The Arms of Frater Matthew Festing
by Brian de Fitz-James; 11, December, 2008
The Sovereign Order of St John, known also as the Order of Malta and the Knights Hospitaller, is one of the oldest institutions of Western and Christian civilization, dating back to around 1048. Today the order has 12,500 members, of whom only 50 are Professed Knights who take vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. Its Works include 80,000 permanent volunteers and 13,000 medical personnel including doctors, nurses, auxiliaries and paramedics.
The Armorial Bearings of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta
The Arms of the Works of the Order
The Order is a sovereign subject of international law, with its own constitution, passports, postage stamps and public institutions. It has diplomatic relations with 102 countries, many of which are non-Catholic, and has missions to major European countries, as well as to European and international organizations. The Order of Malta is neutral, impartial and non-political, which is why it can successfully act as a mediator between States.
His Most Eminent Highness Fra' Matthew Festing, 79th Prince
and Grand Master
On March 11th, 2008, Frater Matthew Festing was elected 79th head of the Order by the Council Complete of State of the Order of Malta. He succeeds Fra’ Andrew Bertie, Grand Master from 1988 to 2008, who died on February 7th of this year. The son of Field Marshal Sir Francis Festing, Brother Matthew's full title is His Most Eminent Highness The Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, Most Humble Guardian of the Poor of Jesus Christ. Fra' Matthew was admitted to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 1977. In 1988 he became a Knight of Justice, and in 1991 he took Perpetual Vows; he was elected Grand Prior of England in 1993.
Pope and His Most Eminent Highness
The official website of the Order offers the exemplification of the Grand Master's Arms to be seen at the head of this note, and also the blazon: Quarterly: 1st and 4th Gules a cross Argent; 2nd and 3rd Azure an eagle displayed Erminois between three castles Argent. The arms are surrounded by the Collar, symbol of the Grand Master, within a princely mantle Sable lined Ermine and surmounted by the closed crown of the Order.
Erminois is Or semé of ermine spots Sable. Perhaps because of the small scale of the official illustration, the principal charge of the Grand Master's personal Arms can be found online both bazoned and illustrated as an eagle displayed Or. Only one of the exemplifications above is heraldically correct.
I have taken the liberty of adding ermine spots to this fine illustration of Fra' Matthew Festing's personal Coat of Arms.
As Grand Prior of England, Fra' Matthew Festing placed the Arms of the Order in a canton of his personal Arms. The painting below also illustrates the heraldic privileges of a professed Knight of Justice of the Sovereign Order.
I have also added the ermine spots to this excellent painting, found online, of Fra' Matthew's Arms as Grand Prior of England.
The first and fourth quarters of the new Prince Grand Master's Arms are those of the Order. It is placed upon the Order's Cross, and surrounded by the Grand Master's Collar. Illustrations of all of the current insignia of the Order's various Classes and grades, and of their corresponding heraldic privileges, can be found online. The photograph and drawing immediately below are of the Collar, which is worn only by the Grand Master.
The illustrations immediately above, and many others, can be found in the Members' Interactive Image Galleries of the Heraldry Society of Scotland :
http://www.heraldry-scotland.co.uk/s
The Order's official website specifies that, as of March 1st, 2007, its Arms should be represented on an oval shield, as illustrated in the drawing above.
There is also some confusion, in online sources of information, about the Order's flags. The illustrations immediately above are correct versions of:
the flag of the Sovereign State, which flies over Magistral Palace in Rome and accompanies the Grand Master and members of the Sovereign Council on official visits;
the flag of the Order's Works, flown by the Order’s Grand Priories and Sub-Priories, its National Associations, its diplomatic missions around the world, its hospitals, medical centres and out-patients’ departments, and wherever the Order of Malta’s ambulance corps, foundations and specialized units operate;
and the personal flag of the Grand Master, which is square, and is flown over the Magistral Palace and the Order’s other Magistral seats when His Most Eminent Highness is in residence.
The Order's official website.
Its motto is:
Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum
Arms of the Grand Magistry drawn by Michael Medvedev in 2005.
