Dr Nicholas Liverpool, President, Commonwealth of Dominica

Nine statesmen from around the world were invested into the internationally recognised Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George and the Royal Order of Francis I at a Investiture ceremony presided held at Stationers’ Hall in London on 28 July. The Grand Master of the Order, HRH Prince Carlo of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro presided.

The awards were made having been ratified by the Grand Magistry of the Order in Rome and the Cardinal Grand Prior of the Order, His Eminence Renato Raffaele, Cardinal Martino. The Order's Grand Magistral Delegate for Inter-Religious Relations and Delegate for Great Britain and Ireland, HE Mr Anthony Bailey, OBE, GCSS, delivered an opening speech on the reasons for each award which was followed by short address by each recipient.

The principal awards were:

Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George

For services to charity and humanitarian endeavour

1. His Excellency Mr Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal, President of the Republic of Panama, and The Honourable Marta Linares de Martinelli, First Lady of the Republic of Panama, were invested as a Knight Grand Cross with Gold Star and a Dame Grand Cross of Merit of the Constantinian Order respectively.

For services to the rule of law and charity

2. His Excellency Dr Nicholas Liverpool, President of the Commonwealth of Dominica, and Mrs Verna Liverpool, First Lady of the Commonwealth of Dominica, were invested as a Knight Grand Cross with Gold Star and the Gold Benemerenti Medal of the Constantinian Order respectively.

Royal Order of Francis I

3. His Excellency Mr Filip Vujanovic, President of Montenegro, was invested as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I.

For services to inter-religious relations

4. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala of the Kingdom of Tonga and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Sinaitakala Tuku’aho Fakafanua of the Kingdom of Tonga were invested as a Knight Grand Cross and a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I.

For services to charitable endeavour

5. Her Royal Highness The Princess Elena of Romania and HE Mr Alexander Nixon were invested as Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I and the Gold Benemerenti Medal of the Constantinian Order and Knight Commander of Merit with Star and Gold Benemerenti Medal of the Constantinian Order.

For services to the Caribbean

6. The Honourable Dr Kenny D Anthony, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, was awarded the Gold Benemerenti Medal.

For diplomatic and faith services

7. The Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the Court of St James's, HE Miss Ana Irene Delgado, was invested as a Dame of Merit with Star of the Constantinian Order. Gold Benemerenti Medals of the Constantinian Order were granted to HE Prof Dr Ljubiša Stankovi, Ambassador of Montenegro the Court of St James's, Mrs Janet Charles, Acting High Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Dominica to the Court of St James's, and Mrs Victorina Laukaupo'uli Afeaki Kioa consort of HE The High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Tonga to the Court of St James's.

HRH Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia was invested earlier in the day by the Delegate with the Gold Benemerenti Medal.

The ceremony was attended by over 250 leading state, royal, faith, diplomatic, and parliamentary figures from across the world including HSH Prince Peter von Hohenberg, The Most Rev Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, The Most Rev George Stack, Archbishop of Cardiff, and HE Archbishop Antonio Mennini, Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St James's.

A Guard of Honour by the Company of Pikemen and Musketeers of the Honourable Artillery Company, Body Guards to the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor of the city of London were on parade by permission of the Captain Commanding.

For more information on the Constantinian Order please visit:  www.constantinian.org.uk or www.constantinian.com