MONTENEGRO has two orders—Danilo the First (1852), for civil merit; and St Peter (1852), for members of the reigning house exclusively.
NETHERLANDS.—The Order of William, founded by William I. in 1815, is to reward conspicuous military gallantry; and the Order of the Netherlands Lion (1815) rewards civil merit. There is also the Order of the Golden Lion (1858) as a family order of the House of Nassau.
PERSIA.—The Order of the Sun and Lion, instituted in 1808; and the Order of the Sun (1873), for ladies.
PONTIFICAL.—The Order of St Gregory the Great was established by Pope Gregory XVI. in 1831 as a reward for zeal in the cause of the Roman Catholic religion.—The Order of Christ, dating from 1319, is similar to the Portuguese order of the same name, except that noble birth is not indispensable to admission.—The Order of St Sylvester claims a very early foundation, but seems to have really originated in 1559. Gregory XVI. in 1841 restricted its application to zeal in the cause of the church and civil virtues. The Order of Pius was founded in 1847 by Pius IX., and confers nobility. The Order of the Holy Sepulchre claims to date from 1099, and was confirmed by Benedict XIV. in 1746. Pius IX. added new statutes in 1868.—The Order of St Cecilia was founded in 1847 by Pius IX.—For the Order of St John of Jerusalem, see HOSPITALLERS.
PORTUGAL.—The military Order of St Benedict of Aviz originated in 1143 in a society of noble Portuguese for the purpose of opposing the Moors. It remained a military order until 1789, when Donna Maria converted it into an order of merit of three classes. Badge, a lily cross, enamelled green with gold edges.—St James of the Sword, originated in Spain in 1175, but separated from that country shortly afterwards. It was converted into a merit order by Donna Maria.—The military Order of Christ was founded on the abolition of the Order of the Temple (see TEMPLARS), and is another branch of the Pontifical order of the same name. It is only open to Roman Catholics of noble birth. Badge, red enamelled cross, charged with a plain white cross.—Order of the Tower and Sword, for merit, was originated in 1808, but remodelled under its present name in 1832.—Order of Isabella, for ladies, was founded in 1801.—The Order of Our Lady of the Conception of Villa-Viciosa was founded by John VI. in 1818 for both sexes.