Queen Sofia of Spain has been awarded the Collar of the illustrious Order of the Golden Fleece by King Felipe VI in a Ceremony at the Royal Palace of Madrid on November 21st, marking the 50th Anniversary of the restoration of the Spanish Monarchy.
Queen Letizia, the Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofia joined King Felipe VI as he awarded Queen Sofia of Spain the prestigious Order of the Golden Fleece in a Ceremony at the Royal Palace of Madrid.
King Felipe bestowed the Collar of the Illustrious Order of the Golden Fleece upon Her Majesty Queen Sofía, for “her dedication and commitment to the service of Spain and the Crown.” Felipe González, Miguel Herrero y Rodríguez de Miñón, and Miquel Roca i Junyent were also decorated.
The prestigious Order of the Golden Fleece is one of the most illustrious Orders of Chivalry in History, which was awarded to a Queen Consort for the first time in its 600-year history today when it was presented to Queen Sofia in a ceremony marking over five decades of service to the Spanish Crown and People!
Founded by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal in 1430 in Brugges, the Order of the Golden Fleece passed to the House of Habsburg when Mary of Burgundy married Emperor Maximilian I in 1477 and was headed by the King of Spain until the War of Spanish Succession in 1711, since when there are two branches of the order: Archduke Karl von Habsburg heads the Austrian Order while the current Grand Master of the Spanish branch is King Felipe VI of Spain.
The Illustrious Order of the Golden Fleece was created in 1429 by Philip III the Good, Duke of Burgundy, on the occasion of his marriage to Isabella of Portugal. Linked to the family, and not to the Duchy of Burgundy, it passed, through the marriage of Duchess Maria to Emperor Maximilian, to her grandson Charles I of Spain, Emperor Charles V. Since then, the Kings of Spain have been the Sovereigns and Grand Masters of the Order.
While the Austrian branch inherited the Treasure of the Order since they possessed the old Burgundian Habsburg territories, the Spanish Branch of the Golden Fleece became one of the most prestigious and historic orders of chivalry, and in 1789 it was written that
the number of knights of the Golden Fleece is very limited in Spain, and this is the order, which of all those in Europe, has best preserved its ancient splendour”
The badge of the order, in the form of a sheepskin, is suspended from a jewelled collar of firesteels in the shape of the letter B, for Burgundy, linked by flints; with the motto Pretium Laborum Non Vile “no mean reward for labours” engraved on the front of the central link, and Philip’s motto Non Aliud “I will have no other” on the back. The badge is usually suspended from a scarlet ribbon worn at the neck (for men) or from a bow (for ladies).
The Order’s emblem is the golden ram’s fleece associated with Jason in Greek mythology; the Order’s jewel is called the Toison (“fleece” in French) and it is known as the Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro in Spanish.
The Collar of the Order, inspired by the myth of Jason, consists of a gold collar bearing the arms of the Dukes of Burgundy, from which hangs the Golden Fleece. The collars are the property of the Order and must be returned upon the death of each Knight.
For centuries, the Order of the Golden Fleece was only given to the Spanish Sovereign and Heir, in addition to Infante’s and Foreign Sovereigns as well as members of the Spanish Nobility. While Spanish Queens Regnant have been the Sovereigns of the Order, females, only Foreign Monarchs until now, only got awarded the Order in 1985, making Queen Sofia the first Queen Consort to be given the prestigious Order.
Sovereigns, members of royal families, and prominent figures from the Spanish and foreign aristocracy, politics, and military have received the Order of the Golden Fleece since its inception. The number of Collars awarded since then totals approximately 1,200.
The Spanish Royal Family
King Felipe VI of Spain
(1981)
The Princess of Asturias
(2015)
Queen Sofia of Spain
(2024)
King Juan Carlos of Spain
(1941)
Foreign Sovereign Knights
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
(1983)
Emperor Akihito of Japan
(1985)
Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands
(1985)
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
(1985)
King Albert II of Belgium
(1994)
King Harald V of Norway
(1995)
Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria
(2004)
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
(2006)
Deceased Knights
King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand
(2006)
Queen Elizabeth II
(1988)
King Hussein of Jordan
(1985)
Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg
(1983)
King Olav V of Norway
(1982)
King Constantine II of Greece
(1964)
King Baudouin of Belgium
(1960)
Emperor Hirohito of Japan
(1928)
