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Golden Fleece - Knights: 1430-1700

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Ordre de la Toison d'Or - Order of the Golden Fleece

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sticker_new_right.gif See here an online representation of the Grand armorial équestre de la Toison d'or, one of the finest late medieval manuscripts available today. Written and drawn between 1430-1461, it shows the arms as well as the knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece. (Voice commentary in French only).

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Founding members (membres fondateurs, miembros fundadores)

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The 23 Chapters of the Order (1430-1581)

Chapter 1 (1431) - Lille, Eglise Saint Pierre

Chapter 2 (1432) - Brugge, Sint Donaaskerk

Chapter 3 (1433) - Dijon, Sainte Chapelle

Chapter 4 (1435) - Brussel, Sint Goedele

(no vacancies)

Chapter 5 (1436) - Lille, Eglise Saint Pierre

(no vacancies)

Chapter 6 (1440) - Saint Omer, Église du couvent des Bénédictins

Chapter 7 (1445) - Gent, Sint Jan

Chapter 8 (1451) - Mons, Sainte-Waudru

Chapter 9 (1456) - Den Haag, Sint Jacob

Chapter 10 (1461) - Saint Omer, Saint Bertin

Chapter 11 (1468) - Brugge, Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk

Chapter 12 (1473) - Valenciennes, Église Saint-Paul

Chapter 13 (1478) - Brugge, Sint Salvatorskathedraal

Chapter 14 (1481) - Den Bosch, Sint Jan

Chapter 15 (1491) - Mechelen, Sint Rombouts

Chapter 16 (1501) - Brussel, Karmelieten

Chapter 17 (1505) - Middelburg

Chapter 18 (1516) - Brussel, Sint Goedele

Papal Brief (1516-1519)

The 18th Chapter recommended to increase the number of Knights by 20 (from 31 to 51), to accommodate the expansion of the territories under the sovereign. This would require a papal authorisation, but the Brussels Chapter already elected the first 10 new members. The latter 10 were elected at an exceptional meeting in Spain, in January 1519.

Chapter 19 (1519) - Barcelona, Catedral Santa Eulàlia

Chapter 20 (1531) - Doornik, Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk

Chapter 21 (1546) - Utrecht, Sint Maarten

Chapter 22 (1556) - Antwerpen, Onze Lieve Vrouwkathedraal

Chapter 23 (1559) - Gent, Sint Baafs

At the close of the 23rd Chapter, the Knights also leave 5 titles to be distributed at the discretion of the king. He will award them to the following five knights:

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1559-1598

Many Knights of the Order have recently died, and political troubles impede the organisation of chapters where new Knights can be elected. Grand Master Felipe II de Habsburgo thus obtains a papal dispensation in 1578 from the Order's statutes, allowing him to directly select new knights, without elections. The following list gives the knights selected by the Grand Master until his death in 1598.

1581

1583

1585

1586

1587

1589

1596

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1599-1621 (under Felipe III de Habsburgo)

1599

1600

1601

1605

1606

1607

1608

1609

1610

1611

1612

1613

1614

1615

1616

1617

1618

1619

1620

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1621-1665 (under Felipe IV de Habsburgo)

1621

1622

1623

1624

1626

1627

1628

1629

1630

1631

1633

1634

1635

1638

1639

1642

  • Carlo di Tocco, duca di Leucade, principe di Montemiletto (1592-1674)

1644

1645

1646

1647

1649

1650

1651

1653

1654

1655

1656

1657

1658

1659

1661

1662

1663

1664

1665

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1665-1700 (under Carlos II de Habsburgo)

1667

1668

1669

1670

1671

1672

1673

1675

1678

1680

1681

1682

1683

1684

1685

1686

1687

1688

1689

1690

1691

1692

1693

1694

1695

1697

1698

1699

1700

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This concludes the list of the first 618 Knights of the Golden Fleece - between 1430-1700. For the knights appointed after 1700, please check the pages for the Austrian Branch and the Spanish Branch.