The Order of Queen Saint Isabel (or Ordem da Rainha Santa Isabel in Portuguese) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order currently headed by the Duchess of Braganza as its Grand Mistress.
The Order was established on 4 November 1801 by King John VI of Portugal in honor of Queen Saint Isabel, the consort of King Denis I of Portugal. King John VI invested his wife, Carlota Joaquina, as the first Grand Mistress of the Order.
Following the replacement of the monarchy with a republic on 5 October 1910, the Order, being dynastic in nature, continued to be conferred by the exiled King Manuel II of Portugal. After his death, the Order’s Grand Mistress insignia continued to be used by the Queen and Queen Mother.
In 1986, Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, re-established the Order of Saint Isabel as an honorific dynastic order of the Portuguese Royal Family, asserting his role as its Sovereign Grand Master. The Duchess of Braganza, as the current Grand Mistress, honors Portuguese noblewomen on Saint Isabel’s feast day, celebrated annually on 4 July at the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova in Coimbra. Since 2000, the Royal House has also bestowed the Order on various queens, princesses, and women dedicated to supporting Portuguese charities.
The Order of Saint Isabel Design
The insignia of the Order features a sash that is pale pink with a white stripe in the center.
The accompanying crowned medallion depicts Queen Saint Isabel giving money to a poor man, surrounded by a frame adorned with roses, symbolizing the Queen’s miracle of the roses.
The motto of the insignia is “Pauperum Solatio,” which means “Consolation of the Poor.“
