Does The Order of Saint Joachim Have Royal Sponsorship?
No. From its founding in 1755, The Order of Saint Joachim has not felt the need for royal sponsorship. It has had sovereign rulers elected as its Grand Masters in the past, but unlike many dynastic or national orders of knighthood, The Order of Saint Joachim does not “belong” to any royal or sovereign house. For a long time it was associated with the House of Saxe-Coburg and the Counts of Leinigen, but Grand Chapter elects the Grand Master without preference or distinction. It was remarked as a novel system of rule as early as 1802, when it was noted by the English College of Arms that The Order did not owe its existence to any sovereign house, but was nevertheless acknowledged to be a genuine order of knighthood.
