War of Independence in 1814.
The purpose of the Order was to serve as a maximum means of reward for those soldiers who exceeded their military obligations and fought on, surpassing their suffering in battle, and who thus would serve as examples of bravery to His Spanish Majesty’s armies.
Given the desire of the King to create a distinction of extraordinary rank, comparable to others traditional honors, it was decided to put the Order under the Patronage of Saint Hermenegild, the Visigoth King of Seville who was martyred in defense of the Christian faith in the sixth century and who is the patron saint of the Spanish Armed Forces.
According to its first promulgation the Order intends “to compensate and to distinguish to the general officers, commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers of the Spanish Army, Spanish Navy, Spanish Air Force, Common Corps and the Spanish Civil Guard, by their faultless and exemplary conduct in the service of The Crown.”
The monarch of Spain is the Sovereign of the order. The Order is governed by three governing bodies: the Chapter, the Permanent Assembly and the Chancellery.
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild Design
The badge of the order is a gold, white enameled cross pattée, surmounted by a royal crown.
The central medallion bears, on the obverse, an effigy of St. Hermenegild on a horseback, surrounded by a blue ring inscribed “PREMIO A LA CONSTANCIA MILITAR” (reward for long military service). On the reverse there is the royal cypher of Fernando VII.
The star has the form of a gold Maltese cross with ball finials and silver rays between the arms and the effigy of St. Hermenegild in the central medallion, surrounded by a white ring with the order’s motto and a green laurel wreath. The medallion of the Grand Cross star is surmounted by a royal crown.
